So I started off this morning at 6:00 a.m. and decided to try running without stretching. I just started off nice and slow, or what I thought was nice and slow... and the first mile was 9:56! And I felt great! I knew it wouldn't last long, so I decided to ease up a bit. And the second mile ended at 20:01, for a 10:05 split. I thought I was running slow! I know some of you reading can run a lot faster, but this is good for me. So let me celebrate!
I went 4.6 miles down the bike path South into Kenosha. I took a little break and ate a couple of bites out of an Oreo cookie. I normally would not eat an Oreo while running, because of the insulin response it creates, but I had no energy drinks, bars or gels I could take with, so I thought I would give it a try. It went OK, but I would prefer one of the "engineered" foods. I'm also in the habit of taking a two minute break at the turn-around point, and I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not. I suppose if the runs are getting longer, this means that the breaks are also getting further apart. And it's nice to stop and listen to the birds chirp and watch the animals run around.
I turned around and went back North towards Racine. I was really in my groove for most of the last half. I thought about slowing down and taking it easy for the last mile, but this is a long training run, and I was planning on two days off anyway, so on I went - all the way to my back door. My overall time/distance was 9.12 miles in 98 minutes, for a 10:45 mile pace!
Confidence: Up
Run rating: 3 out of 3
5k
My First 5k!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Saturday, April 30, 2011
April 29, 2011 run
Today I ran another 4.25 miles, this time in 44:15, which is a quick 10:25 pace! (At least, quick for me). I'm glad I got a chance to get out in the morning, because it gave me a chance to clear my mind and ponder my situation at work. Some bad stuff happened the night before while at a customer's site, and, well, let's just say that I am going to have a chat with my boss when I get back to the office on Monday.
Run rating: 3 out of 3
Confidence: Up
Run rating: 3 out of 3
Confidence: Up
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Business Trips and Fitting in the Miles - 4-28-2011
This week I am out of town in Marietta, Ohio, right on the Ohio river. And this is supposed to be a higher mileage week for me (22 to 24 miles, with a 9 mile long run). I was concerned about how I am going to fit it all in, but so far I managed to fit two runs in. There is a nice path along the Muskingum river, which is a tributary to the Ohio. Very peaceful - since I am accustomed to getting up early anyway, I've been hitting the trail at about 5:00 am and still making it back before dawn.
On Tuesday, I ran 3.3 miles in 34 minutes, a quick 10:20 pace. (Or at least, quick for me). On Wednesday, I got up on time, then realized that I did not get the keys to the rental car from my co-worker who is traveling with me. I did not think it prudent to wake him up at 4:15 just to ask for keys, so back to bed I went.
On Thursday, I woke up and it was REALLY windy out. The temp was 61 degrees, but the wind kinda threw me off. I hit the trail wearing short sleeves and a running jacket, and running gloves. After about 0.2 miles, the jacket came off and got tied around the waist. The gloves stayed on, though - I did try taking them off and stuffing them in my pockets, but whenever the wind kicked up, my hands got cold. So back on they went. I made it 4 miles in 45:30, a VERY slow 11:22 pace. What I don't get is that I felt like I was running a 10:30 pace, and I should have been able to run a 10:30 pace. I can come up with three reasons: first, I was not hydrated correctly - I was reaching for my water bottle several times during a run where I really should not have had to get any water at all. Second, being that I am on a business trip and sleeping in a hotel, I'm probably a bit fatigued but not noticing it. Third, since I am eating in restaurants, I am not getting as much carbs as I need, and probably too much protein and fat.
But the runs have been very peaceful and energizing, and it's nice to be able to run in shorts and short sleeves.
Run rating: 3 out of 3
Confidence: Up (cautiously - my week is not yet done!)
On Tuesday, I ran 3.3 miles in 34 minutes, a quick 10:20 pace. (Or at least, quick for me). On Wednesday, I got up on time, then realized that I did not get the keys to the rental car from my co-worker who is traveling with me. I did not think it prudent to wake him up at 4:15 just to ask for keys, so back to bed I went.
On Thursday, I woke up and it was REALLY windy out. The temp was 61 degrees, but the wind kinda threw me off. I hit the trail wearing short sleeves and a running jacket, and running gloves. After about 0.2 miles, the jacket came off and got tied around the waist. The gloves stayed on, though - I did try taking them off and stuffing them in my pockets, but whenever the wind kicked up, my hands got cold. So back on they went. I made it 4 miles in 45:30, a VERY slow 11:22 pace. What I don't get is that I felt like I was running a 10:30 pace, and I should have been able to run a 10:30 pace. I can come up with three reasons: first, I was not hydrated correctly - I was reaching for my water bottle several times during a run where I really should not have had to get any water at all. Second, being that I am on a business trip and sleeping in a hotel, I'm probably a bit fatigued but not noticing it. Third, since I am eating in restaurants, I am not getting as much carbs as I need, and probably too much protein and fat.
