Day 50!!!

Ran an easy 3.25 miles today during lunch, tromping through a little mud on a roughly-mile-long packed single-track trail behind the office complex, plus the .5 miles each way to get there. Enjoyed the break in the rain and celebrated making it halfway to my goal!

Day 49 - 7 Weeks!

OK, today I was ambitious, but not too ambitious. I really wanted to be able to demonstrate measurable improvement over recent weeks, unlike Tuesday, and I wanted to get in some fast intervals. I did ten 1/2 mile intervals on the treadmill, at 8.7mph - 0.1 mph faster than 3 weeks ago. Improvement!

In total I added nine miles including warm-up, cool-down, and jogging slowly between intervals, in 73 minutes.

Updated stats after seven weeks:
Miles this week: 38.5
Total miles so far: 264.8
Average miles/day this week: 5.5
Average miles/day so far: 5.4
Longest run so far: 13.1 miles
Total time running: 38 hours, 49 minutes
Average time running/day: 48 minutes

Day 48 - Easy 4

Still a little wiped out form yesterday. Ran an easy 4 miles, meandering around the neighborhood and local trail. I wanted to do something different than my usual 3.2 mile loop, but not too hard. Then I went and ate a 3000 calorie dinner at "On the Border". Oops. Guess I won't go shopping for new jeans yet tomorrow.

Day 47 - Too Ambitious

Due to rain, I was back on the treadmill yesterday. I wanted a hard workout, so I set up my hill interval routine (see Day 40). One thing about this particular pattern is that if I am too ambitious or not having a great day, there is no hiding from it. By the time I realize I can't finish at the speed I set, it is usually too late to just back off a little. It is complete crash and burn, and that is what happened.

Last time I had no trouble at 5.2 mph, so I warmed up and then ambitiously set the pace at 5.4 going into the interval set. I don't know if I am still not quite recovered from blood donation, or just was not in top form, but halfway through the short 10% climbs I had to drop to 5.0, and at the last 8.0% mile I had to cut it again to 4.3 - a plodding 14-minute/mile pace - and even there I barely made it to the end. 91 minutes to complete the workout today. Going to take an easy day tomorrow - and hope the rain stops at some point.

Day 46 - May the Odds be Ever in My Favor

Ran six miles today at a pretty good pace. Pretended I was running away from vicious children intent on violently taking each other out one at a time, as well as anyone in the vicinity who gets in their way.

Specifically my 12 and 13 year old daughters. They are not in a good mood today.

Day 45 - Working Up

I bailed on trying to get a long run in this weekend, between my hectic schedule - coaching two soccer games, working a track meet, taking my soccer referee test, church, and of course watching NCAA basketball - and also still being tentative about my knee. It has felt fine on my last couple of shorter runs, but is still a little stiff when I sit at my desk too long, so I want to work the distance back up a little carefully.

Yesterday I added a couple miles and did my 5.1 mile loop in a brisker 39:10. Everything felt OK, so I'll probably try six today, if I can find the time.

Day 44 - I Run Like a Seven-Year-Old Girl

My Saturday started with volunteer help at a track meet all morning, then I coached my daughter's indoor soccer team (won 6-1 and made it to the group championship!), and I finally got out to run in the cold, grey afternoon.

As I approached the bike trail, I confronted a "family parade" also joining the trail from another direction. A little girl, definitely no older than eight and probably seven, led the parade running. She was followed about ten yards back by a boy about ten or eleven kicking hard on a scooter, ten or twenty yards behind him two more pre-teen kids on bikes, and finally "Dad" on his mountain bike in the rear.

I reached the intersection and turned onto the trail just a few yards behind the young lead runner, who turned out to be running much faster than I expected. At this point, I'm at about a 7:30/mile pace, and I'm not gaining any ground. I'm thinking, "That's really cute! She's pretty a pretty fast sprinter for a kid her age." After another 200 yards, I'm still not gaining ground, it is clear she is sustaining this pace, and I'm feeling a little self-conscious about being a random middle-aged man running in the middle of the family right behind the little girl. I'm sure she'll run out of gas soon, but I decide to kick it into gear and pass her anyway to get out of the pack. I do, and compliment her speed as I pass. She very politely, and showing no sign of being winded, answers, "Thanks!"

