10 Day Challenge: Report Card

I started out really strong, but ultimately finished the challenge 70% successful. I guess that's a C in report card terms. My biggest victory was probably on Wednesday, when I went to work, ran home from work, ran to the PIT for my intern shift, then ran home when I was done. I was very determined and wish I could have carried that through in the following days.

Unfortunately, I had some stuff happen on Thursday that made it a little hard to do much of anything other than try to take care of it. Friday I managed a little over five before I met someone for drinks. Saturday was good and I got in 10-11 with Amortya in the morning. Sunday was so so and again, I only managed about 5.

Today, I didn't run, and that was probably the worst of the whole thing. I didn't really have a good reason, only general disappointment at the rest of the challenge. What I learned was that running 10 miles a day is a vastly easier task when you don't have too much going on than it is when life is in full swing. When I try this again, I'll have a better plan in place.

That aside, please take a look at this fundraiser and donate, if you can. Nathan Gonzalez is a hasher from San Antonio, and he needs to get his wheelchair fixed before the manufacturer closes on 3/31. This particular wheelchair has the ability to climb stairs, which I imagine greatly increases his mobility. Take a look:

https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/ds44/save-my-wheelchair-fund

2012 in 2012: Sandy Relief Challenge - Day 48 - And Good News!

Miles to run as of beginning of Monday, 12/24: 42.11

Miles run on 12/24: 4.5

'Twas the night before Christmas...actually 'twas the night before the night before Christmas when I finally caught up with my Sandy Challenge blog updates. I should have run that morning, and meant to sleep for only a little bit between finishing and getting up early to get my miles in, since we had to drive to San Antonio later in the morning.

But of course "a little bit" turned into too long, so before I knew it we had to be up and preparing for the drive. Fortunately for me, we made the drive in record time, so arrived in San Antonio with just enough time for me to get a short run in before heading to my aunt's house for Christmas Eve festivities. I did the usual loop through my grandparents' neighborhood 5 or 6 times for a total of 4.5 miles. Not quite the daily 5.5, but pretty good, all things considered.

Also, thanks to a retweet by my tri coach Brian and two Christmas Eve donations, my fundraising goal was met! Thanks so much to everyone who donated. The page is open until the end of the month, when my challenge ends, so I'll continue to post updates and provide the link.

Miles to run as of beginning of Christmas Day (12/25): 37.61

Fundraising link!

http://www.crowdrise.com/2012in2012forSandyRelief/

2012 in 2012: Sandy Relief Challenge - Day 30

Miles to run as of beginning of Thursday, 12/6: 158.9

Miles run on 12/6: 3.97

This was the day of my company's official holiday party. It was a fantastic event and I enjoyed myself. Mostly, I regret eating as much actual food as I did and not eating more dessert. Can I admit that as a runner and triathlete? Oh, well.

I ran home from the party, which was held right around Grand Central Station

Miles to run as of beginning of Friday, 12/7: 154.93

Fundraising link!

http://www.crowdrise.com/2012in2012forSandyRelief/

2012 in 2012: Sandy Relief Challenge - Day 28

Miles to run as of beginning of Tuesday, 12/4: 165.67

Miles run on Tuesday, 12/4: 5.55

This one was a simple run home. West Side to 14th to 1st Ave and down.

Miles to run as of beginning of Wednesday, 12/5: 160.12

Fundraising link!

http://www.crowdrise.com/2012in2012forsandyrelief/

2012 in 2012: Sandy Relief Challenge - Day 26 + A RACE REPORT OMGWTFHOORAY

Miles to run as of Sunday, 12/2: 178.85

Miles run on 12/2: 8

This day's running consisted of some warming up and a race. I did the Join the Voices 5 mile run in Central Park and ended up setting a new pace PR (and 5 mile PR, though I track that less enthusiastically). I ran 5 miles in 39:35, which worked out to 7:55 minutes per mile.

I've decided to just lump race reports in. If I don't do them as part of this project, I fear I never will and they will end up in my queue-of-things-I-hope-to-write-one-day-but-may-never-get-around-to-writing. My qotihtwodbmngatw, if you will.