But the runs have been very peaceful and energizing, and it's nice to be able to run in shorts and short sleeves.
Run rating: 3 out of 3
Confidence: Up (cautiously - my week is not yet done!)
Sunday, April 3, 2011
April 2, 2011 Run
Got up at 6:00 am and headed down the bike path into Kenosha. Made it seven miles! I tried something new today as well: An abbreviated stretching routine, and ran the first mile at a slow 12 minute pace. Then picked it up a bit. So the first mile was 12 minutes, then the next 2.5 miles took 26 minutes - a 10:24 pace. I deliberately kept my heartrate at about 165. When I got to the 3.5 mile mark, I took a quick break to rinse out my mouth, then turned around. I ran the 3.5 miles back in 41 minutes, an 11:42 pace. I deliberately kept my heart rate at 158.
Overall it was a very pleasant run. I began my run at just about dawn, and for the first time this year the birds were chirping. There wasn't much wind, so for most of the run all I heard was my breathing and the tapping of my running shoes on the pavement. I greeted a few people walking their dogs and riding their bikes. I have found that dawn is my favorite time of day to run.
7 miles in 79 minutes - 11:17 pace. Slower than I want to run, so perhaps I need to adjust my expectations. However, I had very little soreness after the run. As of this writing (Sunday April 3, 4:30 pm) my plantar fasciitis is acting up again, but it's not too debilitating. We'll see if I can run on Monday.
Confidence: Up, due to the increased distance and almost zero soreness.
Run rating: 2 out of 3 - even though the distance was longer, my time is not improving, and I did not get a runner's high.
Overall it was a very pleasant run. I began my run at just about dawn, and for the first time this year the birds were chirping. There wasn't much wind, so for most of the run all I heard was my breathing and the tapping of my running shoes on the pavement. I greeted a few people walking their dogs and riding their bikes. I have found that dawn is my favorite time of day to run.
7 miles in 79 minutes - 11:17 pace. Slower than I want to run, so perhaps I need to adjust my expectations. However, I had very little soreness after the run. As of this writing (Sunday April 3, 4:30 pm) my plantar fasciitis is acting up again, but it's not too debilitating. We'll see if I can run on Monday.
Confidence: Up, due to the increased distance and almost zero soreness.
Run rating: 2 out of 3 - even though the distance was longer, my time is not improving, and I did not get a runner's high.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Week of March 28
March 28 found me in St. Louis (again) on a business trip. Actually, not quite St. Louis, but Montgomery City, Missouri, about 75 miles west of St. Louis. I asked at the front desk where I could run; she pointed me to a local park that had some trails. So I went there. NOT quite what I had in mind. Trails, yes - but VERY hilly! Oh well, I went with it. What was supposed to be 3 miles easy turned into 30 minutes of hill work.
I made darn sure to get my protein powder after the run. And I had a lot less muscle soreness than I thought I would have! That was a confidence booster. And the fact that I did the hill work.
I'm guessing I did 2.5 miles in 33 minutes.
Confidence: Up (for little soreness, and that I actually completed hill work)
Rating: 3 out of 3
On March 30, I still did not find a suitable place to run, so I did hamster miles on the treadmill. I set the treadmill to 5.5 mph at 1% incline, but my heartrate monitor told me I was running faster than that. I'm pretty sure I was running at least 6 mph (10 minute miles). This time I did no stretches for warmup. I simply walked for 8 minutes, then ran for 30. It worked out well.
I will not rate treadmill work. It is BORING! But I do need to write about it, at the very least to keep my shoe miles logged.
I made darn sure to get my protein powder after the run. And I had a lot less muscle soreness than I thought I would have! That was a confidence booster. And the fact that I did the hill work.
I'm guessing I did 2.5 miles in 33 minutes.
Confidence: Up (for little soreness, and that I actually completed hill work)
Rating: 3 out of 3
On March 30, I still did not find a suitable place to run, so I did hamster miles on the treadmill. I set the treadmill to 5.5 mph at 1% incline, but my heartrate monitor told me I was running faster than that. I'm pretty sure I was running at least 6 mph (10 minute miles). This time I did no stretches for warmup. I simply walked for 8 minutes, then ran for 30. It worked out well.
I will not rate treadmill work. It is BORING! But I do need to write about it, at the very least to keep my shoe miles logged.