A quarter mile later, I look back and she's still right behind me, no more than ten yards. According to my GPS I'm now at a 7:15/mile pace, and she's been running hard at least half a mile since I first saw her, and who knows how long before that. I try to step it up again.

Finally I reach a turn, and go off into Sun City. As I turn, I look at my GPS and see that my last quarter has been at a 7:05/mile pace. And she is still within 20 yards.

After they go off the other direction, I slow down considerably because I need to catch my breath. I don't see any sign of her slowing down. And I am definitely feeling humble. It takes me a few minutes to catch my breath.

I don't know who this little fireball was, but if I see her again, the next time I will drop back to where Dad is (partly so I can breath), and I'm going to try to recruit her for our track club.

I know there are plenty of younger kids out there who can outrun me, but most of them are not seven-year-old girls. I'm glad she won't be in my age bracket in my next race.

Day 43 - Easing Back into It

Still recovering from voluntary blood loss, I planned to take it easy today, so I brought my camera and took a couple pictures along the way. It is a sunny spring day, so this is my 3.2 mile loop at its best. More than half of the loop is on a bike trail which looks like this:

My bike trail

But also some of it is just through the local retirement community. That's not bad, as the streets are low traffic and relatively safe. In fact I run faster than most of these people drive.



Sun City

and there are nice sidewalks and bike lanes on the major roads.

Still Sun City

Pushed a little faster today than yesterday, but was winded when I finished even at a modest pace. The knee is improving, but is still a little sore.

Day 42 - Six weeks!

Celebrating every milestone on this effort. Today was a short 3.2 mile treadmill workout, still at a slow pace as I am still within the window of 24 hours from donating blood. My knee is feeling much better than yesterday, but not 100% yet. I'll probably keep going easy for a couple more days. 


Also, my iPod started acting up, which was very frustrating. My headphone connection is apparently shorting, possibly due to being damp. And the the songs kept skipping, fast-forwarding, and rewinding on me, causing frustration and irritation. I think something in the settings changed to make the iPod do stuff in response to motion, which there happens to be quite a bit of when running. I'll have to ask my daughter about that later.


Updated stats - 42 days down!
Miles this week: 39.0
Total miles so far: 226.3Average miles/day this week: 5.6Average miles/day so far: 5.39Longest run so far: 13.1 miles
Total time running: 33 hours 13 minutes
Average time running/day: 47 minutesAverage pace this week: 9:05/mile - probably not a good progress measure this week
Average pace, week 5: 8:14/mile - 8 more miles, a little slower pace
Average pace, week 4: 8:11/mile - Wow!
Average pace, week 3: 8:50/mile
Average pace, week 2: 9:00/mile
Average pace, week 1: 9:40/mile 

Time running this week: 5 hours, 54 minutes

Day 41 - Low Blood Blood Level

Today was destined to be slow for two reasons. First, my right knee is pretty sore. I can't tell for sure if it is "get it warmed up and it will be fine and the pain will go away tomorrow" sore, or "keep pushing and you will regret it" sore. My inclination is to take it easy.

Second, I donated blood at 2:30pm, and didn't have a chance to run before that. So my run is two hours after losing a pint. I am beyond low blood sugar level and into low blood blood level. Ten years ago I would have sneaked out of the refreshment area early and completely ignored the admonition to not exercise at all for 24 hours or strenuously for 72 hours. At this point in my life, the possibility of passing out on the bike trail seems less abstract than it used to, and doing that just two hours after donating and being told not to for exactly that reason would be pretty embarrassing.

So I ate lots of cookies, drank a lot of fluids, and jogged my 3.2 mile loop very, very slowly, taking about 33 minutes, and I did not get dizzy, fall down, or lose consciousness at any point. My knee didn't feel any worse jogging than it did sitting at my desk, which was a relief. But I'll probably continue to take it really easy on the running for the next couple of days.

Still running after 41 days...check
"Yes I do save lives"...check
Ice pack on the knee...check
Not unconscious in the grass by the bike trail...check
Following professional medical advice...

