Wrap #9

Welcome to my twisted room of ramblings, recovery from a traumatic brain injury, athletic training, vegan eats, music sensations and social screams.

Last week
Totals (11/16-11/22) 

Running 70.03 miles (67.77/65.65 previous 2 weeks)

Biking 0 miles

NewBoozeRules (11/24-11/30) (less is more)

2.5 bottles of wine, 20 bottles of beer

Weight: 152 (moved up)
Diet track: My Fitness Pal
This week

Today

12/6
Tried to run this morning. I made it .25 miles before the pain announced itself. I walked home. :-(
Today ended up being a rest day. I probably should have tried to go for a bike ride since I couldn't run. But instead, I opted to just rest. Hopefully, tomorrow is a better day.NBR: zero drinks
12/5
Noah, Mimi's son has designs on getting a new boxer puppy. We are driving to look see a couple today. I know boxer's, there really is no such think as "just looking" - The pad will have a new member later today. Ramone (my old man) will be thrilled!
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Puppy was super cute and we shall pick him up on Tuesday. So exciting!
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Injury update: Decided to take the day off completely. I will attempt a run tomorrow and hopefully the pain is gone.
NBR: 3 bud light

12/4
Bike/fixie - 1:07:00 - 20.2 miles - 114 HR
Easy spin; I didn't run again today. I don't feel any soreness but I want to be safe and be sure not to aggravate my muscle pull (hopefully nothing more serious.
    12/3
Well today will be different. A much needed rest day for my running sticks. Stupid boy here waited until he hurt himself after 42 day rest-free streak.
On a positive note, Mimi comes home from her work-trip today! I am happy about that.
NBR: .5 bottle of wine
12/2
Injured - Run - 1:18:00 - 8.26 miles - HR 117 -  ran good through mile 4 (<32', then struggled through mile 7 <57', then walked >18' pace pace home)
I don't know what happened... I was going to take today off/should have. But, I went out in the rain and actually felt pretty good. Then at around mile 4, I felt a twinge in my upper thigh which got really bad at around 10k so at mile 7 I decided to walk it in at a brisk pace. I guess it is time to get back on the bike for a bit. 12/1
Trail run - 1:54:00 - 10.12 miles - 10:23 pace - 785' elevation gain
Easy pace - 16 times up frontage road
NBR: 1 bottle of wine
11/30
Run - 9.32 miles - 1:15:07 - 8:03 per mile pace
3.5 mile jog to warm up, then 6  x 800  meter track intervals with 400 meter cool downs (between 3:10 - 3:15 each). Last time I did this I was around 3:20 per 800 so a step in the right direction.
NBR: 3 Corona Light

Take a minute and watch this. So inspiring!

Thanksgiving 2014 - Thank You

Another holiday season is here... I should have posted this yesterday but what the hell, here it goes.

I am thankful. 

It has been a little over 5 years since I was hit by a car and survived a coma, lengthy hospitalization and endless rehabilitation.

I am very fortunate in countless ways. I have a beautiful/brilliant daughter (Nico Berlin) and I am now a grampy (hello Margaux Juniper)! I left the snow of the Colorado mountains to the sunshine of Florida to be with my girlfriend, Mimi Reeves.  And along her side I continue to improve athletically; and more importantly, cognitively. I have exceeded by an enormous amount what was medically anticipated. It is a daily struggle and I can only say, thank you. The list of people who have contributed along the way is greater than my capacity to recall, but again, THANK YOU. I am happy to be alive. 

I can run.

Enjoy your food, relax and have a second glass of vino. There is no need to stand in line all night for a discounted thing. There is so much more to life - it is called living. It is okay to cancel Black Friday.

Wrap #8

Welcome to my twisted room of ramblings, recovery from a traumatic brain injury, athletic training, vegan eats, music sensations and social screams.

Last week
Totals (11/16-11/22) 

Running 67.77 miles (65.65 previous week)

Biking 20.0 miles

NewBoozeRules (11/16-11/22) (less is more)

10 glasses of wine, 8 bottles of beer

Weight: 152 (moved up)
Diet track: My Fitness Pal
This week

Today

11/29Run - 1:38 - 11.25 miles - 8:42 pace
A little slower and a little bit longer today. 

