March 7th, 2010
I’ve been lax on my blog duties this week: one post, no newsletter, no video. Thanks to the Financial Marathon, I’ve been knee-deep in web domains and keyword research, ultimately ending up with 17 new domains! That’s a lot of new websites to build. I love researching with a passion and when I’m in the midst of it, it’s all I want to focus on.
So I bought the domains, did the graphics in one fell swoop, then started figuring out ways to automate a lot of the work as much as I can. Thanks to iMacros and Excel, my system’s just about down, so then it’ll be a matter of rinse and repeat and then I buy another handful of domains. That’s where I’m going to focus my Spring work concentration.
I know I said a few weeks ago that I’d like to ultimately monetize this blog through writing ebooks and eventually attract paid advertisers but I’ve since changed my mind. What’s the phrase? “Don’t shit where you eat.”
Not that I eat here, but this blog is my baby and I write it because I enjoy it, so to mix money stuff into it just feels wrong. Plus, I really love being an anonymous web builder, just doing my thing out on the interwebs with no one knowing my business. It’s the lurker in me, I guess.
Runs!
I’ve had a solid week of good running and enjoying myself out on the roads. The weather suddenly broke, as I’m sure most of you are experiencing. Woohoo!! Shorts and shortsleeves…heaven. Picking up where I left off last:
Wednesday was a 9-miler at 8:25/mi.
Thursday I had a 14-miler in which I wanted to do some tempo miles but I got out there and something was going on with my back. It was very windy which didn’t help, I think I was hunching over or something, so I bagged the quality and had to stop and stretch a few times, which I never do. So that was 14mi@8:44.
Friday was a lovely day off.
Yesterday was an 11-miler with 5 tempo. It was pretty windy again but I did ok, with 5@7:19, 7:53/mi for the whole run. The tempo portion started out not so great, I looked down and saw 7:25 which was just about my targeted MP last cycle, but I wasn’t surprised since my paces haven’t been so hot in general. Over the bridge I slowed down even more, but when I got to mile 4, I said fuck this, and sped up. My HR was higher than it should have been for tempo pace, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to know I could run faster. So the last couple miles were 7:05s. I needed that.
Today was a strangely good run, a 17-miler @8:31 that started out tired, likely thanks to yesterday’s tempo, but it was beautiful out so I took it to the trails. The trail starts 5.5mi from my house and for that whole portion I was pretty draggy, but when I got into the trail, it was like a switch turned on.
There was snow, mud and puddles but the air was cool and crisp which felt amazing against my bare legs and arms. Just doing all the fancy footwork energized me. It became a game of wending my way around the few walkers to find the least puddly bits and not slip on the snowy patches.
I took a gel at 1:25 into the run (trying to be more consistent with that) and as I came back out onto the street, I held the energy up enough to play speed games against some unsuspecting runners, running the last 5 miles in 7:58s.
Weekly Wrap-up
All in all, it was a great week. The decision I mentioned last post about speeding up a bit in general made my weekly average 8:28/mi, when it’s been around 8:40ish previously. I had some ankle tightness the last couple days but right now it feels fine. Mileage total was 68 miles, so nothing huge but hopefully, juuuust right. I’m thinking with the warmer temps this week, I might find it easier to get close to my old paces again.
I won’t push, but I’ll certainly take note since this is basically my second year as a “serious” runner. I consider Winter and Spring 2009 to be my running puberty as the new paces emerged, so now that I have something to compare to, I guess I can call this my running adolescence.
Now if I can find an old hygiene class textbook, I’ll be set.
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great week indeed. the warmer weather totally helped me out with my pace too i think. it’s just so much easier to run fast when the sun is shining and the wind isn’t blowing bitter cold air!
and i still can’t believe that youve only been a serious running for 2 years with the great tempo and long run this week. you are such a huge source of motivation for sure
Yay! I’m sorry I don’t have time to keep up with blogs any more, but you are in my thoughts, Flo, and I’m so looking forward to finally meeting you in Boston! Is your mojo back?
We didn’t have hygiene classes when I was a boy — not sure what I’m missing out on there.
I think you’re doing pretty well with the paces. The 17 miler sounded like a great run, and once you’re in shorts and a singlet and with harder ground, you’ll be surpassing last year’s paces with ease.
Good to hear you’re keeping the blog “unmonetized” — keeps it friendly. Fine to peep for your other domains though — unless they’re MA15+ rated
Karyn, let’s hope this weather stays like this for the duration. It’s long overdue. Great week for you, Miss 100+!
Barb, no apologies ever, dollface. This thing’s here whenever you’re bored and need a blog fix. Mojo…yep. I’m not going to “kill” Boston but I’m loving running and feeling good. That’s what counts, right?
Ewen, I remember one hygiene book that said we should wash our hair once a week, maybe twice if it gets oily. Lol!!
Um, I’ll trade you some computer knowledge for a book on puberty. Our school has a hilarious one, complete w/ diagrams. Strong week, indeed! Great job on that, and I’m glad it’s warming up for you. Yeah, please don’t make people pay to read your blog. (I could’ve misunderstood that, considering I know nothing about web software, advertising, OR finances.)
Oh no!! I never would have made people pay to read this blog! No no no. I don’t think I’d have any readers left then, lol. It would have been ancillary stuff, nothing you’d have noticed.
