Weekly update: The virtual run to Canada

A long  week at work:  Here are the stats so far

3.3 Miles on Thursday the 10th

4.4 Miles on Saturday the 12th

25.1  Miles so far  in 2013

Virtual run to Canada since  Feb 14  2011   1388.8

53.3  miles to  Canada border  Watch out you hosers here I come

Week 1 2013 13 Miles in 2013 challenge

Started the year off with  a bang. 

January 1st 2013   13 Miles for 2013  challenge completed....and off to the races for a strong 2013.    It was a slow 13 miles, definitely not as easy as the last time I ran this far---which was when I was running more consistently 6 miles on a regular basis.    I'd only been doing 4.4 in latest efforts at getting back into a regular exercise schedule.    So that is why it was a challenge.   Setting goals will be the way back to where I want to be.

Saturday the 5th  I meant to go on a 6 mile run after a couple of days off----but the ice on my lawn  was an excuse to not run in the morning and I decided in the afternoon that I would just do my 4.4 mile run ---but pick up the pace a bit.  Speed over distance. 

The next challenge will be the Brad's  Birthday mile.   I want to see what I can run the  mile in on the track for my 42nd birthday in February (and hopefully not kill myself in the process)


Meanwhile the Virtual Run to Canada is now 61 miles away from the border......Watch out you hosers....I'm Virtually coming..

17.4  Miles so far  in 2013

Virtual run to Canada since  Feb 14  2011   1381.1

61 miles to Canada

Ready to Quit??? Failure?? Done with the Run??

I've run 4.4 Miles in 3 of the last 8 days    13.2 miles.    None of them were enjoyable.  None of them were fun.  I've wanted to quit during every single run.     Awhile back ...after several years of having to make myself run and exercise I had finally reached the point of enjoying it...of missing it the days that I didn't run.   I'm no longer at that place.   A month and a half of being sidelined with a broken toe and then a bunch of excuses and a month long cold---and I'm no longer enjoying it.  During every run that I've gone on to restart the process I've wanted to quit.....to throw in the towel and just give up on the whole thing.    Yet I keep trying...  My OCD that once drove me to keep stats on my runs and other exercises has let me down.  Depression with my job  has overpowered and helped me to fail in my goals.  You would think having a blog about it would help ---but even that failed to keep me on track.   My Virtual Run to Canada became a crawl.    So where to go from here???   Do I quit?   Do I write the whole thing off as a failure??? Or do I recommit and set new goals???  During this time of exercise failure that I fell off the wagon I still held on to the tail of the wagon like Indy at the end of Raiders......Now it is time to pull myself back on the wagon.....   There will be days that  I will still want to quit.....Every run over the next couple of months will be difficult and during each one I will go through a thousand thoughts of wanting to quit and give up.....But I guess during today's run I've decided that I'm not going to quit.    I'm setting goals for 2013 and hoping to kick my OCD back into a good cause.
It will be a struggle again .....it will be a fight,  but I will win.
2013 will be the Year of Brad......and not FAT by 42.

First up while everyone is sleeping in on January 1st and nursing their hangovers and before they have even made their resolutions that they will not succeed in for 2013  I'm  going to do my first challenge for 2013..........13 for 2013.......I will run 13 miles on the first day of 2013......and will then set on a plan  (whether I like it or not)  to run at least 5 days a week  at least until swim season.

Virtual Run to Canada Update

November Run  Date unknown   3.3 Miles

December 15th  4.4 Miles

December 22nd   4.4 Miles

December 25th  4.4 Miles

December 29th  4.4 Miles

477.8  Miles so far  in 2012

Virtual run to Canada since  Feb 14  2011   1363.7  

78.4 miles to Canada

Daily Stats 4.4 Miles Saturday 0ct 27th

I should change the title to the Reluctant runner.....I just haven't been able to motivate myself post broken toe to get back into full swing......Had to force myself to run this afternoon....and it felt good to be running even if the run itself didn't feel good........Just say no to HE Fat......

Oct 13th  3.3 Miles

Oct 27th  4.4 Miles

456.9  Miles so far  in 2012

Virtual run to Canada since  Feb 14  2011   1342.08  


99.3 miles to Canada

Daily post 4.4 Miles Thursday Sept 20th

After the broken toes derailed my efforts....I slacked off for a bit......Sure I did some swimming but not enough....And Fear kept me from starting up my runs again....Fear of my toe not healing properly.....Well I finally made it back and just in time.....It is so much easier not to exercise and I was falling back into that lazy attitude that made HE FAT possible.....So I back and boy that first day back feel like a first day back....

Thursday Sept 20th

449.2  Miles so far  in 2012

Virtual run to Canada since  Feb 14  2011   1334.38  


107 miles to Canada

3 Miles in the Pool Easier than I thought...Challenge completed.

Brad's Aquaman challenge is complete..  (No I didn't go out into the ocean and try to talk to the fish.).....

This year's fitness challenge was Aquatic in nature do to the broken toe......A 3 Mile swim in the pool.....(480 lengths)...It was a mental hurdle....The number was intimidating---you know when you are 10 lengths in and still have 470 to go......But with the help of some surf tunes on the swim headphones and a good attitude the challenge went smooth.   I love swimming....If I had my own pool I think I would just swim 2 miles a day  and put the running shoes out to pasture.    I'm going to take advantage of the my folks pool this week while they are out of town this week  (if I don't wake up with incredibly sore shoulders in the morning that is)......A week of hard core swimming sounds great...If I was rich and had my own pool and didn't have to work....I feel like I could do this 5 times a week.  Then I might actually look like Aquaman  (without the lame outfit of course)

So onto the next challenge.....I've done a fitness challenge each of the last 3 years as I put He Fat in his grave.....The first year was the Stud Ironmen  (from Jr Lifeguard days) Last year the 13 miles and a slice of cheesecake and today the 3 mile Aquaman challenge........

What should the next challenge be???  Help me decide....give me some suggestions???

I'm thinking maybe a Run swim run........1 1/2 miles in the pool  followed by a 10 mile run and  then another  1 1/2 miles in the pool.......Basically a 10 and 3...  What do you suggest?