11/28
Run - 1:22:00 - 10.15 miles - 8:04 pace
Endurance run; steady pace; wind and cool temps (60s!). I felt good today. I carried Gatorade, but I didn't seem to need any.
NBR: (6 Miller Light)

11/27
Happy Thanksgiving!
Trail run - 1:31:00 - 10.38 miles - 8:46 pace
trail run out on the levee... strong headwinds out/neg. split back NBR:  (6 Coors light, 3 glasses of red wine)

11/26
Run - 1:26:00 - 10.7 miles - 8:02 pace
Decent effort. No real focus; just run as steady as possible into the fierce winds (again). Hung tough the last two miles with minimal fade.
NBR: (1 bottle of red wine)

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11/25
Run - 1:04:00 - 8.1 miles - 7:54 pace per mile
Included 6 time 4:00 minute tempo intervals on 3:00 easy. I called Garmin this morning and they are sending me a new heart rate strap. Yay! 
NBR: (2 Corona Light, .5 bottle of red wine)

Guns, Deaths. American exceptional-ism? It really blows my mind (like a bullet)...

11/24
Run - 1:33:00 - 10.19 miles - 9:09 per mile 
Very hot and humid today (at record temps for this time of year). I felt it too. Very tired even though I didn't push the pace at all.

11/23
Run - 1:31:00 - 9.26 miles - 9:49 per mile
Hills/Trails - the trash heap - 2 mile warm up, 5 complete loops, 3 times up the frontage road.
NBR: (4 Busch beers - football Sun)

OK, here is the scoop about my weight. Although, I have lost a lot of weight since my big post TBI hospitalization weight gain (174), I have been creeping up again even though my running mileage is increasing. I need to refocus on weight loss. as of today, I am going to not cheat and I am going to obsess on the scale a bit. Pardon me.

Wrap #7

Welcome to my twisted room of ramblings, athletic training, vegan eats, music sensations, my continued recovery from a traumatic brain injury, social scenes, dreams and lefty-leans.

Today
11/22
Run  - 10.4 miles - 1:39:00 -  9:31 pace - HR 100 (I must call Garmin - HR is off big time)
Trail run on Alligator Levee - Really difficult today. The headwinds were incredible. I was running nearly all out and barely moving.

Well it is official. I made the announcement and I am taking - what I hope will be - a prolonged break from Facebook. In a nutshell, that forum really isn't for me. My hope is by breaking from the endless news feeds, I can focus on issues that I care about. rant here to the occasional follower and perhaps get more things done. Besides, there are a lot of other social media outlets that I may enjoy more: Google+, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

11/21 
Run  - 10.1 miles - 1:45:00 -  10:23 pace - HR 108 - 840' elevation gain
Hills/trails at the Vista View trash heap. Wind and rain. Easy pace.

Thank you, Adbusters Magazine  for your continued awareness campaign of Black Friday (or Just Buy Nothing Day). I'm not sure how long you guys have been running this, but it is awesome - wake up consumer America!

11/20 
Run  - 10.3 miles - 1:24:00 -  8:09 pace - HR 102Steady run - still a weird heart rate. I need to call Garmin, but I am so lazy - ugh.

11/19 
Run  - 12.38 miles - 1:44:00 -  8:24 pace - HR 101 
Run - easy z2 - I carried 20oz of Gatorade and never sipped any; I definitely need to focus on nutrition more! Coolest day in SoFla ever (65-70 degrees). My heart rate seems really low. Maybe my strap isn't working right.

11/18
Run - Hills (@the trash heap) - 1100' elevation gain - 10.17 miles - 1:38:00 - 9:38 pace - HR 119
Trail run at the heap. I ran up main road ran up main road 5x to start then 5x after each lap.

11/17
Run  - 10.11 miles - 1:27:00 -  8:36 pace - HR 114 
Ran 0K for the first 7 miles, then faded. I felt sluggish out there today.

11/16

Brick Bike/Run
Bike - 1:03:00 - 20 miles - 19.0 mph HR 118
3 minute transition
Run - 34:32 - 4.3 miles - 8:01 pace - HR 126

Short brick to get the legs moving a little. Ran pretty good off the bike

This poem speaks to me on so many levels. Very will done presentation as well:

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Excellent Link: Charles Bukowki's top ten tips for living a kick-ass life.