Day 210, 155 To Go

July 29, 2013

It's Monday again and time to start the week running!  Monday is typically a recovery day for me after some hard workouts on Sunday and usually Honey accompanies me.  Today, she has a headache (excuses!!!) so she is staying home.  Its just me.  To be honest, I am not into running today.  I know I say this every once in a while, and I'm being honest about it.  Sometimes I just don't want to do it.  If this was any other year, I probably would have bagged on today...but no...I have this stupid goal of running every day...so I did it!

I will continue with a breakdown of The 25 Golden Rules of Running from Runner's World magazine today with rule #6.

6. The Familiar-Food Rule
Don't eat or drink anything new before or during a race or hard workout.

Stick to what works for you. "Your gastrointestinal tract becomes accustomed to a certain mix of nutrients," says Dallow. "You can normally vary this mix without trouble, but you risk indigestion when prerace jitters are added."

The Exception: If you're about to bonk, eating something new is probably better than eating nothing at all.

This can be a big one, especially if you have a sensitive stomach.  This applies to not only your normal food, but to the energy gels or hydrating drinks you will consume during a race or long workout.  Sure, many of these items have similar ingredients and similar flavors, but they are different enough to cause significant distress if you are not used to them.

There is nothing worse than GI (gastrointestinal) issues when running or biking or swimming (hey, they even suck when you are sitting on the couch!)  If you enter a race, you want to try to find out what type of drinks or gels they will have at the race so you can train with them and get used to them.  If you just can't handle this brand, then you need to be prepared to use your own.

For your pre race meal, you should use a tried and true formula.  Don't eat a breakfast food you never eat.  Eat what you normally eat before a long run.  Eat foods you are familiar with and that you have tolerated well in the past.  You may get lucky and have no ill affects from what you ate, but why chance it!!

Here are my numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.67 miles

Pace: 9:21/m

Max Pace: 8:20/m

Calories: 277
Avg HR: 129

Max HR: 139

Blah.  That is for my numbers and for how I felt.  Speaking of eating, I ate like crap yesterday, and it showed in my energy stores today.  Granted, I got very little sleep too.  Not a good combination.  Tomorrow will be better.  Until then...

Run for Life!!

Day 209, 156 To Go

July 28, 2013

Today was a long day.  It was a full day, but really long.  It started off bad in that my early ride turned into a later ride.  I suppose this was ok since I got to sleep in a bit, but it did put a rush on the rest of the day's plans and it was hotter than the morning.

I went out for a bike ride at about 10:00am with my friend Mike McCain.  We did a nice 25 mile ride.  Nothing too intense, but we did pick up the pace from time to time.  Then, when I got back, it was time to get ready to go to the beach.  Yes, the beach with four kids, three of which just learned to walk, let alone swim!

Here are my bike numbers:

Time: 1:23:50

Distance: 25.00 miles

Pace: 17.89mph

Max Pace: 27.22mph

Calories: 1,584

Avg HR:133

Max HR:160

After about an hour of packing and prep, we finally took off and made it to the beach.  We were meeting a bunch of friends there and they were all very helpful in getting us from the car to the sand.  Immediately, Kaylee was terrified, Ayla was intrigued, Joshua was infatuated with the sand, and Derek was all over the place!  No sooner did we get there did the clouds come out and the rain started.  It went away fast enough and it was back to fun in the sun.

Kaylee finally bonded with some seashells and Ayla was in love with the water.  Joshua was having a blast with the sand as was Derek.  I bounced around from baby to baby to friend to Honey and back.  We eventually made it back home and I was slightly red and exhausted.  Hmmm...what did I forget?  Oh...it's Sunday and I have to do my long run.

Crap.

This was a recovery week so my plan was to go only 56 minutes.  I didn't quite make it.  I was just too worn out.  Here are my numbers:

Time: 36:00

Distance: 3.96 miles

Pace: 9:06/m

Max Pace: 7:45/m

Calories: 427
Avg HR: 136

Max HR: 149

I was short by about 20 minutes.  Oh well.  Honey rolled with me but she was tired and not very encouraging either.  I suppose I could have pushed another 20 minutes, but I was just dead to the world.  Does that mean I went home and to bed?  No.  I went to go see The Wolverine with Honey!

It was pretty good...at least I thought so...Honey lamented the lost two hours of her life she would never get back.  She thought it was one of the worst movies she had ever seen.  Have I mentioned she has really bad taste in movies?  Well, she does.  Go see the movie if you are fan of X-Men...if not, go see it anyway!

Run for Life!!

Day 208, 157 To Go

July 27, 2013

After a day off, Honey came out for a run today.  Really, she didn't take any days off, she just switched Friday for Saturday (against my advice).  Her knee feels fine, according to her, but I believe her injury is a common knee injury called Chondomalasia.  This injury normally hits woman more than men (although I had it) and it will not get better without rest and strengthening of the quad.

Honey had neither.  Hence, my advice to take some time off.  We are going on vacation to Brazil in a few weeks and she has new bikini's to fit into, so my advice fell on deaf ears.  Oh well.  I suppose she really IS becoming a runner because she is ignoring injuries and running through the pain.

This brings me to rule #5 from The 25 Golden Rules of Running from Runner's World magazine.


5. The 2-Day Rule 
If something hurts for two straight days while running, take two days off.

Two straight days of pain may signal the beginning of an injury. "Even taking five days of complete rest from running will have little impact on your fitness level," says Troy Smurawa, M.D., team physician for USA Triathlon.

The Exception: If something hurts for two weeks, even if you've taken your rest days, see a doctor.

This is a fairly conservative rule.  I've had pains for more than two days that have not amounted to anything.  Then again, I have had a pain for one day that caused me to miss weeks.  This rule is very general, but many of these are and the main goal of these rules are to get you running faster and to keep you running.  Injuries are a part of running and when you are injured, you can't run.  So, it is a good rule of thumb to follow.

I have ignored pain before to my detriment.  My most memorable kept me from running for three months and caused me to miss the Honolulu Marathon which I had trained for.  I was in my last warm up race when I pulled my hamstring.  I was 5.5 miles into the race and I ended up limping back 4 miles to get to the finish line (it wasn't a straight out and back course) which was in Kapiolani Park (which also happened to be across the street from my residence!)

I felt a slight twinge in my hamstring a few days earlier.  I kept on running, but took it a little easy.  Then, I ran the next day and it still hurt, so I took two days off..  Then, I attempted to run the half marathon.  I was feeling great and I knew I could nail this race.  I was pushing a 7:30 pace at 5 miles in and I wasn't tired at ALL!  Then, it went.  Three months off and physical therapy and no marathon.  I had to watch my friends run the race I had trained so hard for.  If I had taken a week off, maybe, I may have been able to continue my training and complete the marathon (a marathon I still have not run in, I might add!)

So, don't play around.  If you are hurt.  Stop running!!

Here are our numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.25 miles

Pace: 11:06/m

Max Pace: 7:13/m

Calories: 215
Avg HR: 114

Max HR: 138

Honey ran well today, and she didn't complain about her knee, but I know it was bothering her.  We'll see how it holds up next week.  She says when she runs fast it hurts less.  I believe this is because when she runs faster, her form is a little bit better and she is lifting her knees higher and her footfalls are under her body instead of in front, like normal.  She needs work on her form, for sure, but when she runs faster, some of those issues work themselves out.  Running fast, though, is never a good recovery for injury, Honey!!

Run for Life!!

Day 207, 158 To Go

July 26, 2013

Oh glorious Friday, why have you forsaken me?  Why, oh why, have you taken so long to arrive?  I had to endure Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday before I tasted your glorious presence.  Why do you do this to me every week?

Yes, it is Friday folks and I am going to kick my own ass out there today and do my speed workout again.  This time, however, I plan on kicking it up a notch!  My goal is to do my fast intervals at a 6:45 pace.  For the uninitiated, this particular speed workout is a one minute fast, one minute easy repeated 10 times for a total of 20 minutes.  The intervals can be increased, of course in quantity or length, but due to my self imposed limit of 25 minutes for my run, I can only do a 5 minute warm up and 10 repeats.

First, before I get into that, I will continue my exposition on The 25 Golden Rules of Running from Runner's World.  Today is #4.

