Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

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Bad Idea Birthday Run Amid Covid

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On April 25, 2020

In Fitness

I’m a month overdue talking about my annual “Bad Idea Birthday Challenge”. Granted March and April have been a bit complicated and unorthodox. This year is a birthday milestone too. The big 4-0. Last year the challenge was to convert my age to kilometers, divide by 10 and complete that distance in miles. If I were to repeat that challenge, that means running 6.4 miles and that is not very challenging this year. So I need to come up with something new. The unprecedented living conditions of our current situation also creates complication. So what can I do for my bad idea birthday run amid covid?

40 Miles?? I Don’t Think So!

I’m not crazy enough (yet) to stop dividing by 10. Running 40 miles seems frightening, even if I divide the distance up over a couple of days. The pandemic has postponed (for now) the Flying Pig events until mid-October. The plan for the pig, this year, was to complete a 15k (i.e. run the 10k followed by the 5k). I thought about making the 15k my birthday challenge; however by October I will be half way to 41.

Each week I’m beginning to push myself a little bit more. I’m inching (literally and figuratively) toward 5 miles a day, and 8 miles on my “push day”. Therefore I’m leaning toward completing a half marathon, over the course of two days, as my 40th birthday challenge.

If I’m successful it might be the mental leverage I need to convince myself that in 2021 I will reach the apex of my running workouts. It might mean that the Bad Idea Birthday Challenge for 2021 will be the Flying Pig Half Marathon.

minions_icon

I could accomplish so much more if I only had minions!

 

RTotD: Better Than A Smoking Addiction

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On October 1, 2019

In General Cogitation, Random Cogitations

Addiction, the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity. Me? I’m addicted to running. If the temperature is above 90 or below 30, I still find a way to safely go for a run. Aside from the weekends, if the day is nearly over and I haven’t gone for a run, I’m anxious. It means I’ve been sitting too long and experiencing cabin fever. 

If it is truly “not safe” to run outdoors, my alternative is to use the treadmill. I am more likely to concede to use the treadmill when its too cold versus too hot. However the treadmill doesn’t provide the same level of satisfaction as running outdoors. The fresh air, the breeze, the fact that upon reaching the half way point, you have no choice but to finish. Those are characteristics of running outdoors that cannot be duplicated by a machine.

Assuming I’m smart and safe about it, this has to be one of those “healthy” addictions. Regardless its a better addiction than smoking (or “vaping” 🙄 for you millennials).

/cheers

The things that go through my mind when I’m alone with nothing but my thoughts for entertainment is dangerous. Some might even say eccentric. Consider this your warning about today’s Random Thought of the Day

 

From 4000 Steps to 10K Races

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On June 26, 2019

In Fitness

From 4000 Steps to 10K RacesMany people comment to me that they don’t think that they could run like I do. Believe me, the distances that I run are minuscule compared to some of the marathon runners I know. Also, anyone that knows me well, knows that I did not just wake up one day and decide to run. I’ve had problems with my knees since high school and this all began by simply walking. A lot. This is how I went from 4000 steps to 10K races.

One Day I Bought A FitBit

Every time someone makes a lifestyle change like this, there is always some catalyst. It might be a health scare, marriage, divorce, having children. For me, it was buying a FitBit. We had been researching ways to exercise and when my wife read about these FitBit’s we thought we would give them a try; that was over six years ago. There must be something about the actual data that became the motivation I needed.

My life was pretty sedentary. I sat behind a computer for 8 hours to work. I sat behind another computer or the television, playing video games when I wasn’t working. My knees hurt going up and down the stairs and I had a prescription for pain killers. Pain killers that are a controlled substance in the state of Ohio. The day I put on that FitBit is the day I decided I was done with all that.

Within the first three years I went from an average of 4,000 steps to 10,000 steps a day and I lost 55 pounds.

Walking Leads to Running

So for the first 3-4 years after strapping on a FitBit, I became addicted to walking. I wanted to take a walk like a smoker craves the next cigarette. One mile lead to two miles. Two miles lead to three. I started walking for my lunch break and I was signing up to walk 5K races.

One day, about two years ago, I was out for a three mile walk and I was walking at a pretty decent pace. Suddenly I had this thought “I wonder if I can run”. I know that my knees would not appreciate the extra stress from the impact of running. However, I was just too damn curious. So I just started running. I started out alternating between running a block and walking a block and just gradually built from there.

Within two years I was running two 5K races and one 10K race. It just takes some perseverance, perhaps a little insanity, and having an addictive personality helps too. You just have to keep working at it and give your body a chance to adapt. Eventually your legs and your lungs will learn how to work together.

minions_icon

I could accomplish so much more if I only had minions!

