Statistics:
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 42:19
Stats/Track Map
Observations:
This run was actually Wednesday night. Sorry for the late post. My internet crapped out on me last night and won't be up until Saturday when the repair guy comes, so I had to wait to post until I had internet here at work.
Felt very good about this run. I wanted to try out a new running app on my Droid, so the stats/track map link is different than the previous ones, you'll notice. I like the new app because it keeps me updated about my distance and pace as I'm running. Also, it uses the motion sensors in the Droid along with GPS to provide a bit better accuracy. How it does that, I have no idea, but it's cool!
I wanted to push my pace a bit on this run, and I did. Despite having to wait a good 20-30 seconds at Montrose for the light, I still managed a 10:34 per mile average pace. I feel like it was pretty consistent throughout as well, so it's good to know that I was both consistent and faster.
Also, I feel great today! No major pains, and my knees feel fine walking down stairs! The new shoes must be doing the job. Also, I was paying attention to my stride and my body mechanics during the run, so good form probably helped with that as well. So, all in all a very good run with good signs for the future.
Next
Saturday - 7 miles
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Ravenswood 5K
Statistics:
Distance: 5K/3.1 miles
Time: 33:10
Stats/Track Map
Observations:
Well, if nothing else, this was the most convenient race I've ever run in my life. I step out the front gate of my apartment, take a left, walk 3 blocks, and I'm at the starting line. Also, the home stretch of the race goes right past my apartment, which is kind of cool.
The temperature was mid 50's and overcast. The forecast also called for a chance of rain, but that didn't happen, which was nice. For some reason, I thought it would feel colder than it did. Consequently, I dressed a little warmer than I should have, but not terribly uncomfortably. One less layer would have been ideal.
The course was nice - mostly residential streets with only a brief jaunt onto Irving Park. I do think, though, that the combination of overcast skies and tree-lined streets didn't treat my GPS very well. If you look at the course, the second half was a bit wonky. The GPS says I ran 2.93 miles, but that's obviously wrong. Sadly, that means I didn't get a split time on my third mile, which was when I decided to turn up the pace. If I calculated correctly, based on the 10:25 it took for the last 1.1 miles, I think I ran about a 9:30 final mile, which is pretty cool. And all of that before 9:00 AM.
Street Shout-outs:
Shout-outs to Fuzzy and Erica, who I saw on the course somewhere on Leland during mile 2, and also to Becky, who I ran into at the finish line. Also, shout-outs to all my friends who ran the race but who I didn't happen to see. I know there were several of you out there, based on your Facebook status updates.
Next:
3 or 4 miles on Tuesday, though I'm gonna check in with my knees in the next couple of days to make sure things are ok. I'm shifting the long runs to the weekends when I'll have more time, so next long run will be next weekend. Probably Saturday.
Distance: 5K/3.1 miles
Time: 33:10
Stats/Track Map
Observations:
Well, if nothing else, this was the most convenient race I've ever run in my life. I step out the front gate of my apartment, take a left, walk 3 blocks, and I'm at the starting line. Also, the home stretch of the race goes right past my apartment, which is kind of cool.
The temperature was mid 50's and overcast. The forecast also called for a chance of rain, but that didn't happen, which was nice. For some reason, I thought it would feel colder than it did. Consequently, I dressed a little warmer than I should have, but not terribly uncomfortably. One less layer would have been ideal.
The course was nice - mostly residential streets with only a brief jaunt onto Irving Park. I do think, though, that the combination of overcast skies and tree-lined streets didn't treat my GPS very well. If you look at the course, the second half was a bit wonky. The GPS says I ran 2.93 miles, but that's obviously wrong. Sadly, that means I didn't get a split time on my third mile, which was when I decided to turn up the pace. If I calculated correctly, based on the 10:25 it took for the last 1.1 miles, I think I ran about a 9:30 final mile, which is pretty cool. And all of that before 9:00 AM.
Street Shout-outs:
Shout-outs to Fuzzy and Erica, who I saw on the course somewhere on Leland during mile 2, and also to Becky, who I ran into at the finish line. Also, shout-outs to all my friends who ran the race but who I didn't happen to see. I know there were several of you out there, based on your Facebook status updates.
Next:
3 or 4 miles on Tuesday, though I'm gonna check in with my knees in the next couple of days to make sure things are ok. I'm shifting the long runs to the weekends when I'll have more time, so next long run will be next weekend. Probably Saturday.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
The better part of valor
Well, the short version is I decided not to do the Race to Wrigley 5K this morning.