4. The 10-Minute Rule
Start every run with 10 minutes of walking and slow running, and do the same to cool down.

"A warmup prepares your body for exercise by gradually increasing blood flow and raising core muscle temperature," says Jerry Napp, a Tampa Bay running coach. "The cooldown may be even more important. Stopping abruptly can cause leg cramps, nausea, dizziness, or fainting."

The Exception: It takes less than 10 minutes to rev up on warm days.

This is a rule I do not follow currently.  At most other times in my running career, and even in my long runs, I do follow this rule pretty religiously.  I also will always do a 10 minute warm up before any running race (I used to do this for triathlons, but lately, I have fallen off that wagon too). 

Here in Florida, it usually does not take me 10 minutes to get warm.  Somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes, I am usually warm.  It all depends on the day, I suppose.  The benefit I have always gained from this warm up is that once you do your 10 minutes, and maybe some running drills, is that once you start running, you are able to run faster and easier.  Your heart rate will settle down and you can truly begin your workout.  If you just go out and run, you will find that your first 5 - 10 minutes you will have an elevated HR anyway and this can affect your goals for that run.

Since I run using a time basis (25 minutes a day) if I ran a 10 minute warm up, that would leave me with only 15 minutes to focus on areas of my run (speed, endurance, LT threshold) so I often skip it.  I always start off easy and I never push for those first 5 minutes, so I supposed I am using the exception rule here.

If you have never used a warm up, give it a try.  I know many beginning runners feel that if they run 10 minutes as their warm up, they will never be able to finish their scheduled workout.  This isn't true, unless you run your warm up too fast.  It should be a really easy and relaxed pace where your only goal is to get your blood flowing and your limbs loose and limber.  That's it.  Don't go trying to break any records.

Here are my numbers for the day:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 3.03 miles

Pace: 8:14/m

Max Pace: 6:12/m

Calories:333
Avg HR: 148

Max HR: 171

It was a successful speed workout.  I was able to stay between 6:45 and 7:00 and most of the time I was between 6:45 and 6:50.  I actually got stronger as the run progressed and I had my fasted interval at the end (that is the 6:12).  This means that I can probably push the pace a bit down to 6:40.  However, I think I will stay at 6:45 at least one more time to make sure I am ready.  If I push too hard, I may end up hurting myself.  Also, my toe is still in bad shape (as I have not gone to the doctor yet) and I don't want to make it worse.  Ok, folks, that's it for today!

Run for Life!

Day 206, 159 To Go

July 25, 2013

As Honey rests her ailing knee, I am on my own.  Actually, she would not normally run on Thursday anyway, so this is normal, but she also is not on her Rollerblades either.  Sometimes, you just need to rest!  Icing Honey's knees was not easy..."It hurts!" or "It's too tight" or "Is that long enough already" were some of the whines and complaints that could be heard coming from our bedroom last night.  And that was before I iced her knee.

!!!!Click Here!!!!

Today is time to discuss rule #3 from The 25 Golden Rules of Running from Runner's World.  So, here goes...

3. The 2-Hour Rule
Wait for about two hours after a meal before running.

"For most people, two hours is enough time for food to empty from the stomach, especially if it's high in carbohydrate," says Colorado sports dietitian and marathoner Cindy Dallow, Ph.D. "If you don't wait long enough, food will not be properly digested, raising the risk of abdominal cramps, bloating, and even vomiting."

The Exception: You can probably run 90 minutes after a light, high-carb meal, while you may need up to three hours after a heavy meal that's high in protein and fat.

I don't know about you, but I can't run on a full stomach.  It is just plain uncomfortable.  Sure, it affects your performance and can cause cramps and all that, but the bloating and discomfort should be more than enough to discourage anyone from running on a full stomach.

Sure, I have had a few running sessions where I ran with a fairly full stomach, and for the most part, they could not be avoided, but it is a rare thing.  On the flip side, I hate running on a completely empty stomach too.  It saps the motivation out of me if my stomach is growling and begging for some sustenance.  I just can't concentrate and it makes what may already be a hard endeavor even harder.  So, I will often eat a piece of bread or a couple of cookies or something else very light before I go out for a run. 

This will often keep me satiated for a short run.  My current running route doesn't take me by any restaurants or anything like that (although the scent from an occasional BBQ will waft my way) so even if I am a little hungry, it doesn't affect me if I had a little bite or two to eat.  I remember when I was living in HI, my normal running route would take me by a few local restaurants.  I believe they were on Monserrat Ave...one was a delicious local burger joint, the other a fish taco restaurant (not normally my type of food, but mmmm...was it yummy) and another restaurant that I never ate at.  All of them smelled so good, that the least bit of hunger was enough to make your mouth water, your stomach knot up, and your legs wobble.  This was also at the beginning of the run, so basically, you were screwed.  I often met up with my training group right after work, so I didn't have time to eat.  Not fun!

Here are my numbers for today:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.91 miles

Pace: 8:35/m

Max Pace: 7:29/m

Calories: 299
Avg HR: 140

Max HR: 153

It was a typical run without any major developments or issues.  Just a nice evening run on a Thursday.  Can't go wrong with that.  Until next time folks...

Run for Life!

Day 205, 160 To Go

July 24, 2013

Let's pretend that I have kept up with my blog.  Let's forget that it has been a few days since I posted anything (six days, actually).  Let's just pretend that so I can feel better about myself for being a lazy ass.  Seriously.  I could blame a lot of things (Honey) for distracting me (Honey) and keeping me busy (Honey) and not allowing me to write (Honey), but I won't.  I'll take the high road.

Today, I am going to write about rule #2 from The 25 Golden Rules of Running from Runner's World magazine.  This is a rule I have utilized quite a bit in the past couple of years, and when I have followed this rule, I have stayed away from injury.  As soon as I ignore it, I get hurt.  Without further ado...

2. The 10-Percent Rule
Increase weekly training mileage by no more than 10 percent per week.

The Exception: If you're starting at single-digit weekly mileage after a layoff, you can add more than 10 percent per week until you're close to your normal training load.

This has to be one of the most broken rules out there.  This is especially true for really motivated runners returning from an injury or training for a big race.  10% is not a lot to increase your miles (or time, for those of you who run by time instead of miles).  If you ran 20 miles this week, that means you can only run 22 next week.  The challenge you face is how do you spread those miles up over all of your runs?  It is next to impossible.

The good news is that usually, it refers to two areas.  1.) Your weekly miles and 2.) Your long run.  This means, that if you run 20 miles Monday through Saturday and then 10 miles on Sunday, you can at 2 miles to your Mon - Sat runs and 1 mile to your Sunday run.  So sure, you are still only increasing your overall miles by 10 % (20 + 10 = 30, 30 * 10% = 3) but it is easier to spread it out over your weekly runs if you do it separately.

The exception can apply if you happened to take a week or two off.  You don't need to just increase your mileage by only 10% in this instance because it could take you forever to get back to your normal mileage.  However, don't go crazy.  Ramping up your mileage too fast is always a recipe for disaster! 

Here are our numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.16 miles

Pace: 11:33/m

Max Pace: 8:46/m

Calories:191
Avg HR: 109

Max HR: 125

Unfortunately, Honey had some knee pain today and she was unable to complete the run.  She just didn't run that last few minutes.  I made sure she iced her knee when we got back and she'll have to take a couple of days off.  I think the speed work might have taken a toll on her.  We'll back off on that for a little while until we can strengthen her knees a bit.

Run for Life!

Day 204, 161 To Go

July 23, 2013

Normally, I am writing my blog a few days late.  The benefit of this is that I have days worth of material that I can draw on.  Now, I am sitting in front of my computer wracking my brain for something interesting to write about and I have nothing. 

I guess that isn't entirely true.  I'm sure I could find something running related to write about, or I could talk about all the cute and funny things the babies and Derek did today, or I could complain about Honey.  The problem is, they didn't do anything extraordinary today other than being super cute.  Derek was his normal annoying 4 year old self...nothing new there.  And Honey was super sweet and sexy today, so I don't want to complain about her (the night is young still!)

One of my plans was to discuss the article I posted a few days ago that listed 25 golden rules of running.  I think I can expand on each of those and help educate all the budding runners out there.  Then I thought, why not read it your damn self?!?!

Ok, ok, I'll talk about them over the next few weeks.  Not because you can't read, but because I need a topic and this is good for almost 25 days worth of topics!

