JonFirestar, Race Season Begins!

[jonfirestar]

Race Season Begins

 

Here we go again. Anyone following my last challenge will remember that I managed to miss the first race of the season thanks to some unexpected snow! Let's put that behind us and focus on my next race(s). I have no fewer than 2 coming up this challenge. 

 

March 18: Reading Half Marathon.

 

This is my local half marathon. It's a pretty big deal in the town and draws quite a bit of attention. It begins in a place that I know very well and nothing short of the apocalypse (or injury if we are being realistic) can stop me from getting there! 

 

My goal at Reading Half is to run a sub 2 hour half marathon. My current PB is 2:01. If I am honest I'm not entirely sure I can pull it off but I'm going to give it a good go. @Charlie_Quinn and @Jarric are also signed up for this one so it should be a lot of fun. 

 

April 7: Spartan Super

 

This will be my first OCR of the year and the first race towards my Trifecta! Should be a lot of fun. I'm not in the condition I'd like to be in for it either but I'm looking forward to this one. 

 

This race will also mark the start of the shift of focus in my training towards the insane endurance challenges I've got coming up in the summer and beyond (aka I start my marathon training program). My goal for this one is just o have some fun. If I remember correctly, @Charlie_Quinn, @Rhovaniel, @iatetheyeti and @Big_Show have signed up to this little beauty. Hopefully everyone can make it! I'm in a team with @iatetheyeti and @Rhovaniel and I really hope they can both make it.

 

The Actual Challenge:

 

I've not been as consistent as I'd like so I'm going to keep things really simple:

 

Run 100 miles! 

This includes week 0 and is basically just a goal to average 20 miles per week. Ideally I'll include an interval session and tempo session each week but there is going to be much need for recovery too so I'm just going to focus on getting the miles in. 

 

Strength:

Do at least 2 strength sessions per week. This can be bodyweight work or a lifting session at the gym. The trick is just to get something done. I've come to acceptance that I'm probably not going to be hitting a structured strength program for the foreseeable future so I'm mostly concerned that I do something and focus on a lower body and upper body session each week. There will be an OCR focus to my workouts but I like big core movements like heavy squats and deadlifts for my overall running strength. 

 

Do your Burpees! 

30 burpees twice per week! Wot it says. I want to get good at burpees  

 

Don't Binge: 

This is a big challenge. My focus here is just to avoid the mindless eating that has crept back into my life. To this end I'm going to limit myself to just 2 beers per week with an exception for race weeks where I'll go up to 4, maximum. For the sake of realism I'm going to waive this goal for Easter Sunday. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[WhiteGhost]

Here and following

 

[Salinger]

Hey Jon, good to see you! I know you will reach all your goals and have amazing fun at your races!! Cant wait to gain inspiration and awe at you x

[Novaurora]

Here!

[Cheetah]

Following.  :-)

[Jarric]

Solid challenge dude. Look forward to seeing you in Reading (and also to seeing you again at the Spartan if they ever send me details of where and when I need to be for it!).

[Maigs]

Following!

[shaar]

3 hours ago, jonfirestar said:

 

Do your Burpees! 

30 burpees twice per week! Wot it says. I want to get good at burpees  

 

 

*trembles in fear of this goal*

 

 

Gonna conquer it ALL, especially those burpees, and well, especially the other stuff too, ESPECIALLY ALL OF IT!!

[jonfirestar]

3 hours ago, WhiteGhost said:

Here and following

 

Great to see you my friend! 

 

3 hours ago, Salinger said:

Hey Jon, good to see you! I know you will reach all your goals and have amazing fun at your races!! Cant wait to gain inspiration and awe at you x

I kind of think I sucked  at that last time. Let's see what we can do this time round. 

 

2 hours ago, Stribs said:

Here!

Yay!

 

2 hours ago, Cheetah said:

Following.  :-)

Did you bring any bananas? I'm starving. 

 

1 hour ago, Jarric said:

Solid challenge dude. Look forward to seeing you in Reading (and also to seeing you again at the Spartan if they ever send me details of where and when I need to be for it!).

I totally forgot that you'd signed up for that one. Are you going to join our Spartan team or are you heading out solo and trying for a good time?*

 

They send an email with the start time closer to the date but I think the location is on the site. 

*I'm getting a sense of deja vu we might have already talked about this. 

 

1 hour ago, Maigahane said:

Following!

Great to see you! 

 

1 minute ago, shaar said:

*trembles in fear of this goal*

Yeah believe me it's not something I want to be doing but it sort of feels like it is a vital component of the larger goal of do lots of Spartan Races I've got going on. 

[Charlie_Quinn]

I can't believe race season is finally here!!

 

4 hours ago, jonfirestar said:

30 burpees twice per week! Wot it says. I want to get good at burpees

 

Nutter. Are you being extra crazy and doing them mid run again?  

[EricMN]

4 hours ago, jonfirestar said:

Race Season Begins

...
 

April 7: Spartan Super

 

This will be my first OCR of the year and the first race towards my Trifecta! Should be a lot of fun. I'm not in the condition I'd like to be in for it either but I'm looking forward to this one. 