The long version is that I was still not feeling quite 100% on my knees. Knowing I also have the Ravenswood 5K tomorrow, I didn't want to run today and not be able to run tomorrow. Of the two, I'd rather run the Ravenswood race. Plus, an extra day would help my knees rest up a little more.
I'm a bit bummed out that I missed the race, but my goal right now is being ready for the Soldier Field 10-mile on Memorial Day Weekend, and that means not injuring myself between now and then.
I still got my race t-shirt, and it's a nice one, so that's good. In fact, that's a whole other story about the worst race packet pick-up setup I've ever seen. The Wrigley race people never sent out an email letting us know where/when to pick up race bibs/T-shirts, so most of the racers looked this week at the website only to see that there were three dates we could do so - two of which were last weekend, which had already passed. The final date (other than picking up the packet at 6:30 AM this morning) was from 9:00 - 6:00 Friday. So I rushed from work to some Andersonville running store. When I got there, the line was down the street and around the corner for half a block full of people, like me, who had just gotten off work and didn't want to be picking up their packets at 6:30 AM the next day.
The line was moving very slowly. There were only two people handling the packets for everyone. Then the store closed and kicked the people out, so they started handing out the packets on the street, all the time threatening rain. There was one really bitchy lady who kept threatening to send everyone home despite the fact that it was their fault they were so woefully unprepared. Eventually, some kind-hearted racers volunteered to help out to get the line moving. It took about an hour and 15 minutes to get my packet - enough time for me to have run the actual race...twice!
Anyway, I'll know to avoid that race next year. But I did get a nice technical shirt out of it.
Tomorrow - Ravenswood 5K!
The long version is that I was still not feeling quite 100% on my knees. Knowing I also have the Ravenswood 5K tomorrow, I didn't want to run today and not be able to run tomorrow. Of the two, I'd rather run the Ravenswood race. Plus, an extra day would help my knees rest up a little more.
I'm a bit bummed out that I missed the race, but my goal right now is being ready for the Soldier Field 10-mile on Memorial Day Weekend, and that means not injuring myself between now and then.
I still got my race t-shirt, and it's a nice one, so that's good. In fact, that's a whole other story about the worst race packet pick-up setup I've ever seen. The Wrigley race people never sent out an email letting us know where/when to pick up race bibs/T-shirts, so most of the racers looked this week at the website only to see that there were three dates we could do so - two of which were last weekend, which had already passed. The final date (other than picking up the packet at 6:30 AM this morning) was from 9:00 - 6:00 Friday. So I rushed from work to some Andersonville running store. When I got there, the line was down the street and around the corner for half a block full of people, like me, who had just gotten off work and didn't want to be picking up their packets at 6:30 AM the next day.
The line was moving very slowly. There were only two people handling the packets for everyone. Then the store closed and kicked the people out, so they started handing out the packets on the street, all the time threatening rain. There was one really bitchy lady who kept threatening to send everyone home despite the fact that it was their fault they were so woefully unprepared. Eventually, some kind-hearted racers volunteered to help out to get the line moving. It took about an hour and 15 minutes to get my packet - enough time for me to have run the actual race...twice!
Anyway, I'll know to avoid that race next year. But I did get a nice technical shirt out of it.
Tomorrow - Ravenswood 5K!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Good quote
Since I'm not running until Saturday, I thought I'd share a quote I just read. It's by Lance Armstrong, from the movie "Dodgeball".
"Quit? You know, once I was thinking of quitting when I was diagnosed with brain, lung and testicular cancer all at the same time. But with the love and support of my friends and family, I got back on the bike and won the Tour de France five times in a row. But I'm sure you have a good reason to quit."
"Quit? You know, once I was thinking of quitting when I was diagnosed with brain, lung and testicular cancer all at the same time. But with the love and support of my friends and family, I got back on the bike and won the Tour de France five times in a row. But I'm sure you have a good reason to quit."
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
New shoes!
I took my old shoes (the shoes I'd gotten 3 weeks ago) back to Fleet Feet to get a second opinion. I had a sneaking suspicion that they were at least partially responsible for my outside knee pain. Sure enough, the wear pattern on the the soles suggested that the outside of my foot/leg/knee was taking the brunt of my weight when I was running, and that's not ideal.
The guy said that those shoes had too much support, basically, which oddly enough was doing the same thing to me as too little support. So I got a new pair of shoes with "just-right" support. (They came with a bowl of porridge and a can of bear repellent.)