Day 40 - Uphill to Nowhere

Back on the treadmill today. I set out to do my "hill" workout again, which I last tried five weeks ago. Should be better this time.This workout will not help my average pace for the week, but it should help my stamina, and it is relatively easy on the knees, which are a bit sore again from my fast run on pavement yesterday. Rather than vary pace for the intervals, I set the speed constant and vary the incline for this workout. The pattern is 8.0 miles total:

0.8 mile warm-up, then set speed. Trying 5.2mph today. 5 weeks ago I couldn't finish it at 5.0. I know I am stronger, but not sure how much yet.
0.2 miles at 10% incline
0.2 miles flat
1.0 miles at 8%
0.5 miles flat
0.5 mi. at 8%
0.3 mi. flat
0.2 mi. at 10%, then 0.2 mi. flat, then repeat that three more times
0.5 mi. at 8%
0.5 mi. flat
1.1 mi. final climb at 8%
0.8 mi. cool-down
total climbing of about 1800 feet.

I felt strong enough to kick up the speed to 5.5 on the last climb, and even up to 5.7 for the last 0.25 miles. Huge difference from last time. I had my iPod today, which also makes a world of difference on a treadmill.

Day 39

Ran hard today after work. 5.1 miles in 38.5 minutes, otherwise uneventful. Still a little sore from Saturday, but otherwise everything was good.

Day 38

A short, simple 3.2 mile recovery run today to stay loose. My ankle was stiff and sore at first, but it warmed up pretty quickly and felt OK. Comfortably ran an 8:30 pace, not working too hard but I was able to shake off the stiffness lingering from yesterday's effort. It was a chilly morning in the 40s, but the sun came out for the first time in a few days and brightened things.

Day 37 - Half the Distance

Today was my weekly long run. Again I caught a break in the afternoon and was able to get in a precipitation-free session, though everything was damp, and a cold wind kicked up from time to time.

I turned my ankle about a mile into my run on the edge of the sidewalk. Not too badly thank goodness, but enough so that I felt it for a few miles, and it is stiff this evening. I definitely felt the camber of the shoulder of the roads, and had to stay on the right shoulder for a couple of miles because the left side hurt a lot more.

Still, I managed to cover 13.1 miles, half of a marathon, and again it was my longest run since I started training again, a mile more than last week. I managed a decent pace, finishing at about an 8:20/mile average pace. More importantly, I was able to keep the pace steady from start to finish. I was working hard by the end, but I held it constant.

Though still elusive and inconsistent, my form is starting to come back more and more. I had good stretches of five to ten minutes at a time today where I was able to glide smoothly and efficiently, punctuated by moments of falling back into a rougher gait. Until the last three miles where I lost my technique completely to fatigue. The day was tough but overall I am working my way back into shape significantly faster than I expected.

And I'm finally starting to drop a little weight, with effort. I'm down about three pounds from where I started forty days ago. About twelve to go to get back to racing weight. About four or five to go to be comfortable in my blue jeans again.

Day 36 - Cloudy with a Strong Chance of Slow

Booked from 8am through late evening today, so no time to run today unless it is early. I drag myself out of bed and head out, not able to tell through the darkness if it is still raining or not, but everything is very wet. I caught a break there. The rain paused just long enough for me to get most of the way through my 3 miles before starting again near the end, just as a little weak gray light began to eke out of the clouds.

My legs had nothing in them today. I took it easy and wrote it up as nothing more than staying on track to my goal and keeping my legs from stiffening up after the last three days of harder work, but even my 9:20 pace felt like work this morning. And I really need coffee.

Day 35 - Five weeks in a row!!

Today I got in a great run during a break in the rainstorms. I pounded out 8.6 miles in my "2x20minutes" interval session, averaging 8:03/mile including my warm-up, cool-down, and jogging slowly for five minutes between the two intervals. The weather was definitely not bad, with a light breeze, overcast, and temperatures in the low 60s.

35 days straight of running at least 5k/day! 65 to go. Still not sick yet. Fingers crossed...