 

This race will also mark the start of the shift of focus in my training towards the insane endurance challenges I've got coming up in the summer and beyond (aka I start my marathon training program). My goal for this one is just o have some fun. If I remember correctly, @Charlie_Quinn, @Rhovaniel, @iatetheyeti and @Big_Show have signed up to this little beauty. Hopefully everyone can make it! I'm in a team with @iatetheyeti and @Rhovaniel and I really hope they can both make it.

Eagerly awaiting this.

 

4 hours ago, jonfirestar said:

Do your Burpees! 

30 burpees twice per week! Wot it says. I want to get good at burpees  

There's something wrong with you. (In the best way. But still.)

[jonfirestar]

7 minutes ago, Charlie_Quinn said:

I can't believe race season is finally here!!

Woo! It took it's sweet time didn't it?

 

11 minutes ago, Charlie_Quinn said:

Nutter. Are you being extra crazy and doing them mid run again?  

At least one set is going to be done mid run. It sort of makes sense to do it that way to prepare for the rigours of the race. That's not to say that it doesn't suck to run 3 miles, do your burpees and then run home. 

 

9 minutes ago, EricMN said:

Eagerly awaiting this.

Yeah, me too

 

10 minutes ago, EricMN said:

There's something wrong with you. (In the best way. But still.)

Coming from you! I'm honoured! 

 

 

[Mrs Van]

6 hours ago, jonfirestar said:

My goal at Reading Half is to run a sub 2 hour half marathon. My current PB is 2:01. If I am honest I'm not entirely sure I can pull it off but I'm going to give it a good go.

Here to cheer you on to reach this goal, at the least.

 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Following along.

[jonfirestar]

2 hours ago, elizevdmerwe said:

Here to cheer you on to reach this goal, at the least.

 

Thanks. I'm trying to measure my expectations because I really don't know how it's going to go. It looks like the weather is going to suck a little too and that might have an affect on what kind of time I can hope to reach. I'm going to give it my best though. 

 

 

1 hour ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Following along.

It's good to have you around, Tank! 

 

 

[Wild Wolf]

9 hours ago, jonfirestar said:

For the sake of realism I'm going to waive this goal for Easter Sunday. 

 

 

Hey brother! I'm gonna be better at supporting you and everyone else I love and admire this upcoming challenge. I'm excited to see you hit the sub 2 hour mark at that marathon  

 

Wolf

[jonfirestar]

Week 0, Tuesday! 

 

I'm going to keep this update fairly brief. I had a terrible night's sleep last night. It was too hot in our bedroom and I probably drank too much coffee after taking a full week of cutting back because I wasn't at work. Either way it was a horrid night where I kept waking up every hour or so and I had some really crazy and bizarre nightmares. Including one that presented a crazy weird negative to my weight-loss. So there was that.

 

I woke up with my alarm. I fully intended on turning it off and going back to sleep. I actually reset it and rolled over with that intention but mother nature had other plans and I was forced out a few minutes later. So I was up and feeling okay. I knew I wouldn't be feeling okay for much of the day  so I figured what the heck I'd use that energy to get a decent run in. So that is what I did. 

 

I'm tapering this week so it was just a 5k with 4 good hard intervals. The run was good. No complaints about it. It's beginning to get light as I run now but that'll be ruined in a couple of weeks when daylight savings kicks in this side of the pond. 

 

Work was slow and dull but I was able to force some good changes through this morning when I was forced to point out some stupidity that was going on. 

 

I brought a new book. An actual physical book. It has been a long time since I've done that. Too long. I don't read much any more but I have had the bug for a little while and I've got high hopes. 

 

The work place was full of cookies and cakes once again. This time it was because someone was leaving. Despite really wanting it to the point where the chocolate was calling my name I managed to avoid it all. It took a couple of mantras that I kept repeating over and over. Food today has been good. 

 

5 minutes ago, Wolfpool said:

Hey brother! I'm gonna be better at supporting you and everyone else I love and admire this upcoming challenge. I'm excited to see you hit the sub 2 hour mark at that marathon  

 

Thanks Wolfie. I'm gong to be around to offer better support too. I'm not sure about that half marathon time though. It's supposed to snow on Sunday! 

 

[Salinger]

What book did you buy Jon?xx

[Cheetah]

6 minutes ago, jonfirestar said:

An actual physical book.

 

Impressive.  What's the book?

[Cheetah]

3 minutes ago, Salinger said:

What book did you buy Jon?xx

Jinx!!

 

[jonfirestar]

44 minutes ago, Salinger said:

What book did you buy Jon?xx

you are way more classy than I am  

 

44 minutes ago, Cheetah said:

 

Impressive.  What's the book?

It’s ‘Way of Kings’ by Brian Sanderson. I’ve heard good things about it.

[Cheetah]

3 minutes ago, jonfirestar said:

I’ve heard good things about it.

 

I'm looking forward to your review.  :-)

[NeverThatBored]

3 minutes ago, Cheetah said:

 

I'm looking forward to your review.  :-)

 

Me too! It's on my shelf but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet.

 

Also, ewwww burpees.

[Maigs]

It’s ‘Way of Kings’ by Brian Sanderson. I’ve heard good things about it.

It's really good. Hubs and I listened to it on our drives back to Hometown

[Novaurora]

That IS a good book.  Sorry about your rough night of sleep! And great job avoiding the cookies!!