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
5k
My First 5k!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
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
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