The race started at 8:30, and I diligently checked the race website the night before to make sure my bib would be available (please see my Gridiron Challenge race report). It was, so I headed out of my apartment by 7 so that I would get my bib by 7:45 or 8 when the website noted was cutoff time (I know from experience that cutoff time is slightly later, but I've been trying to make smarter race decisions recently and so opted to adhere to rules). I wore my Team New Skin uniform over tights and a long-sleeved Nike shirt to keep warm.

Miraculously, I ended up right where I was supposed to be, bib pinned and bag checked with a full half hour to go before the race started. I thought this would be the perfect time to get a warmup/miles booster run in so I ran from the 72nd Street Transvers and up the east side of the park to the Engineer's Gate and turned around. This is where my smart decision-making streak came to an end. I did not leave myself enough time to get back to the start before the corrals closed. This meant that I had to start waaaaay in the back and pass what seemed like five thousand million people. In reality, though, it probably was at least a thousand.

I knew I was going fast from the get-go and my goal for this race was to achieve a sub-8 minute per mile pace. So, mission accomplished. I also saw my friend Jared just before the finish line and we sprinted it out to the end. I must have really pushed hard there because I was even feeling slightly nauseous for a few seconds after we finished. That never happens.

This is my kicking ass and taking names face

It was a cold trip home. I probably should have done more running so I could further close the gap, but I usually rebel against further running after doing well in a race.

Miles to run as of beginning of Monday, 12/3: 170.85

Fundraising link!

http://www.crowdrise.com/2012in2012forSandyRelief/

2012 in 2012: Sandy Relief Challenge - Day 24

Miles to run as of Friday, 11/30: 182.27

Miles run on 11/30: 1.41

Another busy, low-mileage day. I had some stuff to do after work on Friday but also planned to meet Chris and attend Sunshine and RL's housewarming party (congrats to them!) in Long Island City. I should have gone at lunch but have had an assignment that has to be done so that was out. I ended up running from my errands in Midtown East to Grand Central to meet Chris and take the train to Queens.

Miles to run as of beginning of Saturday, 12/1: 180.86

Fundraising link:

http://www.crowdrise.com/2012in2012forSandyRelief/

2012 in 2012: Sandy Relief Challenge - Day 21

Miles to run as of Tuesday, 11/27: 199.06

Miles run on 11/27: 5.8

Tuesdays are tricky because I usually have a Chupacabra Conspiracy meeting. This Tuesday was no different. Normally, I run from work to the meeting and then from the meeting home, which I can typically stretch so that it covers my 5.5 miles. Unfortunately, I was stuck at work until the exact minute I had to leave for the meeting so I didn't have time to run.

I made up for it by running uptown and then back downtown to make up for the lost mileage. Although I'd hoped to just cover the 5.5, I even ended with .3 extra. Woo hoo!

Miles to run as of beginning of Wednesday, 11/28: 193.26

Fundraising link!

http://www.crowdrise.com/2012in2012forSandyRelief/

Come on, people. We're $180 away! Help me reach my goal!

2012 in 2012: Sandy Relief Challenge - Day 20

Miles to run as of beginning of Monday, 11/26: 204.36

Miles run on 11/26: 199.06

The good news is that I ran just enough today to bring me a tad over 1812 miles, which means I have just under 200 miles left. The bad news is that I once again sort of accidentally ran less than I needed to, which happens occasionally if I don't take exactly my normal route home. I'm starting to feel like it's been too long since my last long run, too. Hopefully I'll get one of those done this coming weekend.

Miles to run as of beginning of Tuesday, 11/27: 199.06

Fundraising link!

http://www.crowdrise.com/2012in2012forSandyRelief/

2012 in 2012: Sandy Relief Challenge - Day 11

Miles to run as of beginning of Saturday, 11/17: 273.89

Miles run on 11/17: 37.2 (60k)

And change, actually, because I had to run from my apartment to the subway and then from the subway to NYRR headquarters, where they were handing out bibs.