1. The Specificity Rule
The most effective training mimics the event for which you're training.

This is the cardinal rule of training for any activity. If you want to run a 10-K at seven-minute-per-mile pace, you need to do some running at that pace. "Runners are best served by running at goal pace and in the expected environment of that race," says Ann Snyder, Ph.D., director of the human performance lab at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

The Exception: It's impractical to wholly mimic a race--particularly longer distances--in training because it would require extended recovery. So, when doing race-specific training, keep the total distance covered shorter than the goal race, or run at your race pace in shorter segments with rest breaks (interval training).

This rule seems really obvious.  If you want to run fast you have to train fast.  There is a reason this is number 1 on the list.  Most runners, at one point or another, obsess about their times and they want to get faster.  Most of the time, we just run and run and run without much improvement and we wonder why?  The reason is our training is not specific.  There is a lot more to specificity and this really applies in the sport of triathlon where there is a bigger need for specificity.  In running, it applies to speed, but also for distance.

As the rule says, if you want to run a 7 min mile in a 10k, you have to train at that pace.  By the same token, if you want to run 10k, you had better, at some point, make sure you have run at least 6.2 miles.  In fact, for most distances (not marathons) you should make sure you have attempted the distance, if not more.  You can get away with a long run of 10 miles if you are training for a 1/2 Marathon, especially if you have a short lead time before the race, but if you have the time, why not try to run 13.2 miles.  Now don't do this to close to that actual race, but if you plan well, you can do it.

So, the way to wrap your head around this rule is to think about what your goal is.  If your goal is to run an 8 min mile pace in an upcoming 10k race, you need to do some training at that pace.  You can do a speed workout where you to 800 meter repeats at 8 min pace.  You can incorporate some race pace miles in your long run on the weekends.  If you are going to run 8 miles, run your middle 3 miles, or better yet, your last 3 miles, at the pace you want to run.  Try to incorporate some specific race pace running into all of your runs.  The exception are your recovery days.  Just forget about running your race pace for that day or two and just get in some easy miles.

There are thousands of ways you can incorporate your desired pace into your workouts, you just need to do some planning.  Don't just go out and run, go out and run with a specific plan in hand to address your goals.  If you aren't sure what to do, go online and do a search or go to a reputable source like Runner's World to look for advice.

Here are my numbers for today:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 3.06 miles

Pace: 8:10/m

Max Pace: x:xx/m

Calories: 292
Avg HR: 145

Max HR: 153

My GPS was on the fritz when I started today so my max pace was off.  It said I was running at a Kenyonesc pace of 4:30 when I was probably pushing 10:00.  It finally set itself right, but I don't have a true max pace today to post.  Oh well.  I felt good and rested and I could have easily gone faster, but I tried to say in my zone and I did for the most part.  TTFN peoples!

Run for Life!!

Day 203, 162 To Go

July 22, 2013

Rejoice everyone, the prince is born!  That's right, a new Prince was born in England. This is a tremendous day in the history of...oh, wait...I actually don't give a shit.  Let me get back to reality.

I am no prince, but if you are reading this blog, at least for a few minutes, I have you attention and I hope I can keep you entertained or at least informed.

Remember previously when I mentioned how it is not a good idea to do two hard workouts in a row, especially at my age?  Yeah, well I should have listened.  Ouchie.  Everything was sore today and once again, my toe is barking at me again.  I think this is one of those injuries that I may have to go check out.  It may not actually get in my way when I run, but anything that makes me yell OWWWWWW!!!! when I accidentally tweak my toe in a certain direction, deserves some professional attention.  My biggest fear is that the doctor will tell me that I broke or tore something and that he wants to put me in a boot or cast or something, and there goes my running.  I will probably not listen unless the prognosis is I may never run again.  Then I will have to do it and try again next year.

So, as soon as I find a doctor, I will go.  Really.  I promise....

Today was a Honey running day.  I think I held her back because I could barely run.  She was running well, but when she had to stop, and I stopped my watch, I once again forgot to restart it!  AHHH!  There is a function on the watch that will stop the timer once you stop moving.  Perhaps I should use it.  I know the older versions of the watch it did not work that well.  Because of the movement of the satellites, even when you were not moving, it would think you were and it would not really stop.  This is almost as annoying as messing up the numbers.

I only had it off for about 2:30 minutes so I extrapolated our distance using the pace of our last mile.  This actually probably short changed our distance by a bit because the last quarter mile was much faster than the previous mile, but I had to do something.

Here are our numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.24 miles

Pace: 11:11/m

Max Pace: 8:56/m

Calories: 196
Avg HR: 113

Max HR: 126

As you can see, the top speed is approaching a PR for Honey.  I don't recall ever seeing a top pace below 9 minutes and it is now four running days in a row where she was approaching 11 min pace.  I think she is very close to breaking the 11 minute barrier!  She is consistently running faster these days.  Amazing what consistency can do!  See Honey!

I am off to relax and maybe ice my foot again.  I have to start looking for a doctor...or podiatrist...or not.  I'll start tomorrow.  Sure.  That's what I will do.  Promise...

Run for Life!

Day 202, 163 To Go

July 21, 2013

Let me start off by saying The Conjuring is VERY scary!  It was excellent though and full of suspense and surprises.  There was almost no gore and it relied on music and good old fashioned film making to keep you on the edge of your seat!

Unfortunately, for Honey, she is still awake since the movie LAST night.  She was terrified and she barely even saw the movie what with her hand in front of her face the entire time.  She nearly broke my hand a few times when the boogie monster jumped out and scared us!

The movie is "based on a true story" of a haunting of a family in Rhode Island.  The story is based on an experience of Ed and Lorraine Warren who were ghost hunters back in the 70s.  This is the same couple who was involved in the Amityville Horror, so they have a pedigree.

Of course it is all bullshit, but to enjoy the movie, you have to suspend disbelief...or, suspend belief...depends on your point of view.  In either case, the movie is fucking scary!!  If you believe in ghosts and demons, then you would be even more terrified, like Honey, and unable to sleep.  She said she woke me repeatedly throughout the night, but I have no recollection of that.  Perhaps I was possessed...

Possessed with sleep!!

The plan for today was to go for a long run and I had to go early since we had plans for people to come over in the afternoon (they didn't come).  Honey could not accompany me since my mom was out and unable to watch them.  She was kind of lucky because it was really hot again today.

I know I keep talking about the heat and you probably are saying to yourself, "You live in Florida, idiot, what did you expect," and you would be right, but still.  It was fucking hot!!

The run started off ok since the sun was hiding behind clouds and there was even a cool breeze once in a while (by cool I mean not as hot as my skin temp which was probably over 98 degrees).  I decided to stretch the run out and do 35 minutes out and 35 minutes back for a nice 70 minute run.  At the turnaround, almost to the minute, the sun came out blazing.  No more cool breeze, just a continuation of high humidity with the addition of the scalding heat of the sun.  Nice.

I stopped at 7/11 on the way back to fill up my drink and to cool off.  I was starting to get chills which sounds kind of odd considering the temperature but is actually the beginning signs of heat exhaustion!  I cooled off and began my run again and finished strong.  I was soaking wet and damn tired.  I took a long cool shower and continued to sweat for the next 30 minutes.  I hate when that happens.

Here are my numbers:

Time: 70:00

Distance: 7.70 miles

Pace: 9:05/m

Max Pace: 7:21/m

Calories: 871
Avg HR: 152

Max HR: 169

A respectable pace considering the heat and my lack of running talent.  I do like the calorie number today though.  It would have had to be like twice that amount to cover the food I ate post run.

Honey and I went out to Smokey Bones to eat which was a first for us.  The food was good and we liked the atmosphere.  It is a more relaxed and somewhat playful eatery with funny sayings on signs on the walls.  It looks like they try to emphasize sex a bit kind of like Hooters except the waitresses were not all that attractive.  They were nice and the service was pretty good, so I'll take that over a nice set of boobs any day (I only say that because Honey's boobs are spectacular and I have all that I can handle...and she won't let me go to Hooters where the food is actually pretty good!)

I am hoping that tonight, Honey will be able to sleep so I can get a good night's sleep too.  If not, tomorrow could be a long day at work.  Wish me luck!

Run for Life!