The new pair is also made by Saucony. They feel comfortable on my feet, but I won't be giving them a true test drive until Saturday morning. I'm giving my legs a chance to rest and heal so I'm not just re-aggravating anything from the old shoes. so, adieu until then!
The guy said that those shoes had too much support, basically, which oddly enough was doing the same thing to me as too little support. So I got a new pair of shoes with "just-right" support. (They came with a bowl of porridge and a can of bear repellent.)
The new pair is also made by Saucony. They feel comfortable on my feet, but I won't be giving them a true test drive until Saturday morning. I'm giving my legs a chance to rest and heal so I'm not just re-aggravating anything from the old shoes. so, adieu until then!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Tight legs today
Statistics:
Distance: 2 miles
Time: 21:58
Stats/Track map
Observations:
This was going to be a 4-mile run, which obviously was cut short. It was cold out. Not freezing, but just cold and breezy, and when I got running, my legs just felt tight. I wasn't out of breath or anything. Just didn't think I should push it. My friend Jess suggested I work in some strength training, so I think I'm gonna try doing that this week. I'm signed up for two races this weekend, both 5K runs, so nothing bad. Just adding some fun to the training.
Anyway, one thing I did was run the 2-mile track without cutting the corners into the cross shape. According to the tracker, it's pretty much exactly 2 miles, which means that I was right that cutting the corners is making the tracker think I'm not running as far as I am. So on the recent 4 and 6 mile runs, I actually went about .2 miles farther than the tracker thinks. Oh well, no big deal. I'll just have to take that into account when checking my time in the future. I'm basically running faster miles than it says I am.
Next:
like I said, I'm gonna try to work in some strength training, possibly tomorrow night. I'm busy Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and I'm not going to do it Friday night, with the race Saturday morning.
Distance: 2 miles
Time: 21:58
Stats/Track map
Observations:
This was going to be a 4-mile run, which obviously was cut short. It was cold out. Not freezing, but just cold and breezy, and when I got running, my legs just felt tight. I wasn't out of breath or anything. Just didn't think I should push it. My friend Jess suggested I work in some strength training, so I think I'm gonna try doing that this week. I'm signed up for two races this weekend, both 5K runs, so nothing bad. Just adding some fun to the training.
Anyway, one thing I did was run the 2-mile track without cutting the corners into the cross shape. According to the tracker, it's pretty much exactly 2 miles, which means that I was right that cutting the corners is making the tracker think I'm not running as far as I am. So on the recent 4 and 6 mile runs, I actually went about .2 miles farther than the tracker thinks. Oh well, no big deal. I'll just have to take that into account when checking my time in the future. I'm basically running faster miles than it says I am.
Next:
like I said, I'm gonna try to work in some strength training, possibly tomorrow night. I'm busy Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and I'm not going to do it Friday night, with the race Saturday morning.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Woohoo, 6 miles!
Statistics:
Distance: 6 miles
Time: 1:13:16
Stats/Track map
Observations:
Well, let's start with the main observation: I ran 6 miles! This is the longest distance I've ever run in my life! :) I've walked 6 miles before (probably farther) but never run that far. So yay! I'm also happy because this is the first tangible proof that I'm getting better and that my body is developing the running muscles and endurance that I want it to. A couple weeks ago, I was pretty wiped out after 5 miles. Tonight after completing 6 miles, I still felt like I had reserves, and that fact is very reassuring!
If you look at the map, it might be confusing, but it's basically 3 laps of a 2-mile track. The outer square is 2 miles, but I vary it up by taking side streets, making the cross shape. The distance comes out the same, but it's a little less monotonous. That makes it a bit easier to have regular, shorter goals to get to. Also you may see that some of the corners are a bit tapered/clipped because my GPS is having to interpolate where I went if it has a weak signal. That causes it to slightly underestimate the distance I ran, and probably added a couple tenths of a mile by the time I got to the last lap. Just to be safe, I added a little tail to my third lap so that I'd come out at 6 miles at the end.
Not much more to say, really. The weather was perfect! The sun had gone down, and the temp was in the 70's with a slight breeze. Very nice.
Street Shout-out:
Shout-out to Charlotte, the spider, who decided to try to spin a web across the sidewalk on Ashland. Or maybe she was trying to weave me a finish line, which would be really sweet of her and quite astounding for an arachnid. In any case, running through a cobweb is not pleasant at any time.
Next:
Gonna play this one by ear and see how my legs feel after a couple days. I'm sure they'll be somewhat sore tomorrow and Saturday. Perhaps 4 miles on Sunday.