Hey girl! I was checking in the last day or two wondering where your next post was … I completely understand being busy. For me, maintaining one website (and a blog) is a full-time job. Let’s grab a beer sometime and chat, I’m so curious about all of these websites of yours …
Anywho, looks like we ended up with a very similar week although I’m pretty certain your mileage was higher than mine. 8:31 avg for my week with an awesome LR yesterday. The nice weather certainly helps. Nice running GIM!
Great job, twin! :-)
Great week of running Flo! I am glad that you have warmer weather. We had one good day of weather this weekend but it was my off day. The day of the race, of course, was cold. Oh well!
Where’s the race report? I went to your blog but nada. C’mon, details please. :-)
“Interwebs”?
Write for you, and if anyone else happens to get something from it, that’s gravy. And you should listen to me; someone keeps posting how smart I am on my site.
‘Tis somewhat amazing that you’re still a relative child in this. That was a fine, fine week.
Lol, Mr. Bar Exam In Different States, that person must know what she’s talking about to call you smart.
And bless you for calling me a relative child.
That’s funny, I spent a fair chunk of last week unloading domains. I realized that I totally over-stretched and don’t have time for all the cool projects I thought I did…
The beginning of March was also my two year anniversary of being a “serious runner.” I really like being able to go back and see somewhat relevant data from a year ago. Although, this year is still dramatically different from 2009. I imagine 2011, the third year, will be much more similar to this one than this is to last.
Also, keep in mind the fact that you’ve only been taking it serious for a couple years when you think of throwing in the towel on the marathon distance. I think there’s a lot more you could accomplish there, given time.
That is funny, did you try flipping them or what? Congrats on your 2-year “serious” anniversary too. :-) I hear you about more potential for the marathon distance but the fact remains – I don’t like training for them. Gimme 15-16 mile LRs over 20s any day and shorter faster speedwork over long intervals and tempos. Maybe after a couple years I’ll get bored with that but for now, I’m looking at my running life after Boston like a light in the far distance.
Wait, who’s the pimpee and who’s the pimper here?
Seriously, though, it’s such a personal thing. Robert it may shock you to know that there are those who don’t enjoy 20-milers. And it may shock you, Flo, to know that there are those who do. It sure shocked me.
Shock me? No way! I’m surrounded by people who love marathons and ultras, why would it shock me that people enjoy 20s? On the contrary, I almost feel embarrassed that I don’t since everyone is so gung-ho about them. That’s why I wish people would stop trying to talk me into it.
It’s like when I knew I’d never want kids and for years people would say “oh, you’ll change your mind”. It really grated on my nerves and frankly, the marathon coercion does too (though I know people mean well).
Those with whom I run are far more ambivalent. I wonder how much it matters that they’ve been running for many, many years at a relatively high level. Very few top club runners in NY will do two marathons a year and many do none. Part it may be an understanding of what you said in your earlier post, appreciation that doing a marathon doesn’t make you a runner, it makes you a marathoner. Part of it may be enjoying the excitement of focusing on the shorter stuff.
Oh, when people heard I didn’t want kids they said, “Thank God.”
Bwahaha!!
Here is my confession:
I’ve been running regularly since I was a teenager but didn’t have any interest in doing marathons until I was 28. I’m liking it at the moment and am interested in maybe going longer…but I don’t know for sure. I thinking liking the distance is a pretty personal thing; I hate 5ks…some people love them. I don’t think it needs to be any DIFFERENT with long races, though it seems like the more popular running gets…the more people are pushing the marathon kool aid. Particularly because I know a lot of people that do several yearly. If you’re doing that, how high quality can they be? If you’re trying to key on a time/train seriously? I don’t think its possible for most runners to do more than one or two. Of course, there are exceptions (I know some)…but it sooo varies from person to person.
And I had to weigh in only because of your comments about having kids. Because you’re so right. Though in all fairness, most people are far more shocked by the fact that it took me so long to run a marathon than they are by the fact that I first said “I am never having kids” at 5 years old.
I guess that’s true. It’s just tough to imagine not enjoying them. I mean, sure they hurt and they leave you somewhat broken, but they also leave you with that wonderful sense of accomplishment that I haven’t found any other way of getting on a Saturday morning.
I tried auctioning them on GoDaddy, didn’t get any bites. Decided to just let them expire. It was just stuff I had picked up off drop lists.
Hope the ankle smooths out.
“A light in the far distance” – well, not so distant now!
I’m not a fan of weekly average paces, and don’t track mine. It can lead to bad habits like doing long runs too fast and skimping on warmups and cooldowns. One of those Garmin traps, I suppose. (A rare mini-rant from me. Good job anyway
)
You’re right, don’t worry, I had a nice 9:15 recovery run in there last week. It was mostly just upping the GA runs a tad and doing the 5-mile tempo.
Flo you crack me up. Regardless on if you make a little profit from the blog or not, you know everyone would still love you.
Do what is best for your financial marathon……….:-)
Sounding good! And I laughed at your running adolescence comment. Mostly because I’m wondering where the hell it leaves me, someone who ACTUALLY started doing this as an adolescent…
How about this is your rebirth? :-) Loved your post above, btw.
I like it!
And am glad