Day 201, 164 To Go

July 20, 2013

I was getting jealous of all the speed work Honey was doing, so I decided to do some myself today.  No reason she should have all the fun, and if she keeps on doing it and I don't, she will get faster than me and that is just NOT allowed!

Today is Saturday, so doing a speed workout the day before I do my long run is probably not a good idea.  In fact, it is decidedly not a good idea, but I didn't really know that until I read this article from Runner's World magazine: The 25 Golden Rules of Running.

Rule 20 states "Take at least one easy day after every hard day of training.  Easy means a short, slow run, a cross-training day, or no exercise at all. "Hard" means a long run, tempo run, or speed workout."

This is really just common sense so I have no good excuse and I already knew this.  I knew most of the rules on this list and I do follow most of them most of the time.  I encourage you to read though this list because if you follow it you will have less injuries and you'll be able to train for any distance and you can improve your time in any distance.

So yes, I am going to most likely break rule #20 tomorrow.  In the immortal words of Rick Perry..."Oops!"

I did the same interval workout as Honey did, but my fast minutes were faster than hers (the workout is basically one minute fast and one minute slow for 20 minutes).  My fast minute was in the 6:50 - 7:15 range.  My goal was to stay around 7:00 and I was able to keep that goal.  My last interval got me up to 6:05 and I can't say I was super tired at the end, although I was pretty beat.  That means that I can probably try to do my intervals more in the 6:45 range next time.

Here are my numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.84 miles

Pace: 8:49/m

Max Pace: 6:05/m

Calories: 265
Avg HR: 145

Max HR: 171

 The slow minutes were around 10 - 11 minutes per mile.  I really just jogged easy until the minute elapsed (which seemed to take only about 20 seconds each time) and then I put on the speed!  Honey rolled next to me and kept me company and occasionally game me some encouragement.  Thanks Honey!

Tonight, Honey and I decided to stop over a friend's house for a little while before going to see The Conjuring.  If you are not familiar with the movie, it is a horror film and it is supposed to be very scary.  I'll let you know tomorrow if that is actually the case.  Until then, check under the bed and keep your closets closed!

Run for Life!!

Day 200, 165 To Go

July 19, 2013

Why the balloons you ask?  I'll tell you why!  Its because today is the 200th day I have run in a row this year!  WHOOHOOO!!  Only 165 days to go.  Then I can take a few months off and get fat.  I can't wait!

Ok, I won't just sit on my ass and get fat. In fact, I may continue to run every day.  I haven't made up my mind yet.  I know I won't run as much every day as I am running now.  I may set a lower limit of at least 1 mile which will just take about 10 minutes.  I don't think it will hurt any targeted training I need to do, even if I have a supposed off day.

That is the future.  How about I talk about the present...today!  Today, I thought it was a good time to make Honey do another interval workout.  Somehow, she agreed.  Another big milestone in Honey's transformation from a couch sweet potato to full on runner was something she said the other day:

"I'm beginning to not hate running anymore."

This is huge.  In fact, I remember about 10 years ago or so I said the very same thing.  This did not make Honey happy and she proceeded to break down and cry and wonder aloud if this meant she had to run a marathon or do a triathlon or fart a whole lot.  I told her no, it doesn't (at least for the first two).

The intervals today were similar to last week except that her fast intervals were faster.  She hit about a 9:15 pace for all the intervals this time.  She held on until the end and was able to finish, so either last week she was dogging it or she is just a fast learner.

Here are our overall numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.20 miles

Pace: 11:21/m

Max Pace: 8:08/m

Calories: 189
Avg HR: 118

Max HR: 134

The overall pace was a nice 11:21 which brings Honey's streak of sub 12 min miles to three days in a row.  Way to go Honey!

Next week, she will probably have to do it again.  Should I push her to run 8:15?  No, probably not, but 9 is a possibility.  At some point, we will find her optimal pace for intervals.  And at some point, she will pass that pace and we'll have to adjust again.  That's the goal...to get faster!

Run for Life!

Day 199, 166 To Go

July 18, 2013

Another day, another trip through the golf course.  We did end up back on the road after a while, but it did add some variety.  As everyone knows, variety is the spice of life (apparently, that spice excludes Thai food, most illegal drugs, camping , Ménage à Trois and onions according to Honey).  So, at least I am spicing up my running life.

I am very pleased with my new GPS watch.  It connects to the GPS in a fraction of the time my old one could do it in.  It probably takes less than 10 seconds.  The mapping feature is more robust and you can save locations and even name them.  Maybe my old GPS could do that, but I never figured out how.  The HR monitor is lighter and softer to wear, but harder to put on (not that it is hard, just not as easy).  It fits better on my wrist and overall it is more comfortable.  You know the excess part of the watch band that you use that litter, uh, thingy to keep it from sticking up or flopping up and down?  On my old watch, it would always slip off and the band would stick up and threaten to come loose.  This new one locks down and does not wiggle loose.  Yeah, sometimes it is the small things that help us enjoy life.

Here are our numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.22 miles

Pace: 11:15/m

Max Pace: 8:58/m

Calories: 163
Avg HR: 112

Max HR: 125

Another banner day for Honey out on the links!  She did stop and start a bit, but she soldiered on and ended up with one of her better times.  I see a sub 11 min run in her near future!  Go for it Honey!  I think I'll make you do an interval workout again tomorrow.  What do you think?

Honey?

HONEY?!?!

Run for Life!!

Day 198, 167 To Go

July 17, 2013

  There she is!!  My new Garmin GPS watch with heart rate monitor!  The watch came with some other goodies like a charger and multiple types of plugs depending on, I guess, which country you reside in.  It also came with a teeny, weeny USB plug which you plug into your computer and when your watch is within a couple of feet from the computer it automatically uploads your workouts.  Talk about easy!

Honey and I are looking forward to testing it out today.  Well, at least I am looking forward to it.  I can't speak for Honey, but since she was the one who bought it for me for my birthday (which is still a couple of months away) I would assume that she is looking forward to me using it too.

While my back has not gotten any better...if anything, it is worse...I will not let it stop me from enjoying my run.  Honey and I decided to take a little different path in our run today and we went for a run on the paths on the golf course.  It is a lot more fun and interesting to run on the course as well as a lot more dangerous!

FORE!!!!!!!

The paths wind back and forth and up and down, so you get a much more varied workout.  At times, we have to run on the grass too, so it is part path part trail.  We just need to try this again later in the evening because we went around 6 and there were still quite a few people on the course.  I think if we wait until 7 it will be much more empty.

Here are our numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.26 miles

Pace: 11:03/m

Max Pace: 9:26/m

Calories:179
Avg HR: 115

Max HR: 128

Look at that pace!  Honey is on fire!  After one day of speed work she can't slow herself down.  Sure, she is stopping too much, but that will come around as soon as she gets more comfortable pacing herself.  I suppose I can help her a bit with that.  I'll try that tomorrow.

You may notice that the calorie count is pretty low.  Unfortunately, this is probably a more accurate calorie count than my previous GPS watch.  What most calorie counters do is they not only calculate the calories your are burning in your workout, they also incorporate the calories you would have burned had you just been sitting on your ass.  You burn calories all day long.  This is normal.  If your watch tells you you burned 300 calories, you think that you burned 300 MORE calories than you would have, and this is just not true.

Although I was aware of this inaccurate calorie counting in the past, I chose to willfully ignore it because I liked the higher numbers. Now I can't do that.  I am not happy about it, but I will have to get used to it.  179 calories burned just kind of sucks.  Oh well.  I will just have to run farther and faster!!

Run for Life!!

Day 197, 168 To Go

July 16, 2013

So begins day number two where I am GPSless.  I cradled my old Garmin GPS watch in my arms as I slept last night, praying that it would recover and come back to me.

Only kidding!  Praying doesn't work!  Silly.

I am without my GPS though, so I will just have to suffer another day with sub par numbers.  Ok, not really.  This app is working fairly good so far and based on the routes I have run and the effort I have put in, it is working correctly.  I know my phone does have a GPS transmitter, so it could be using the same technology as the watch, although it is probably not as accurate since it does not need to be as the GPS is used more for cars than for pedestrians.

I am without Honey today, so I ran my normal pace, give or take a few seconds per mile.  I did my leg workout during the day, so my legs are a tad bit tired already.  I was able to run ok though. 