Distance: 6 miles
Time: 1:13:16
Stats/Track map
Observations:
Well, let's start with the main observation: I ran 6 miles! This is the longest distance I've ever run in my life! :) I've walked 6 miles before (probably farther) but never run that far. So yay! I'm also happy because this is the first tangible proof that I'm getting better and that my body is developing the running muscles and endurance that I want it to. A couple weeks ago, I was pretty wiped out after 5 miles. Tonight after completing 6 miles, I still felt like I had reserves, and that fact is very reassuring!
If you look at the map, it might be confusing, but it's basically 3 laps of a 2-mile track. The outer square is 2 miles, but I vary it up by taking side streets, making the cross shape. The distance comes out the same, but it's a little less monotonous. That makes it a bit easier to have regular, shorter goals to get to. Also you may see that some of the corners are a bit tapered/clipped because my GPS is having to interpolate where I went if it has a weak signal. That causes it to slightly underestimate the distance I ran, and probably added a couple tenths of a mile by the time I got to the last lap. Just to be safe, I added a little tail to my third lap so that I'd come out at 6 miles at the end.
Not much more to say, really. The weather was perfect! The sun had gone down, and the temp was in the 70's with a slight breeze. Very nice.
Street Shout-out:
Shout-out to Charlotte, the spider, who decided to try to spin a web across the sidewalk on Ashland. Or maybe she was trying to weave me a finish line, which would be really sweet of her and quite astounding for an arachnid. In any case, running through a cobweb is not pleasant at any time.
Next:
Gonna play this one by ear and see how my legs feel after a couple days. I'm sure they'll be somewhat sore tomorrow and Saturday. Perhaps 4 miles on Sunday.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Back on track!
Statistics:
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 45:58
Stats/Track map
Observations:
Man, it felt good to get back out and running. This was kind of a put up or shut up day. After a not-so-good week as far as running was concerned, I felt like putting this run off until Monday would have been a mental slip on my part. The long and the short of it was that after the weirdness on Monday, I was less certain of where I was in my conditioning. If I was winded after 1 mile, what did that mean? And then I noticed slight but present twinges in my knees when I'd walk down stairs at work. Nothing that I'd call pain, but enough that I wanted it to go away before I ran again. Because my schedule was so busy last week, Thursday would have been the next day I could have run. But as you may have read, the weather was really ugly, and I decided not to run. I was booked up Friday night, and I had work on Saturday, which left today as my first opportunity to get back on the streets. I wanted to do something today since any delay would have been an excuse at this point.
I started out on this course, which is a 2-mile lap course I came up with. I called it the Swiss 4-mile (bonus points for the first person to figure out why I called it that). Anyway, When I started tonight I actually hadn't yet decided if I was going to do 4 miles or 6. Since it's a 2-mile course, I thought I might play it by ear and do a third lap if I was feeling saucy.
Here's what happened. I wanted to pay special attention to my pace, so I decided to run without my iPod. No music, just the rhythm of my shoes on the pavement and my breathing. I feel like that helped me keep aware of not going too fast too soon. I felt good at the 1-mile mark - much better than on Monday at the same place. As you can see on the stat page, I did the first mile in about 10:30. At 2 miles, I was at an 11:00 per mile pace. I'd slowed down a bit, but I felt good and sustainable. At mile 3 my pace had slowed again by about another 45 seconds, but I felt fine, and at the 4-mile mark I'd slowed again, but still felt fine.
At that point I felt like I could easily have done another 2 miles. I wasn't breathing any more labored, and my legs felt no worse than the 2-mile mark. Knowing I could have gone 2 more miles was enough for today. It meant that stopping at 4 miles was a conscious decision to avoid injury and not a cop-out because I was tired. So I stopped there and feel good about the run. Not thrilled at the slowdown in pace, but I do think that there is a bit of inaccuracy with the GPS that accounts for some of it. Next time I'll pay a bit more attention to my pace throughout and try to stay a bit more consistent. All in all, it felt really good to have run today and I do feel back on track after overcoming a physical and mental hurdle of last week's inactivity.
Street Shout-out:
Shout-out to my mom, who called my phone right around mile 2 to talk about airline miles and to tell me not to overdo it. ;)
Track List:
No track list tonight. Just me and the road. I may keep it like this just because it helped me focus, mentally a bit tonight. It did feel nice to know that I could run without needing music to distract me. The time actually passed pretty quickly. That's a good sign!
Next:
Thursday - 6 miles
By the way, I am redoing my schedule based on the last few weeks. Cutting down to 3 days a week to give my legs more time to rest in between runs. I think that will do more good for me long term than the extra miles on the 4th day.
