slides of March ;-)

I just wanted to post for...uhmmm...posterity what I did this March (i had to wait till the month was over so I can post this in full --- so i may have back-dated this post):

Happy Easter Egg-hunting!

Failed No.5 again :-(

I had to give it a try. (>_<)

I could not let go of this week's runs without attempting for Nike Fuel Mission no. 5 (my 11th attempt, btw) cause its the only Mission I have not gone over the 1,000 NikeFuel point mark (it stands, or rather, "stuck" at 883/825 @Medium level). The thing about this particular Mission#5 is that while one "only" needs 1250 NikeFuel points (something which I can do running at my "comfortable" pace --around 9:30mins/mile non-stop for 3-4miles), it requires that you finish the Mission, in "only" 30minutes (or less). Mathematically (and I'm no math wizard), I simply have not figured out the right pace yet (or im just not able to execute it) to run the Mission in which I can finish 3.3-3.5 miles in 30 minutes or less (preferably, less) coz if I end it at exactly or a little more than 30minutes, the scoring would be off (at least in my previous attempts)....And, did I mention that all NikeMissions are pass or fail missions? That means you either reach the minimum required NikeFuel points or it won't credit the points at all even if you miss it by a small margin (which drives me a bit crazy but makes sense to me). The closest I got was "42" more as blogged here...which was surprisingly not that heart-breaking. I suspect there is a "minus" for going over the 30minute mark though (at least in my previous attempts). In any case, here's my result for this week, using a Nike+ Sportband:

Ugh! (>_<) Close..."79" more and I would have gotten it (that'd be like .10miles more or about 30 seconds more of running. In my defense, I did "run" a "half-marathon" yesterday ;-) Oh well, chalk it up to another learning experience

From NikeFuel "Missions" to "Mall-rathons"

When I first started this blog, it was all about "chroNikeling" (chronicling) my use (or misuse) of Nike+ devices to monitor my "runs", I currently have 3: the iPod Nano, Sportband w/Sensor and Nike+ Running Android App (installed on a Samsung Galaxy phone and on a Cyberpad tablet). In any case I haven't been that active in using them as much as I have until just after October (when I got a Nike+ Jack O Lantern badge which I blog/brag about here) and when I started doing the Nike+ Fuel Missions just before the holidays last year and I got a bit more "hooked" into it when I got my very 1st Android phone for Christmas (I know, I'm pretty far behind in mostly everything) and started using the Nike+ Running App. Anyways, to make a long story...uhmm...longer...I've gotten a bit "serious" with this running around business...especially with my "stats" and the "achievements/gamification" side of things (so you can just imagine my frustration with Nike's Missing Badges spiel here). Well, anyways, I've resolved to improve my average "statistics" this year in terms of distance and pace, especially the latter one because I was pretty much really just "walking about" using the Sportband and iPod Nano as a pedometer/calorie counter (not that I need to count them) & music player respectively (i've long since retired it in favor of the Nike+ App) Hence, which explains my general "slowness" pace-wise on NikePlus.com. Although, I do make up for it in frequency of runs (ok, brisk walks now & then) and in distance (pretty much catching up to averages of the Nike+ Community). So to remedy this "pace-setting" uhmm..problem, I've stepped up to replay most of my Nike+Fuel Missions @Medium to Hard Levels (which can be a bit daunting for a "slowpoke" like me) especially this merry month of March. I've been failing Mission no.5 since January though...so I thought of skipping ahead to certain missions that I can do....

Well, I did need a win at some point especially after "failing" No.5 several times already. I also got over Mission nos.4 & 7 btw with scores of 2038 and 1098 respectively. All at just "Medium" Levels of course, I'm gearing up for the Hard ones later this month. In the meantime....

The last Nike+Fuel Mission above, brought my attention to my "pathetic" Nike+ numbers which although, "improving a bit" (at least from what I've seen) in terms of pace, was still below my target general (displayed) average of 3miles and I was also already nearing my "landmark" 300th run...So, this week, as a "drastic measure" I've resolved to switch from improving pace by doing NikeFuel Missions to 3 "Mall-rathons" (hoping from mall to mall) to concentrating on getting >60miles in in just 3 runs (before this week ends--hopefully). The first of these, just finished today,  is shown below:

Well, it aint pretty and I was really hoping for a 20/20 (20miles in under 20minutes/mile) but I got distracted along the way and my phone's battery "died" out in the last half-mile <sigh> bummer :( In any case, I got a "new" Longest Workout record from it! ;-) Wuhoo!

Nike Fuel Mission no.5 (Again! (>_<):

To be honest I wasn't really into it with this particular "Mission" when I started the run. It's "officially" my 10th attempt at it for this year since January (half of which was quite serious), so I'm very much aware of what "numbers" I have to come up with to "overcome" the Mission requirement of 1250 Nike Fuel points in 30minutes (or less), which is as follows: Get a total of at least 3.5 miles (5.6kms)  at an average pace of around 8mins 30secs per mile all in just 30mins of running (and that's to even have a chance). I know for most "avid" runners out there these "numbers" is "nothing". For me though it just seems I can do "nothing" about it (except maybe get bionic legs). Its just so damn "frustrating" especially since I tried adjusting my tempos like speeding up on the 1st mile and slowing down a bit in the second (uhmm..taking 30 second walking breaks), which is normally what I do. But in this particular run (and in my more recent attempts), starting my normal pace of just below 9mins...speeding up on the 2nd mile (I got no second wind). Unfortunately, as expected I don't have enough gas in the 3rd & ½ last mile stretch to reach the total of 3.5miles before the 30mins runs out (>_<)..... 0.5 miles in 3 minutes?!? Anyways, as embarrassing as it looks, here's the result:

I knew as soon as I saw the Sportband  was only at 3.26miles that it was gonna be a "fail" :(
Even without that big "dip" after the 2mi mark (i think I had to slow down and catch my breath for the final mile and half

 Yeah, well, what can I do but try again <sigh> right? \(*_^)/ but on the bright side, I got another 5K below 30minutes with this run!

Go figure!? \(^_^)/ I get one of these when I "fail" (I guess, its one of those "Silver Linings"