Here are my numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.87 miles

Pace: 8:41/m

Max Pace: 8:21/m

Calories:372*
Avg HR: xxx

Max HR: xxx

I don't know if it was the run, the way I slept, the leg workout or the fact that I am an old fart, but my back is FUCKED up right now.  It hurts worse than it has in as long as I can remember.  It feels like one of my vertebrae down near my tailbone is out of whack and it is causing shooting pains up and down my body.  I think I need to go to a chiropractor.  My problem is that I think most of them are quacks.  I hate when they crack your neck.  I feel like I am one of the bad guys in a Steven Segal movie and he is trying to snap my neck off.

Maybe it will feel better tomorrow.  For now, I am going to lie down on the floor.  Ouch.

Run for Life!

Day 196, 169 To Go

July 15, 2013

All this week, or at least most of it, I am going to be without my GPS.  I suppose I will survive without it and I do have the phone app MapMyRun, but I still feel naked without it.  Its not like I haven't gone for a run without any equipment, but it has been a long time and I am completely addicted to using it now.

I remember when I got my first GPS many, many years ago.  Of course at first I was completely in love with it.  You get instant feedback on what you are doing.  No longer do you have to guess what pace you are running or how far you have run.  No longer do you have to stop and take your heart rate.  Your handy, dandy watch now does it all for you.  There was, of course, a few downsides.

The worst part was the reception.  The newer watches are much stronger and don't suffer from this as much, but the first Garmin GPS watch I got would lose the signal the minute a leaf from a tree obscured the direct connection between the sky and the watch.  You may end up running for an hour and only have signal for about 20 minutes of that hour, at best, if you were running in a woody area.  Forget it if you were running in a city.  The tall buildings were even worse.

Then, there was the initial addiction.  I dare you to not look at your new GPS every 5 seconds when you first get it.  I'm surprised I even survived running back then since my eyes were glued to the stupid thing.  I probably caused a slew of car and bicycle accidents in my wake that I wasn't even aware of.  Even today, sometimes, I get carried away and I spend too much time staring at it.  Then, when I get home, I spend some more time analyzing the numbers.  What I haven't gotten into the habit of doing (again) is uploading the data to the computer and REALLY getting into the numbers.  The software that comes with it allows you to review every second of your run if you want.

Alas, today I will be using my phone which has no HR (although you can get a Bluetooth HR monitor) and it is just inconvenient to use (when compared to the watch, at least).

Here are our numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.05 miles

Pace: 12:13/m

Max Pace: 10:37/m

Calories:253*
Avg HR: xxx

Max HR: xxx

I put an asterisk next to the calorie count because the app just estimates what your calories burned and I don't know how it derives it or if it can be trusted.  It seems reasonable though.

Honey ran with me today, as you can tell.  I could barely run anyway.  I kicked my ass yesterday with that brick workout.  Not only that, my sore left toe is back.  I don't feel it when I run, but sometimes when I walk or stand, I get a shooting pain in my foot!  I have no idea what I did, but I suspect something is inflamed or bruised.  My right knee was barking at me a bit too.  I think I may have overdone it yesterday.  Oops!  Guess I should take it a little easy this week and maybe even next weekend.  We'll see how I feel as I get closer to Sunday.

Run for Life!!

Day 195, 170 To Go

July 14, 2013

I want to take a moment to remember my trusty Garmin GPS who has been with me for a few years, recording all my running times and just for being a constant friend and companion to me while I ran.  Yes, folks, my GPS died today.  In one last glorious day or working out, he held on until the end and then it turned off, never to turn on again.  Luckily, I was able to get my last workout numbers off of it while it was on the charger, but once I took it off the charger, it refused to start again.  It was just...tired.

Speaking of tired, so was I!  I chose to do a solo workout today and I chose to do a brick workout.  I believe I have spoken about these before.  This is a workout where you mix disciplines (this is for triathlon, usually) and you stack your workouts like bricks.  For instance, today, I did repeats of riding my bike for 5 miles and then running 1 mile.  Then I repeated this 5 times for a total of 25 miles on the bike and 5 miles running.  I added a couple more miles of running after I was done to get a full hour of running in.  That is not normally how you would do that, but I guess I am not normal.

It was very hard both physically and mentally.  I rode the same course each time which was just an out and back to my gate.  I would repeat this out and back twice to reach 5 miles.  I rode the first 2.5 easy and then I rode the last 2.5 about at race pace so when I got off my bike and immediately put on my shoes, just like in T2 (transition #2) in a triathlon, I would be fatigued for the start of the run.

This is what I am working on: being able to run fatigued off the bike.  This helps me to be able to have a better start to my run so I can have a better run overall.

Here are my overall bike numbers:

Time: 1:22:02

Distance: 25.13 miles

Pace: 18.38mph

Max Pace: 34.39mph

Calories: 1,593

Avg HR:138

Max HR:163

Loop 1: 5.08 miles/16:16 minutes/18.75 mph
Loop 2: 5.00 miles/16:05 minutes/18.65 mph
Loop 3: 5.01 miles/15:21 minutes/18.38 mph
Loop 4: 5.03 miles/16:45 minutes/18.00 mph
Loop 5: 5.00 miles/16:33 minutes/18.13 mph

I stayed fairly consistent throughout the ride.  My first one was my fastest as far as average speed was concerned and then I started to drop in speed until the last one.  Overall, I am happy with my consistency, if not my speed.

Here are my running numbers:

Time: 60:00

Distance: 7.00 miles

Pace: 8:35/m

Max Pace: 7:17/m

Calories: 896
Avg HR: 147

Max HR:164

Loop 1: 1.00 mile/8:14 minutes/156 HR
Loop 2: 1.00 mile/8:20 minutes/157 HR
Loop 3: 1.00 mile/8:26 minutes/154 HR
Loop 4: 1.00 mile/7:55 minutes/149 HR
Loop 5: 1.00 mile/8:17 minutes/144 HR

Post Brick:
Mile 6: 1.00 mile/9:14 minutes/136 HR
Mile 7: 1.00 mile/9:36 minutes/141 HR

You will notice at Loop 4 I had a faster run and that was because Honey interrupted me and I got about an extra minute of rest before I went out for the run.  It made a huge difference in my pace from the prior run (31 seconds) and my heart rate was also lower.

After I was done with the brick and I had to complete another 19 minutes of so of running, I was tired and it was hot!  It had rained while I was riding a couple of times and while I was running.  The rain cooled it off for a bit, but when the water started evaporating from the ground, it just got more humid.  So, my remaining two miles were pretty hard, but I got through it.

The rest of the day I was pretty much a zombie, but I did have enough energy to hang out with a couple of friends and to watch Dexter and The Newsroom.  I was not able to make it to Tru Blood...I'll get to that tonight!

Hope you had a great weekend!

Run for Life!!

Day 194, 171 To Go

July 13, 2013

Nothing beats a lazy Saturday.  I took advantage of not having too much to do today by running early in the day so I could really be lazy for the rest of the day.  This is something I excel at...although it is not a good way to live your life.

Runners often think that if they run consistently and eat well most of the time, they are good to go.  Recent research has shown that even if you are active and participate in a lot of sports and eat well if you spend the rest of your time sedentary, you are pretty much screwed.

So for all of you who sit at a desk every day for at least 8 hours, you are getting screwed not only by the corporation you probably work for, you are getting screwed physically by sitting down all day.  The recommendations are to get up every hour for a few minutes and work around or better yet, to get one of those standing desks.  Seriously, who the hell wants to stand all day and work?  I don't even want to sit all day and work.  Imagine standing?  Ugh.  You seriously can't win.

So, what is my solution?  I say, just fuck it.

No, that is not my solution.  I will still exercise and attempt to eat better and I will also do my best to stand up as often as possible to limit my sitting every day.  We tend to eat in our kitchen which has a bar area and I tend to stand through all my meals.  I figure this will help limit my sitting throughout the day.

I will not stand up and watch TV though.  That is just going to far!!

Here are my numbers for today:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.86 miles

Pace: 8:45/m

Max Pace: 7:35/m

Calories: 370
Avg HR: 140

Max HR:155

Of course I am sitting while I type this, so not only did I spend all week on my ass working, I am doing this on the weekend too.  I need one of those standing desks.  I doubt Honey will let me put something like that in our bedroom, but maybe if I tell her it will help me to live longer, she will agree...or fight me even harder to not get one.  Oh Honey...