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 45:58
Stats/Track map
Observations:
Man, it felt good to get back out and running. This was kind of a put up or shut up day. After a not-so-good week as far as running was concerned, I felt like putting this run off until Monday would have been a mental slip on my part. The long and the short of it was that after the weirdness on Monday, I was less certain of where I was in my conditioning. If I was winded after 1 mile, what did that mean? And then I noticed slight but present twinges in my knees when I'd walk down stairs at work. Nothing that I'd call pain, but enough that I wanted it to go away before I ran again. Because my schedule was so busy last week, Thursday would have been the next day I could have run. But as you may have read, the weather was really ugly, and I decided not to run. I was booked up Friday night, and I had work on Saturday, which left today as my first opportunity to get back on the streets. I wanted to do something today since any delay would have been an excuse at this point.
I started out on this course, which is a 2-mile lap course I came up with. I called it the Swiss 4-mile (bonus points for the first person to figure out why I called it that). Anyway, When I started tonight I actually hadn't yet decided if I was going to do 4 miles or 6. Since it's a 2-mile course, I thought I might play it by ear and do a third lap if I was feeling saucy.
Here's what happened. I wanted to pay special attention to my pace, so I decided to run without my iPod. No music, just the rhythm of my shoes on the pavement and my breathing. I feel like that helped me keep aware of not going too fast too soon. I felt good at the 1-mile mark - much better than on Monday at the same place. As you can see on the stat page, I did the first mile in about 10:30. At 2 miles, I was at an 11:00 per mile pace. I'd slowed down a bit, but I felt good and sustainable. At mile 3 my pace had slowed again by about another 45 seconds, but I felt fine, and at the 4-mile mark I'd slowed again, but still felt fine.
At that point I felt like I could easily have done another 2 miles. I wasn't breathing any more labored, and my legs felt no worse than the 2-mile mark. Knowing I could have gone 2 more miles was enough for today. It meant that stopping at 4 miles was a conscious decision to avoid injury and not a cop-out because I was tired. So I stopped there and feel good about the run. Not thrilled at the slowdown in pace, but I do think that there is a bit of inaccuracy with the GPS that accounts for some of it. Next time I'll pay a bit more attention to my pace throughout and try to stay a bit more consistent. All in all, it felt really good to have run today and I do feel back on track after overcoming a physical and mental hurdle of last week's inactivity.
Street Shout-out:
Shout-out to my mom, who called my phone right around mile 2 to talk about airline miles and to tell me not to overdo it. ;)
Track List:
No track list tonight. Just me and the road. I may keep it like this just because it helped me focus, mentally a bit tonight. It did feel nice to know that I could run without needing music to distract me. The time actually passed pretty quickly. That's a good sign!
Next:
Thursday - 6 miles
By the way, I am redoing my schedule based on the last few weeks. Cutting down to 3 days a week to give my legs more time to rest in between runs. I think that will do more good for me long term than the extra miles on the 4th day.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Postponed for a day
It was 40 degrees and raining when I got home from work, and my knees were kind of weird today. So I'm gonna see if tomorrow's any better. Next run is 6 miles, whenever it is.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
No running til Thursday
My legs are clearly tired and needing a rest. After that short run yesterday, they're definitely sore today, which means that they just need to rest and recuperate. Probably why I couldn't go very far yesterday.
I'm also probably going down to 3 days of running a week, at least for the next couple weeks. Then reassess and see if my legs are stronger and more ready for more runs per week.
I'm also probably going down to 3 days of running a week, at least for the next couple weeks. Then reassess and see if my legs are stronger and more ready for more runs per week.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Not a good day
Statistics:
Distance: 2 miles
Time: 28:47
Stats/Track map
Observations:
Ugh, dunno what happened, but something was way wrong today. I'm going to be working Saturday, so I was able to take today off, and I thought I'd do a mid-day run instead of tonight. The weather is nice, about 60 degrees, sunny but with shade. I ate a decent breakfast and drank some fluids before the run.
But once I got out there and running, I had an empty tank. I have no idea why. I was out of breath at the first mile at what should have been a normal pace. So I walked for about a quarter mile and tried running again, but then I had a cramp in my lower calf, so I just kept walking until I got back home.
My best guess is lack of fluids, but I just don't know for sure. I had some wine last night, but I drank plenty of non-alcoholic fluids after that, and this morning as well. I ate plenty yesterday, but not too much, and like I said, I had a sensible breakfast this morning. And I had a good night's sleep. But I just had no energy. It's really bizarre. I'm going to chalk it up as a fluke and hope that tomorrow will be better. This doesn't bode well for Thursday's 6-mile run, but what else can I do?