 

BIBC Revisited: Running My First 10k

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On May 15, 2019

In Fitness

Flying Pig 10K

FitBit map of the 10K

Two years ago I got this crazy notion to run a 5k for the first time. Following the success of that first 5K, I ran in the same Flying Pig 5K a year later. Since that day I am running 3.1+ miles every day so going for the hat trick didn’t make sense because it wouldn’t be a challenge. Therefore, the most logical decision is to up my game and go for the 10K. On May 4th (aka Star Wars Day) I completed my first ever 10K race which not only fulfilled a New Years Intention but also my Bad Idea Birthday Challenge obligation. The image on the left was taken from the FitBit app after I completed the race (click the image to enlarge it).

Training for the Race

I prepared for the 10K by still running 5 days a week, the change was how far I was running. Four days out of the week I increased the distance to 4+ miles and on the 5th day I would try running over 5 miles. I never actually ran 6 miles while training. This 10K is supposed to be a challenge for me and if I can run 6 miles before the day of the race, then it’s not really a challenge.

I also began doing additional exercises prior to running. These exercises mostly consisted of crunches or sit-ups, lifting free weights, perhaps even a warm up on the recumbent bike. I increased how much water I drunk and decreased my meal portions and soda consumption.

Flying Pig 2020

So now that I have a 10K under my belt, what is the next challenge? The next highest race at the Flying Pig is a Half Marathon, which is 13.1 miles; more than double a 10K. I really don’t think my knees are ready for that; and I’m not entirely confident they will be ready in a year. Now that I have 6.2 miles under my belt, I plan to try to work that into a weekly routine.

So, with that said, the plan right now is to run a 15K in 2020. Since the Half Marathon is the next highest race at the Flying Pig, that means I will sign up to run both the 10K and the 5K (they occur at different times), hence 15K. If I can accomplish 9.3 miles without feeling like I’m going to fall apart, then I will consider the Half Marathon in 2021.

Bad Idea Birthday Challenge 2019

By

On March 27, 2019

In Fitness

So this week is when I’m supposed to run my-age-in-miles divided by 10, a.k.a. the Bad Idea Birthday Challenge . I first completed this challenge a year ago.  However I run farther than that 5 days a week so it hardly seems like a challenge. Case in point, on the day of I ran 4.3 miles. Then one of my coworkers had an interesting idea. They suggest to take my age in miles, convert it to kilometers and divide it by 10. Therefore my challenge would be equivalent to the 10k for which I’m still training. So this year I will fulfill my Bad Idea Birthday Challenge when I run the 10K in a little over a month.

In any event, I have reached a weight loss milestone as well which puts me on track to lose 5 more pounds by race day. As long as I maintain the fitness regimen and meal portions I should have no problems reaching said goal. Short post but good news.

/cheers

minions_icon

I could accomplish so much more if I only had minions!

 

My Nerd Fitness: Running the Flying Pig 5K

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On May 10, 2018

In Fitness

Last year is the first time I attempted running the Flying Pig 5K race. Actually it was the first time I ran ANY 5K race. I did not train well for it but I wasn’t terribly upset with 40 minutes; it’s the perfect bar to set for myself. The goal this year, to fully run the race and, hopefully, improve my time by 2-4 minutes. I have a lot of friends to thank for helping me achieve this goal; some old and some new. Since moving to Cincinnati I have a few new friends that are avid runners (some are marathon runners). Utilizing their advice was very instrumental to my efforts. A specific old friend comes to mind to thank for their tutelage in martial arts. While I no longer practice martial arts, the lessons you learn are extremely applicable to many of life’s other challenges. Preparing myself mentally and physically for running the Flying Pig 5K is one of those challenges.

Race Results

A New Personal Best

My run results are surprising. The best I was hoping for was 36 minutes, completing the 3.1 miles in just over 35 minutes is shocking! That is, hands down my new personal best. I think it is really helpful to have someone to run with whose pace is very close to my own. Also, having that extra coaching and encouragement is an added benefit.

I was also better prepared for the race this year. The month leading up to the race I would fully run over 3 miles once a week. It’s crucial to have the breathing and the pace in sync with each other. I’m sure that was also something I was missing last year.

Where Do We Go From Here?

The most logical next step would be to train for the 10K next year. Granted that means doubling the distance I run, and thinking about it that way makes it feel daunting. Be that as it may, the 10K race is my goal for next year. As I just said, I am fully running over 3 miles a week so the 5K will hardly feel like a challenge anymore. Therefore it’s time to “level up”, as Steve Kamb of Nerd Fitness would say. Thankfully I have some friends that are also willing to train for it.

Will I go beyond a 10K? I don’t know. Five years ago, running just a mile seemed ludicrous; now I’m contemplating 6.2 miles. I doubt my knees and my body has the dexterity to run more than a 10K. If I had to pick a max distance, a half marathon is probably my limit.

/cheers

minions_icon

I could accomplish so much more if I only had minions!

 

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