Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing,  workshops

Running Breakthrough

September 24, 2016 /

Running Breakthrough

As I have talked about since the first of this month, I am in training to try to finish a marathon in November. I started this over twenty pounds heavier on July 1st and have been slowly and carefully working my way toward that goal of starting that race.

Very, very carefully since I was overweight and have bad knees. My goal is to run/walk the marathon. I want to say that right from the start. Actually my goal is starting. Finishing is sort of a distant dream. I respect that distance. But after today it feels a little closer.

I had planned on upping my daily milage of walking through September and have done that, now doing my base of five miles every day and adding in some seven mile days. Not even bothering my knees or legs.

And a second goal in September was to run a little, walk a lot, slowly build up the running. The ultimate goal is to run the first ten miles of the marathon which at my stride and pace would pretty much help me make the time limit.

So on October 1st I had planned to start running longer stretches than a quarter mile. My weight is down and close to on the pace I planned. I have to lose two pounds a week between now and the race to be on target, something I am already doing.

So today, because it was raining and nasty and Kris wanted to do her running without getting soaked because she is teaching a workshop right now, we went to the lower level of a mall parking garage. It is exactly a quarter mile around the garage inside. A perfect and dry track.

So I figured it was time for me to get going with the longer run pushes. Not sure why I thought today was the day. Just felt like I was ready I guess.

So today I decided I wanted to run one mile without stopping. And I did it. And I could have kept going, which felt great. In fact, when I hit the mile I felt like I was just dropping into stride and regular breathing.

So rest tomorrow, run on Sunday again.

First full mile I have run non-stop in 36 years. Gaining on it.

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Some Fun!!

If you want to hear me talk for a while on publishing and writing, I was interviewed for a podcast a while back on DIY MFA Radio by Gabriela Pereira. It was fun to do and I think might help a few folks.

Thanks, Gabriela.

Give it a listen.   http://DIYMFA.com/113

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Star Fall is Out in a Bundle

Some of you might remember the book I wrote in ten days while aiming at seven days in late August. Star Fall: A Seeders Universe Novel. That book is now available as I promised it would be. The official publication date isn’t until November, but at the moment it is available in a fantastic bundle called The Extreme Science Fiction Bundle. 

Also notice that in this bundle there is a fantastic Retrieval Artist novel called Extremes by Kris. It also has a great novel by Kevin J. Anderson, another by Mike Resnick, and another by M.L. Buchman. Plus two books by J. Daniel Sawyer.

And also an amazing volume of Fiction River: Risk Takers. I edited that and it is a fantastic example of a Fiction River volume.

extreme-sf-ad-20163

 

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Totals For Year 4, Month 2, Day 23

Writing in Public blog streak… Day 1,100

Over 10,000 steps streak… Day 83

Running Miles This Month… 11 miles

Total Miles This Month… 122 miles

— Daily Fiction: 00 original words. Fiction month-to-date: 4,700 words  

— Nonfiction: 700 new words. Nonfiction month-to-date total: 1,500 words 

— Blog Posts: 400 new words. Blog month-to-date word count: 7,400 words

— E-mail: 11 e-mails. Approx. 300 original words.  E-mails month-to date: 342 e-mails. Approx. 21,700 words

— Covers Designed and Finished: 0. Covers finished month-to-date: 0 Covers

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— Year of Short Fiction Goal: 120 stories (July 1st to June 30th). Stories finished to date: 8 stories.

— Yearly Novel Goal: 12 Novels. Novels finished to date: 2 novels.

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7 Comments

  • Mark Kuhn

    September 24, 2016 at 5:31 pm

    Dean, right near the beginning of this interview, you mention that you never look back on what you’ve finished. It’s something you’ve said many times before.
    Last week when I finished a story and was getting rave reviews from my first reader about it, there came a point right before I mailed it where I went back and started reading the story. Then found myself saying, “Wait, it would be much cooler if the hero did it THIS way instead…”
    Critical Voice out of his cage, that’s all. I ignored him and sent the story.

  • Kate Pavelle

    September 24, 2016 at 9:18 pm

    YESSSS. The tipping point when your body caves to your demands. Congratulations! You’re pretty awesome. (I bet you’ll want to push it because it feels so awesome… um, don’t. And expect to require a bit more sleep as you force your parts to regenerate.) I am so excited for you!

  • Sam

    September 26, 2016 at 10:27 pm

    For running I heartily recommend Jack Heggies “Running with the Whole Body: A 30-Day Program to Running Faster with Less Effort”.
    After I did one of the first exercices sometimes I would involuntarily start running instead of Walking because it felt so easy.