Distance: 2 miles
Time: 28:47
Stats/Track map
Observations:
Ugh, dunno what happened, but something was way wrong today. I'm going to be working Saturday, so I was able to take today off, and I thought I'd do a mid-day run instead of tonight. The weather is nice, about 60 degrees, sunny but with shade. I ate a decent breakfast and drank some fluids before the run.
But once I got out there and running, I had an empty tank. I have no idea why. I was out of breath at the first mile at what should have been a normal pace. So I walked for about a quarter mile and tried running again, but then I had a cramp in my lower calf, so I just kept walking until I got back home.
My best guess is lack of fluids, but I just don't know for sure. I had some wine last night, but I drank plenty of non-alcoholic fluids after that, and this morning as well. I ate plenty yesterday, but not too much, and like I said, I had a sensible breakfast this morning. And I had a good night's sleep. But I just had no energy. It's really bizarre. I'm going to chalk it up as a fluke and hope that tomorrow will be better. This doesn't bode well for Thursday's 6-mile run, but what else can I do?
Saturday, April 3, 2010
In touch with the ground
Statistics:
Distance: 3 miles*
Time: 32:20*
Course map/stats
Week 2 total distance: 11 miles
Observations:
Not sure where to start on this one. Should I start with the GPS malfuction, or the fact that I am still having trouble going too fast too soon? Well, let's start with the fact that the weather couldn't have been more perfect, because that's true. Blue skies, sun setting in the west, and 58 degrees with a light breeze. No excuse to not be outside in it! And I was, so yeah!
Now, on to other stuffs. Something went wrong with the GPS. I started the tracker going on Wilson and Wolcott, for those who know the neighborhood. But for some reason, the tracking didn't start until Damen and Lawrence. The timer started there as well, so the measurements are accurate as far as my pace per mile, at least. Now, take into account that I didn't know any of this until the end of my run. When I got to where I thought my first mile should be, I checked my distance and it said I'd gone .68 miles. That felt pretty bad because I felt a bit more tired than I thought I should be after .68 miles. Of course, I had actually gone a mile by that time. I just didn't know it. Anyway, when I get to the one mile mark on my GPS, I was still going a bit faster than I had planned, so I slowed it down a tad. Not that I couldn't keep that pace up, but I want to know that I can control my pace. In a race situation, I don't want to go too fast too early and then lose it at the end.
Anyway, I get to where my finish line should be - Wilson and Damen - and the GPS says I've only gone 2.6 miles in about 27 minutes. Sonofabitch! So, I turn down Wilson and just keep going until it says 3 miles. Of course, in reality I'd gone about 3.5 miles in total. I didn't know any of that until I got back home and looked at the map on the computer.
So I feel better now knowing that I went farther than I thought, but let me tell you, it really sucks to cross the finish line and then find out that you still have .4 miles to go!
I'd like my body to wake up and realize that it's going to be doing these runs several times a week. I don't want 3 miles to feel tiring. I want it to feel like a nice jaunt. To clarify, I'm not feeling tired afterward. Just during. I'd like to feel like these shorter runs are cruises, so that I can push faster in order to get my heart rate up. I guess that will come in time, and I'm sure progress is happening. I'd just like to be able to measure it empirically, I guess. But I'm not gonna pay some medical center to measure my VO2 max every couple weeks, so I'll just have to be content with hitting my distance goals on my runs. That's going to be a challenge starting Thursday with my first 6 mile run - the longest distance I'll have run yet in this training schedule. You hear that, legs? Time to man up!
Also, it may be time to swap in some new songs on the running playlist. I'm getting some repeats already (and yet some songs haven't played once). Suggestions are very welcome!
Street Shout-out:
Shout-out to Ken B. on Damen, who said I was "lookin' good"!
Track List:
If I Ever Leave This World Alive - Flogging Molly
Nobody But Me - Human Beinz
Hungry Like the Wolf - Reel Big Fish
Let Me Clear My Throat - DJ Kool
Dead! - My Chemical Romance
Don't Stop Believing - Journey
St. Elmo's Fire - John Parr
Panama - Van Halen
Pennies From Heaven - Louis Prima (dedicated to Maw Maw and Paw Paw)
Golden Years - David Bowie
(warmdown)
Vogue - Madonna
Whole Lotta Rosia - AC/DC
A Little Respect - Erasure
Next:
Monday - 4 miles
Distance: 3 miles*
Time: 32:20*
Course map/stats
Week 2 total distance: 11 miles
Observations:
Not sure where to start on this one. Should I start with the GPS malfuction, or the fact that I am still having trouble going too fast too soon? Well, let's start with the fact that the weather couldn't have been more perfect, because that's true. Blue skies, sun setting in the west, and 58 degrees with a light breeze. No excuse to not be outside in it! And I was, so yeah!