Run for Life!!

Day 193, 172 To Go

July 12, 2013

Happy Friday peoples!  It was a long day at work but I am finally done and ready to enjoy my weekend with Honey and the hell spawn I call my children.  I don't have anything special planned other than a hard workout on Sunday, some friends coming by on Sunday and then of course a pay TV marathon of Dexter, Tru Blood and The Newsroom!

I would actually like to go see a movie this weekend, but I am about 150% sure Honey would not want to see Pacific Rim.  This is the movie where giant robots fight giant alien monsters.  How could you go wrong with that?  Not only that, it is directed Guillermo del Toro of Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth fame.  Hell, I would pay double to see this potential piece of crap movie based on the director alone!  Alas, I will have to go by myself as I can't see a way to convince Honey to go see it.  I would have to promise to see 10 chick flicks in a row to work that one out.  Oh well.

So, I'll stick to my run tonight and maybe we can go out to get something to eat.  I'm not talking fancy restaurant food...more like fast food like Chick Fil-a.  Yeah, their CEO is a gay bashing bastard and I don't care for his politics or for the fact that he closes all his restaurants on Sunday (what the hell...why can't I eat chicken on Sunday!) but I do like their spicy chicken sandwich!  Mmmm, mmmm...

Here are Honey and my numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.05 miles

Pace: 12:12/m

Max Pace: 8:26/m

Calories:226
Avg HR: 113

Max HR: 129

Ah, I almost forgot!  Today, I tortured Honey on our run with an interval workout.  First, we ran for 5 minutes to warm up, then we did 10 repeats of 1 minute fast, 1 minute recovery.  I had her running about a 10:15 mile pace for her fast repeats.  Occasionally she ended up sub 10, but I tried to keep her consistent at around 10:15. 

She looked like she wanted to quit after the first one, but she held on for the entire 10 reps!  As she told me later, she wanted to drop to the floor and pass out about halfway through, but she didn't (although that would have been damn funny!) 

When doing intervals, the key is to be consistent with your pace and to make sure you pick the right pace.  If you can't keep up the pace for each of your intervals, you went to fast.  If you get to the end and you are not so tired you want to puke, you went too slow.  Ok, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but you should be pretty worn out.  You don't want to feel like you could have done a few more or you weren't pushing hard enough.

I told her she was going to do this every week and she threatened to never run with me again.  Stay tuned...

Run for Life!!

Day 192, 173 To Go

July 11, 2013

No Honey today, so while I run I am thinking about ways I can torture her on her next run.  Anyone want to recommend any good workouts?

I was thinking of making her do some sort of speed workout.  Maybe I'll have her do 400 meter repeats...or even worse, 800 meter repeats.  Or, maybe I'll just make her do a fartlek workout with pickups every few minutes.  I could even have her do one of my favorites...one minute fast...one minute slow...for the entire workout.  Yeah...I think that is the one.  It doesn't sound so bad and it doesn't even feel that bad the first few repeats...but by the 5th one...she will be drooling and begging for forgiveness!

MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Really, I am not doing this to be mean, I am doing this for her own good to help her improve.  She will get faster and more fit and she will burn more calories.  Experts say that when you do interval work, your body's metabolism stays revved at a higher rate for a longer time so you actually end up burning more calories than a regular run of the same time or distance.  How can you lose with that?

Ok, and maybe I am looking forward to the torturing too....hehe...

Today, I went at my now normal pace and effort.  I stayed aerobic and was able to keep an 8:00 to 8:15 pace for most of the run.  The weather wasn't too bad and I felt good.

Here are my numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.98 miles

Pace: 8:24/m

Max Pace: 7:03/m

Calories:382
Avg HR: 141

Max HR: 152
 
I like that my miles are piling up this week.  If I can get in a nice long run this weekend, I think I will easily top 20 miles for the week.  This is a good baseline to begin marathon training...if I decide to run one...if...


Run for Life!!

Day 191, 174 To Go

July 10, 2013

Hump day!  That's right folks...Wednesday is the hump in the middle of the week we have to get over to get to Friday and a couple of days of sanity.  It felt like a really big hump to get over, but I made it.  Only two more days and its the weekend and I get paid too.  This is a good thing because I am out of money and I need to buy food!  I am tired of pasta.  ; o )

The good thing about eating pasta every night is that its like I am carbo loading every night.  I felt pretty good today at the onset of my run, so I decided to push the pace a bit.  Once I started, though, I realized I had somewhat misjudged my readiness for a fast day.  Nonetheless, I push forward and finished a faster run.

It was pretty humid so when I got home it looked like I had gone for a swim, not a run.  I was able to run 3.22 miles and burn 421 calories!  The question is, will I benefit from the calories burned, or will I eat ice cream tonight?

Who am I kidding...I'll eat the damn ice cream.  Hell, I'd eat it even if I didn't go for a run, so at least I probably end up on the + side since I burned so many calories and I probably won't eat that much ice cream.  Probably...

Here are my numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 3.22 miles

Pace: 7:46/m

Max Pace: 7:01/m

Calories: 421
Avg HR: 151

Max HR: 166

I didn't pay much attention to my HR today, but from about 10 minutes on I was in my anaerobic zone.  I was pushing my lactate threshold today hard, so it was a good workout and something I need to do every week and something I haven't done in a while.

No Honey today...she was burnt out from two days in a row of running.  Maybe she'll come tomorrow.  I think the least she could have done was put on her rollerblades, but I think she had a lame excuse for not going.  I wanted to run fast, so I didn't argue.  Sometimes, you just gotta get out there and run and you can't wait for anyone or anything.  You just have to, as Nike would say, do it.  So I did.  I'll do it again tomorrow too!

Run for Life!!

Day 190, 175 To Go

July 9, 2013

Holy running consistency, Batman!  Honey is running for the 2nd straight day.  What has gotten into her?  Could she be turning into a runner, or is something nefarious afoot!!

Actually, she won't be able to run on Wednesday, so she is substituting Tuesday.  You have to roll with the punches, people, so don't be afraid to alter your schedule if you have to.  Get the run in any way you can!!  Props to my Honey!

What will not be noticeable by the time below is the trouble Honey had with her run.  Sure, her time looks good, but as I have said before, I stop my watch when we stop running.  This can make numbers look better than they are, but I want to make sure I get in the full running time.  When I run on my own, I rarely stop, so it doesn't affect my solo numbers (last Sunday, notwithstanding!)

The problem she ran into was twofold: 1) She was probably tired from the prior days run and 2) She started out too fast.

Honey said she wanted to run fast so she can get faster (I am getting through to her...I have said over and over to get fast you have to run fast!)  The thing is, she didn't mention this before we started, so by the time we got halfway, she had run through her energy.  You always want to run negative splits.  In other words, the 2nd half of your run should be faster than your first.  This is because if you run too hard in the beginning, once you burn out, you are done.  You can't recover most of the time.  The caveat is when running a race like a 5k.  Here, you should keep a steady pace and not worry about a negative split.

Anyway, next time we run, I will try putting Honey through some intervals.  Perhaps we will run 1 minute fast and 1 minute slow.  This is a good, hard workout that trains your body to run faster.  The key is to pick a pace for your fast runs and to make sure you recover on the slow runs.  You want to be consistent in your pace in the fast runs.

Here are our numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.13 miles

Pace: 11:44/m

Max Pace: 9:03/m

Calories:247
Avg HR:103

Max HR:124

I like the pace, but I would prefer the consistent run without breaks, Honey.  ; o )

She worked hard, though, and that is what you want in your runs.  You want to have fun, if you can, but sometimes, you need to work.  If you want to improve, you have to put in the effort.

Run for Life!!

Day 189, 176 To Go

July 8, 2013

Here we go again...its Monday and time to work and suffer.  At least every day I have a run to look forward to.  I really do look forward to it most of the days.  I'd say about 90% of the time I am happy to get out there and run.  Today Honey will be accompanying me as well. 

I needed an easy run day and I needed some cooler weather.  The weather did not cooperate, but running after 7:00 made it cool enough to make it comfortable.  Honey was struggling a little bit as she had a pretty good headache going, but she finished the run anyway.