It's been a long time since I did a proper race report, so I intend to do that for the 60k. But I'll at least say that I set a PR by about an hour and a half. The last time I did this race (in 2010), it took me a little bit over 8 hours. This year, I finished in 6:36:19.

Hooray for PRs. And hooray for two beers going a lot farther after 37.2 miles than they normall would!

Miles to run as of beginning of Sunday, 11/18: 236.69

Psst....Here's the fundraising link: http://www.crowdrise.com/2012in2012forSandyRelief/fundraiser/kathrynescoto

Consider donating! I only have $230 until I reach my goal.

2012 in 2012: Sandy Relief Challenge - Day 8

I haven't decided if the best place for my fundraising link is at the beginning or the end of the post but I'm starting to think I might put it in both places. Here it is for now:

http://www.crowdrise.com/2012in2012forSandyRelief

Miles to run as of beginning of Wednesday, 11/14: 287.12

Miles run on 11/14: 9.66

This was a combo day, as most high-ish mileage weekdays are. I ran 4.36 miles at lunchtime just under 9 minutes per mile. I figured I would take it easy, except for the last half mile or so when I took it up a few notches.

I also ran home from work. Well, almost home. I got to 1st and Houston and decided to stop at Whole Foods first because I needed to get bread. Even though I stopped a little bit short, it still came out to 5.3 miles.

Miles to run as of beginning of Thursday, 11/15: 277.46

I won't post the link again, because it seems silly. But it's there at the top if you want to take a look and/or chip in. Remember, I'm always looking for running buddies.

Until tomorrow!

2012 in 2012: Sandy Relief Challenge - Day 7

Miles to run as of beginning of Tuesday, 11/13: 287.12

Miles run on Tuesday, 11/13: 0

That's right. A big fat 0. The first one since 10/31 (Correction: since 10/30) and as well-deserved as anything can be in this challenge. Until next time!



Miles to run as of beginning of Wednesday, 11/14: 287.12

Funraising link: http://www.crowdrise.com/2012in2012forSandyRelief/

Now With Purpose: 2012 in 2012 for Sandy Relief + Resources

As you may have read previously, I've spent the year trying to run 2012 miles in 2012. It began as a simple goal, but has now gained real purpose for me. Recovery from Superstorm Sandy is going to take time, energy and resources.

I've therefore decided to finish my goal and dedicate it to helping raise funds and awareness for recovery. I created a CrowdRise fundraiser, which you can find here:

http://www.crowdrise.com/2012in2012forsandyrelief/fundraiser/kathrynescoto

My goal is to raise $1000.00 between now and December 31st. I've got the first $250 covered, but I'll need help with the rest.

More Resources:

Over the last few days, I've had a few people ask me how to help. Here are some ways to do that (now augmented by this challenge):

1. Help me raise the last $750 by donating to the challenge through CrowdRise. The money is going to the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City. Here's a description of its recovery efforts:

"One hundred percent of donations are being dispersed to relief efforts and organizations. The City is currently identifying immediate aid needs, including food, water and hygiene supplies, as well as long-term relief and restoration efforts."

2. Join my team! Fundraise or just run with me! By the time the new year rolls around, you'll be all warmed up to tackle your resolutions.

3. If you'd rather, give to a different organization like the Red Cross

4. Donate your time. Believe me, someone somewhere needs your help. For info on opportunities, like the New York Runners in Support of Staten Island and Sandy Volunteer Opportunities Facebook pages. You can also register with New York Cares, which posts Sandy projects frequently. I also mentioned the Bowery Mission, which is a shelter on the Lower East Side. Here's a list of their current needs.

As much as I tend to disagree with OWS, they are organizing and executing some great work out in Brooklyn. Text @occupysandy to 23559 for those updates.

I'm certain there are many more opportunities out there, but this is a good start. I'll keep you updated with my Sandy Relief Challenge progress here.

It's not lost on me that this activism is mostly new, on my part. As I mentioned in my previous post, this served as my wakeup call. For now, I'll be focusing on Sandy Relief, but you better believe I'll be looking for ways to contribute after relief efforts have been completed.

Runners helping out in Staten Island