March 26, 2011
We spent the weekend visiting my wife's parents in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They have a bike trail nearby, which I had to drive to, because the road between their house and the trailhead is very narrow with a 55 mph speed limit. I went out earlier in the day and bought new jeans because the ones I had were literally falling off of me - I could actually take them off without unbuttoning or unzippering them! I also bought a new pair of sunglasses, suitable for running. My old Oakly's were scratched up, and the Maui Jim's I bought two months ago were just too heavy. So I bought another pair of Maui Jim's that are a lot lighter. And good thing I did, because it was a bright sunny day and I wore them for the first time on my run!
It was very peaceful on the trail. For 6 miles, the only five sounds I heard were cars in the distance, the wind rustling through the trees, animals scurrying on the ground, my own breathing, and the tapping of my running shoes on the ground. Gave me a chance to clear my head and relieve some of the stress from my life.
The trail was paved, except for a small section at about mile 2. That section was a dirt/gravel path, with some standing water, and part of it washed out into a ditch. There was an option to go around it, but I decided to take it on! It made the run more interesting. I ran from 76th street down to the high school, about three miles away, and turned around. Six miles, 67 minutes.
Confidence: Up
Rating: 3 out of 3 for increased distance
It was very peaceful on the trail. For 6 miles, the only five sounds I heard were cars in the distance, the wind rustling through the trees, animals scurrying on the ground, my own breathing, and the tapping of my running shoes on the ground. Gave me a chance to clear my head and relieve some of the stress from my life.
The trail was paved, except for a small section at about mile 2. That section was a dirt/gravel path, with some standing water, and part of it washed out into a ditch. There was an option to go around it, but I decided to take it on! It made the run more interesting. I ran from 76th street down to the high school, about three miles away, and turned around. Six miles, 67 minutes.
Confidence: Up
Rating: 3 out of 3 for increased distance
Friday, March 25, 2011
Week of March 20
I managed to get out twice this week so far - Tuesday the 22nd and Wednesday the 23rd. I've been noticing lately that my heart rate has been dropping. When running an 11 minute mile, It used to be in the high 170's, now it is in the high 150's. So on Tuesday I decided to push myself and keep my heart rate in the mid 160's. I made 3.8 miles in 38:24 - a 10:06 pace! My plan was to go at this pace for the first 2.3 miles, then run the last 1.5 miles easy. And I did honestly feel like I slowed down during that last 1.5 miles, but checking my watch revealed that I had not slowed down. I think this phenomenon is related to my stride - when I thought I had slowed down, I did it by reducing my stride length. I concentrated on baby steps. But then I remembered my friend Mark telling me something: reducing stride length can cause the brain to subconsciously increase cadence. Come to think of it, I did feel like my feet were tapping the ground a bit faster during that last 1.5 miles.
The only bad thing about today was that I did not get that runner's high feeling - I'm not sure I will with shorter runs. I might have to adjust my expectations on this and begin taking notes.
Time: 3.8 miles, 38:24, 10:06 pace
Confidence: Up
Rating: 3 (out of 3)
I did it again on Wednesday, although just a bit slower because my legs felt a little sore from Tuesday's faster pace. (Right leg only, again... quads especially... I really need to get into the gym to do some strengthening there). Even though I felt like I was doing an 11 minute mile, my final time was 2.8 miles in 28:35 - a 10:12 pace! There were BIG snowflakes falling, and it was quite windy, which made for an interesting run. I felt like I was dodging snowflakes, and those things kinda hurt when they get in your eyes!
Time: 2.8 miles, 28:35, 10:12 pace
Confidence: Up
Rating: 3 out of 3
The faster running this week is increasing my confidence. I wish I could get out for one more run before Saturday, but life gets in the way. I am looking forward to getting out for six miles on Saturday to see how it goes.
The only bad thing about today was that I did not get that runner's high feeling - I'm not sure I will with shorter runs. I might have to adjust my expectations on this and begin taking notes.
Time: 3.8 miles, 38:24, 10:06 pace
Confidence: Up
Rating: 3 (out of 3)
I did it again on Wednesday, although just a bit slower because my legs felt a little sore from Tuesday's faster pace. (Right leg only, again... quads especially... I really need to get into the gym to do some strengthening there). Even though I felt like I was doing an 11 minute mile, my final time was 2.8 miles in 28:35 - a 10:12 pace! There were BIG snowflakes falling, and it was quite windy, which made for an interesting run. I felt like I was dodging snowflakes, and those things kinda hurt when they get in your eyes!
Time: 2.8 miles, 28:35, 10:12 pace
Confidence: Up
Rating: 3 out of 3
The faster running this week is increasing my confidence. I wish I could get out for one more run before Saturday, but life gets in the way. I am looking forward to getting out for six miles on Saturday to see how it goes.
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