Here are our numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.09 miles

Pace: 11:58/m

Max Pace: 10:05/m

Calories: xxx
Avg HR: xxx

Max HR: xxx

My GPS battery was dead because Derek turned it on and didn't know how to turn it off.  No matter how many times I tell him to not touch anything on my desk, he does.  Perhaps I need to tell him for the 1,001st time!  So, I used my phone and the MapMyRun app to record my stats.

Being that it is a work night, you would think it was a good idea to go to bed at a reasonable hour.  I tried, but as I was flipping through the channels, I came across the latest Batman movie.  I have seen the movie, but I figured I would watch for a little while.  The little while turned into the end of the movie at 2:30am. 

I have trouble sleeping...not for any good reason, but because I stay up to watch TV.  I could easily go to sleep at 10am and wake up bright and early, but I don't.  The only time in my life that I did that was when I lived in Hawaii and I had to get up at 6am for work (an hour to get ready - it takes time to make me beautiful - and an hour bus ride).  So I went to bed at 10pm and woke up at 6am.  I never felt better.  Can't seem to get into that habit again though.  Gotta work on that...

Run for Life!!

Day 188, 177 To Go

July 7, 2013

 I am up bright an early this Sunday to go for a swim and a bike ride.  Last night, I started to get ready but I didn't finish.  I figured I could easily finish getting ready in the morning.  I was wrong.

The plan was to meet at The Eau Gallie Library at 7:00am.  Here it is 6:50am and I haven't even left yet!  I can't find my sunglasses and this is a very important piece of equipment when you are riding a bike.  It isn't because of the sun, it is because bugs and pebbles and other assorted tiny items like to find their way into your eyes.  When you are riding anyway from 20 - 40mph, this can become quite dangerous! 

I finally just left without them and I got there about 7:25.  They actually waited for me, those bastards!  I was hoping to skip the swim!  Don't get me wrong, I really like to swim, but I always have a bit of anxiety about swimming in the open water ever since I saw Jaws when I was a kid.  I think the movie came out when I was 3, but I saw it before I was 10 years old.  Movie scarred me for life!  I still swim in open water, but the entire swim is dominated by visions of becoming shark poop.  Tends to ruin the experience.

We swam a short loop of maybe a few hundred meters and we planned on swimming another one.  The three of us - Mike, Daryll and I - stood there talking.  We solved all the major world issues and as a reward, we decided to skip the rest of the swim.

Yeah, we are a bunch of pussies.

We went out for an "easy" ride - at least that is what I was told it would be - but immediately, it turned into a much faster ride.  Here is where my lack of nutrition the prior day started to kick in.  I was burning out so I let them drop me.  They mercifully waited for me before we hit the second bridge - so nice of them - which we decided to go over twice.  Yeah...hill training.  Next week we may even do more.  It may be hard, but I actually like the short, intense workouts like that.  I miss hills from my time in Hawaii and CT.  I never thought I would say that, but I really do miss the varied terrain of my former homes.  Florida is way to flat and boring. 

Here are my bike numbers:

Time: 1:00:04

Distance: 17.80 miles

Pace: 17.77mph

Max Pace: 37.35mph

Calories: 1,031

Avg HR: xxx

Max HR: xxx

I forgot my HR monitor which is why I have no HR numbers.  I did however find my other pair of sunglasses in my bag.  They are actually not sunglasses.  They are a $3 pair of safety glasses from Home Depot.  For anyone who rides and doesn't want to spend a ton on sunglasses, this is a great substitute.  They are great for riding in the morning too since they are a light yellow color.  Not the best glasses for the sun, but good for protecting the eyes.

The average pace was slow due to the hills, but take a look at the max pace!  That was fun.  I am out of practice descending hills.  These are easy as they are straight, but the cross winds can get scary.

After I arrived home and rested a bit and spent some time with the kiddies, Honey and I decided to go out for the run in the afternoon while the babies napped.  It was about 3:30.  That was kind of a mistake!  Holy crap was it hot and humid.  I wilted in the heat.  I started off strong running a 8:30 pace but I ended up crawling at the end!

We stopped a few times so I could sit and cool off.  I was overheating and it can get dangerous running in that temperature with that much humidity.  I was just unable to cool off.  Honey was getting overheated a bit too, and she was rollerblading.  We finally made it back home though, safe and sound, and I took a nice cold shower to cool off.

Here are my numbers:

Time: 60:00

Distance: 6.04 miles

Pace: 9:56/m

Max Pace: 7:28/m

Calories: 772
Avg HR:147

Max HR: 158

All things considered, the pace was acceptable.  Next week, I am waiting until evening to go for the run.  That was just not pleasant.  At least I am acclimating to the heat again, but still.  I'll go at night in the future if at all possible!

Run for Life!!

 

Day 187, 178 To Go

July 6, 2013

Ah, Saturday...the day to run errands if needed and hopefully, to relax after a long week of work.  Which of those two do you think I did not do?

Yeah, relax! 

Honey and I spent most of the day at car dealerships looking to upgrade from the behemoth of an SUV that we have. It gets about 5mpg and is big enough to support its own zip code.  I may be exaggerating, but not by much.  Unfortunately, a new/used car was not in the cards for today.  We were looking at minivans (Honey is a soccer mom!  Honey is a soccer mom!!) but we were not able to get the deal we wanted, so we didn't get anything.  Maybe next weekend.

We went out without eating lunch first which was a mistake.  It was about 12:30 when we went out.  Then, we got home and Derek was having a sleepover with Claire and we decided to go to the park to meet up with some friends.  And for some reason, we chose not to eat dinner either.

By the time we got back at around 8, the babies were tired, Derek was excited about his sleepover, and I was ravenous!  What did I eat?  A bowl of rice and a Klondike bar.  We need to go food shopping.

Oh...of course, I went for my run.  Here are my numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.95 miles

Pace: 8:29/m

Max Pace: 7:05/m

Calories: 380
Avg HR:143

Max HR: 158

Tired and hungry...but I ran fine.  Probably, the lack of eating will show in my running tomorrow.  I am probably going for a swim and a bike ride in the morning too.  I am not looking forward to the disastrous run tomorrow!!

Run for Life!!

 

Day 186, 179 To Go

July 5, 2013

As I get back to work with my post July 4th hangover (not from alcohol, but from screaming babies) I am looking forward to the weekend and some good training.  I may have overeaten a bit yesterday, but I am confident my weekend activities should balance that all out.

This is not the best strategy for keeping a good weight.  Sure, you can always workout more to balance the calories you take in, but a better strategy is to eat right all the time and then you will easily maintain your weight.  I fail at this all the time.  Not that I am fat by any means.  I am quite fit.  I may be one of the lucky ones that is able to maintain a reasonable weight even if I occasionally overeat, but that doesn't make up for poor nutrition.

I am an avid reader and I have been following the whole GMO controversy.  I truly would like to cut out any GMO foods from my diet, but it is just so fucking hard.  Seriously.  Maybe if I had a Whole Foods or a Trader Joes around, it would be a bit easier, but there are no such stores in my neck of the woods (and my neck is not a giraffe, so Orlando doesn't count).  I am contemplating mapping out a plan for going organic and GMO free in the new year.  Any advice would be appreciated!

Back to running...here are our numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.00 miles

Pace: 12:37/m

Max Pace: 9:54/m

Calories:216
Avg HR: 108

Max HR: 126

We may have run a few seconds over 25 minutes, but I didn't record them.  I wanted to reach at least 2 miles.  I have to hit at least 2 miles on a 25 minute run, or I feel like I wasted the run.  Next time, I'll be pushing Honey to keep her pace above 12:30 so we always hit 2 miles!

On to the weekend!!

Run for Life!

Day 185, 180 To Go

July 4, 2013

Yes!  Happy 4th of July my fellow Americans!  Happy 4th of July to my fellow 'mericans too.  And to all of you who do not call the USA your native country because you are visiting or here <shh> illegally, I welcome you to our celebration where we eat lots of BBQ and blow shit up!  What could be more fun than that!

I know, a 4th of July run!  Yay!  Actually, the run is only fun if you do it before the BBQ and the drinking, etc.  I ran after.  Oops.