Now, on to other stuffs. Something went wrong with the GPS. I started the tracker going on Wilson and Wolcott, for those who know the neighborhood. But for some reason, the tracking didn't start until Damen and Lawrence. The timer started there as well, so the measurements are accurate as far as my pace per mile, at least. Now, take into account that I didn't know any of this until the end of my run. When I got to where I thought my first mile should be, I checked my distance and it said I'd gone .68 miles. That felt pretty bad because I felt a bit more tired than I thought I should be after .68 miles. Of course, I had actually gone a mile by that time. I just didn't know it. Anyway, when I get to the one mile mark on my GPS, I was still going a bit faster than I had planned, so I slowed it down a tad. Not that I couldn't keep that pace up, but I want to know that I can control my pace. In a race situation, I don't want to go too fast too early and then lose it at the end.
Anyway, I get to where my finish line should be - Wilson and Damen - and the GPS says I've only gone 2.6 miles in about 27 minutes. Sonofabitch! So, I turn down Wilson and just keep going until it says 3 miles. Of course, in reality I'd gone about 3.5 miles in total. I didn't know any of that until I got back home and looked at the map on the computer.
So I feel better now knowing that I went farther than I thought, but let me tell you, it really sucks to cross the finish line and then find out that you still have .4 miles to go!
I'd like my body to wake up and realize that it's going to be doing these runs several times a week. I don't want 3 miles to feel tiring. I want it to feel like a nice jaunt. To clarify, I'm not feeling tired afterward. Just during. I'd like to feel like these shorter runs are cruises, so that I can push faster in order to get my heart rate up. I guess that will come in time, and I'm sure progress is happening. I'd just like to be able to measure it empirically, I guess. But I'm not gonna pay some medical center to measure my VO2 max every couple weeks, so I'll just have to be content with hitting my distance goals on my runs. That's going to be a challenge starting Thursday with my first 6 mile run - the longest distance I'll have run yet in this training schedule. You hear that, legs? Time to man up!
Also, it may be time to swap in some new songs on the running playlist. I'm getting some repeats already (and yet some songs haven't played once). Suggestions are very welcome!
Street Shout-out:
Shout-out to Ken B. on Damen, who said I was "lookin' good"!
Track List:
If I Ever Leave This World Alive - Flogging Molly
Nobody But Me - Human Beinz
Hungry Like the Wolf - Reel Big Fish
Let Me Clear My Throat - DJ Kool
Dead! - My Chemical Romance
Don't Stop Believing - Journey
St. Elmo's Fire - John Parr
Panama - Van Halen
Pennies From Heaven - Louis Prima (dedicated to Maw Maw and Paw Paw)
Golden Years - David Bowie
(warmdown)
Vogue - Madonna
Whole Lotta Rosia - AC/DC
A Little Respect - Erasure
Next:
Monday - 4 miles
Thursday, April 1, 2010
That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit
Statistics:
Distance: 5 miles
Time: 56:06
Course Map/Stats
Observations:
Did I say July was when I was going to wish for an easy 4-mile run in the cool air? Well, I underestimated that by a few months...what a difference 40 degrees makes! This was definitely more of a challenge than the Shamrock Shuffle. No fellow runners, no cheering crowds, no water stations, and lots hotter! Also, windy, but not in a good way. I experienced two conditions. Running against the wind, which feels like running uphill. Or Running with the wind, which feels like a cloud of dead hot air that hangs around you. Neither is exactly pleasant.
I had a lot more difficulty regulating my pace on this run. I had a decent idea in my mind where the mile markers were, and checking my GPS at mile 1 I was at a 9:45 pace. Not good! That was not a pace I'd be able to keep up, and I didn't want to burn out my legs after two miles. So I ran my second mile at what I felt was a slower pace and managed to get it to a 10:45 split, which is about on target for what I wanted. But the last three miles were all slower - 11:59, 11:27, and 12:11. I think that's attributable to a couple factors, namely the fast first mile and the heat.
I had to take two short walk breaks for about 100 feet - one around mile 3 and the other at about mile 4. I had purchased a bottle that straps to my waist with a belt, so I was able to carry fluids with me, and drank some Gatorade while I took the two walk breaks.