I ran and Honey rolled, but I could not get myself to go any faster.  I FELT like I was running fast, but my GPS told me otherwise.  Add to the above that I am still sore from a leg workout, and it was a very tough 25 minutes. 

Here are my numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.70 miles

Pace: 9:15/m

Max Pace: 7:36/m

Calories: 346
Avg HR: 137

Max HR: 155

I really was trying to push myself, but I could not get any speed going.  At about the 20 minute mark, I finally loosened up and started to move a bit, but it was too late for the run.  I was very glad when it was over.

The day went too fast, as most days off from work do.  I spent the morning with the babies, the afternoon with some friends, and the evening with my Honey.  We were in bed and ready for the next day too soon.  At least there is only one more work day before the weekend! 

I hope you all have a great holiday!  Once again, Happy 4th!

Run for Life!!

Day 184, 181 To Go

July 3, 2013

You know how my plan was to incorporate strength training into my running regiment?  Yeah, that kind of fell by the wayside a couple of days after I started.  Yesterday, however, I jumped back on the wagon and did my leg exercises!  Now, walking is a bit of a chore.

So, just to make my run more fun, I did my push ups before my run today.  Now, my legs don't work and my upper body is tired.  Honey is coming on the run, so I can slack off a bit, but I am already dreading going out tonight.  I bet tomorrow will be even worse. 

Here are my numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.06 miles

Pace: 12:08/m

Max Pace: 10:22/m

Calories: 241
Avg HR: 107

Max HR: 123

Pretty typical numbers for a Honey run.  The bad thing is that I started to feel a twinge in my calf again.  What the hell!  It was feeling better for the past two runs and I hadn't felt anything at all.  Now I feel it?  Why!  My guess is two things contributed to a relapse.  One would be the leg exercises. Although none specifically target the calf, squats - especially jump squats - all utilize the calf as part of the exercise.  Second, I stopped using the foam roller to keep it loose.

I don't know about you, but I find starting a new training plan or stretching plan or any type of plan easy.  I find keeping said plan up to be the challenge.  Sure, in some cases I can rock a plan like this running every day thing.  I am halfway done with that.  But that is the big picture.  It is the little things like the cross training (I suppose that isn't really a little thing, but whatever) and stretching and eating right (def not a little thing, but still secondary to the main goal, I suppose).

I think the problem isn't with starting it is with really putting the plan together.  It is easy to say, "I am going to run every day."  What isn't so easy is to give details like how much are you going to run, what type of cross training and stretching are you going to do to supplement your running.  Are you going to change your diet?  Where will you find the time?  What is your support system?  What is your motivator to keep you going?  The list of details goes on and on.  I think that might be where I tend to falter a bit.  I did have some of these things figured out, but the others I just figured I would wing it, and I have.  The outcome is that sometimes everything falls into place, and other times it all falls apart.

I guess I'll have to strive to do better.  Onward and upward!!

Run for Life!!

Day 183, 182 To Go

July 2, 2013

Is the glass half empty, or is the glass half full?  I'm an optimist, so I usually go with half full.  So when you ask if I am halfway done, or if I have halfway to go, I will go with I am halfway done!  Yeah!!

I am over the hump and I feel pretty good!  My calf was ok today...not pain at all and June was my best month in multiple areas.  I had the most days with a sub 8 min pace and the most days with a sub 9 min pace.  I also had two weeks with over 20 miles each.  Not a big number by any means, especially if you are training for a marathon, but it is progress nonetheless.

So, here are my monthly numbers:
              Total Miles | Total Time
January          52.24    |    9:25:00
February         52.01    |    8:40:07
March            74.57    |   11:30:00
April            75.59    |   12:00:16 
May              79.51    |   12:31:00
June             82.35    |   12:40:19

Here is a week by week breakdown:

Steve's Total Miles Logged: 82.35
Partial Week 1: 7.15
Week 2: 20.32
Week 3: 21.02
Week 4: 15.01
Partial Week 5: 18.85

Total Running Time: 12:40:19

Honey's Total Miles Logged: 10.45
Partial Week 1: 1.70
Week 2: 1.70
Week 3: 1.69
Week 4: 3.24
Partial Week 5: 2.12

Total Running Time: 2:05:00

Honey had a down month as far as miles and time goes, but the numbers don't tell the whole story for her.  She used her Rollerblades quite a bit, including on most of my long runs, so she was exercising more this month than previously.  She just didn't run all that much.

Today, she ran with me.  She complained about the 25 minutes again, but she finished it.
Here are our numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.03 miles

Pace: 12:19/m

Max Pace: 10:05/m

Calories: 230
Avg HR: 103

Max HR: 114

Another month gone and July is in full swing!  I expect to improve on all my numbers this month and I think I will most likely run 20 miles at least every week.  I like having a base of 20 miles because that sets me up nicely to train for a half or full marathon.  Maybe I'll run Disney?  We shall see folks...we shall see!!

Run for Life!

Day 182, 183 To Go

July 1, 2013

Today was my good day of my good day/bad day cycle that I spoke about yesterday.  I felt great the second I stepped outside, even though it was raining again!  I got soaked, but I didn't care at all.  It cooled me off a bit and I just became one with the rain and cruised.

I stayed in my zone the entire run which is encouraging because that means I am getting closer to my peak speed a few years ago when I could easily run an 8 min mile in my aerobic zone.  That is still one of my goals this year.  I am getting closer to that.

Another big deal is that today is the last day before I pass the halfway point of the year!  One more day and I will be more than halfway through the year.  I made it bitches!  I made it halfway, at least.  That is still something to celebrate, I think.

Let's take a look at the numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 3.02 miles

Pace: 8:16/m

Max Pace: 7:15/m

Calories: 391
Avg HR: 138

Max HR: 151

Another piece of good news is that I do not remember feeling any pain in my calf during the run.  I will pay attention to it tomorrow to see how it is doing.  I think I may have gotten past the worst of it.  Cutting out the long run last week might have been a good idea.

This week will be a test because I am now running 25 minutes every day now.  Honey isn't too happy with the increase in time, as we have discussed, but I have given her an out in that we can run 20 min together and then I can run 5 by myself.  We shall see if she takes me up on it.

It is a new month and that means I need to get my monthly report together.  I can't promise it to you tomorrow, but I should have it done pretty soon.  Since I expect tomorrow to be a slow run day, I should have nothing else to talk about, so maybe tomorrow?  We shall see. 

Run for Life!!

Day 181, 184 To Go

June 30, 2013

As good as I felt yesterday, I feel bad today.  I think I am on a cycle of good day/bad day/good day/ bad day.  To add insult to apathy, it rained the entire run.  Honey braved the bad weather to roll with me today too.  Risky, I suppose, but she needs to get out of the house as much as I do sometimes.

My plan for the day was to wake up and go for a nice, long bike ride.  Honey decided to let me sleep in.  It is a conspiracy to keep me in the house, I'm sure.  She knew if I slept in, I would be too lazy to go.  The unfortunate part of sleeping in these days is that pretty much only means sleeping until around 9am.  Whoopee!  It was enough to ruin my plans. Thanks Honey!!

It isn't her fault that I am a lazy bastard.  I still could have gone, but the weather didn't really cooperate either.  It rained on and off all day so it put a damper on any enthusiasm I may have had to go out.  As it was, we had to work hard to find a window in the weather to go for our run.  It was still raining when we went, but at least the thunder and lightning stopped.

Here are my numbers:

Time: 50:00

Distance: 5.55 miles

Pace: 9:01/m

Max Pace: 6:16/m

Calories: 705
Avg HR: 136

Max HR: 151

I went back and forth inside my head about how long I would run today.  On the one hand, last week I only ran 25 minutes, so I didn't want to stretch myself too much today.  On the other hand, it is my long run day and I wanted to stretch myself out.  I think I am contradicting myself.  I do that a lot.  I opted for 50 minutes.

From the second I went out, I knew it was going to be tough.  I was listening to music but it just got on my nerves, so I took my headphones out.  I just couldn't deal with it today.  I am kind of pleased with my pace considering my lack of motivation and my physical lethargy.  I felt so good yesterday...I am hoping that tomorrow will be another good day.  Now, it is time to dry off and get ready for a double header of TV pleasure tonight: Dexter and True Blood!  Sex, blood, vampires, murder, and great TV.  See you tomorrow.

Run for Life!