Honestly, the hardest part was the first mile and a half, as far as how my legs felt. I was concerned with how I was going to be able to finish at that point, but after I found the slower pace I was looking for in the first place, it wasn't too bad.
OK, I've got 8 weeks to go twice that distance. I'm trying not to think too much about that right now. I don't think it's productive. I'm trying to focus on the concept that my legs are getting stronger with every run and learning how to burn fuel more efficiently. Keep me thinking positive, people, I could use the help!
Street Shout-out:
Shout-out to the cute girl in the Shamrock Shuffle t-shirt (the same one I was wearing)
Track List:
Turn to Stone - Electrical Light Orchestra
Don't Stop Me Now - Queen
Dead! - My Chemical Romance
Underground - Ben Folds Five
Whole Lotta Rosie - AC/DC
I Know - Save Ferris
Misirlou - Dick Dale
Groove is in the Heart - Deee-Lite
Sure-Bla-Di Shot-Bla-Da - The Beastles
Come Sail Away - Eric Cartman (South Park Cover)
First Push - Little Miss Sunshine Soundtrack
Yeah Yeah Yeah Song - The Flaming Lips
Fuel - Metallica
I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones
Golden Years - David Bowie
Larger Than Life - Backstreet Boys
(warmdown)
Anyone Seen the Bridge - Dave Matthews Band
Come On Eileen - Save Ferris
Elevation - U2
Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
Virtual Insanity - Jamiroquai
Next:
Saturday - 3 miles
Distance: 5 miles
Time: 56:06
Course Map/Stats
Observations:
Did I say July was when I was going to wish for an easy 4-mile run in the cool air? Well, I underestimated that by a few months...what a difference 40 degrees makes! This was definitely more of a challenge than the Shamrock Shuffle. No fellow runners, no cheering crowds, no water stations, and lots hotter! Also, windy, but not in a good way. I experienced two conditions. Running against the wind, which feels like running uphill. Or Running with the wind, which feels like a cloud of dead hot air that hangs around you. Neither is exactly pleasant.
I had a lot more difficulty regulating my pace on this run. I had a decent idea in my mind where the mile markers were, and checking my GPS at mile 1 I was at a 9:45 pace. Not good! That was not a pace I'd be able to keep up, and I didn't want to burn out my legs after two miles. So I ran my second mile at what I felt was a slower pace and managed to get it to a 10:45 split, which is about on target for what I wanted. But the last three miles were all slower - 11:59, 11:27, and 12:11. I think that's attributable to a couple factors, namely the fast first mile and the heat.
I had to take two short walk breaks for about 100 feet - one around mile 3 and the other at about mile 4. I had purchased a bottle that straps to my waist with a belt, so I was able to carry fluids with me, and drank some Gatorade while I took the two walk breaks.
Honestly, the hardest part was the first mile and a half, as far as how my legs felt. I was concerned with how I was going to be able to finish at that point, but after I found the slower pace I was looking for in the first place, it wasn't too bad.
OK, I've got 8 weeks to go twice that distance. I'm trying not to think too much about that right now. I don't think it's productive. I'm trying to focus on the concept that my legs are getting stronger with every run and learning how to burn fuel more efficiently. Keep me thinking positive, people, I could use the help!
Street Shout-out:
Shout-out to the cute girl in the Shamrock Shuffle t-shirt (the same one I was wearing)
Track List:
Turn to Stone - Electrical Light Orchestra
Don't Stop Me Now - Queen
Dead! - My Chemical Romance
Underground - Ben Folds Five
Whole Lotta Rosie - AC/DC
I Know - Save Ferris
Misirlou - Dick Dale
Groove is in the Heart - Deee-Lite
Sure-Bla-Di Shot-Bla-Da - The Beastles
Come Sail Away - Eric Cartman (South Park Cover)
First Push - Little Miss Sunshine Soundtrack
Yeah Yeah Yeah Song - The Flaming Lips
Fuel - Metallica
I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones
Golden Years - David Bowie
Larger Than Life - Backstreet Boys
(warmdown)
Anyone Seen the Bridge - Dave Matthews Band
Come On Eileen - Save Ferris
Elevation - U2
Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
Virtual Insanity - Jamiroquai
Next:
Saturday - 3 miles
Temps they are a-changin'
Getting psyched up for my 5-mile run tonight. It'll be over 40 degrees warmer than my last run on Monday. Gonna take a water bottle with me tonight!
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