Statistics on my effort so far after five weeks:

Miles this week: 46.2
Total miles so far: 187.3
Average miles/day this week: 6.6
Average miles/day so far: 5.35
Time running this week: 6 hours, 21 minutes
Total time running: 27 hours 19 minutes
Average time running/day: 47 minutes
Average pace this week: 8:14/mile (8 more miles, a little slower pace)
Average pace, week 4: 8:11/mile... Wow!
Average pace, week 3: 8:50/mile
Average pace, week 2: 9:00/mile
Average pace, week 1: 9:40/mile
Longest run so far: 12.0 miles

Day 34 - Running Away from the Flu... in the Rain

So 3/4 of the rest of my family has the flu. My oldest daughter was down for four days and just went back to school. My wife has been down for four days. My other daughter just came down with the fever and cough. I had a flu shot in November, and am really, really hoping that whatever my family has was included in this year's vaccine formula.

My nine-year-old son is terrified. He heard you can prevent the flu by drinking lots of fluids and washing your hands often. He has been drinking water and juice like crazy and washing his hands every 10 minutes - I think he's washed them more times in the last hour than he did in the previous month. The other night he wet his bed for the first time in five years. At first we didn't know what to think. I asked him if he drank water right before bed. "Only two big glasses," he answered. "Oh, and some apple juice." We agreed that lots of fluids may not be the best thing right before bed.

Anyway, today I planned a straightforward five mile run, except it has been raining all day. Pouring in fact. I had to decide whether to run in the warm confines of the gym again, or go get soaked outside, knowing full well that flu viruses are all over my house. The rain and threat of flu was no match for my distaste for the treadmill. I know a treadmill has a place in my training regime, but I just couldn't handle it. Plus, it was 63 degrees - relatively warm. What's the difference between being soaked from the rain and being soaked from running in humid weather in Houston?

I put on long sleeves, my old shoes, and a hat, and sloshed out a five mile run in the pouring rain. Then I washed my hands and drank two big glasses of water and some juice.

Day 33 - More treadmill fun

I ran indoors today, on account of rain outside, and also because I wanted to run five 1-mile intervals at a pace I could keep constant through all five. Treadmills are good for setting and maintaining a constant pace. That is about the only thing they are good for. I meant to bring my iPod today, but forgot... again. I got to the fitness center around noon, so I got to work out with the lunch crowd. Noisy, loud, and smelly. But I was working hard so I was able to focus and block out the surroundings - until a guy with really awful gas started running on the treadmill next to me. Aargh!!! Fortunately I was near the end of my workout by then, because I swear I could hardly breathe. I ran my last mile REALLY fast and got out of there. Still, I covered nine theoretical miles (without going anywhere) in a little under 75 minutes.

Day 32

See Day 30, except cold and overcast. Not Colorado cold, just Roseville cold.

Day 31 - Long(er) run

I skipped church and went running instead. Today is chilly, with the pavement wet from overnight rain and a brisk wind driving cold missing-church-guilt into my face. That was somewhat ameliorated by the large number of other runners and cyclists also out this morning.

Today I decided to stretch the mileage, not pushing the pace too hard but working to build up distance. I made a long loop down the main thoroughfares and out into semi-rural horse properties, and then back through the local Sun City retirement community, covering 12 miles in just under an hour and 40 minutes.

Things went about as expected, with a few minor age-related aches and pains coming and going over the miles, but my pace felt comfortable, and even picked up a little as the miles went on and I warmed up. I ran faster than I anitcipated I could over that distance, averaging about an 8:20/mile pace and only slowing to cool down in the last mile. I had a few minutes of really good form at times during the run, but still couldn't quite figure out how to stay in that zone.

I hope to keep adding a little more distance to my long run every week, as I used to when building towards a marathon or longer distance race. But I think today's 12 miles was my longest run since December of 2006. Nice feeling to be making that kind of progress again.

Day 30 - Taking it easy

As planned, jogged my 3.2 mile loop in no hurry. Beautiful day for an easy run. Will be more ambitious tomorrow. Maybe.

Day 29

Yesterday I squeezed in 5 miles between work and a 6 o'clock soccer referee class. It was one of those days where nothing is clicking. I slogged tiredly through the distance at about an 8:40 pace, and decided I need an easy day to rest and recover, so I will stick to 3 miles today when I go out. Can't push very hard on back to back days yet.

I picked my first target race - Run Rocklin 12k on April 15th. My daughters' school is forming a team. The rest of my family will be running/walking the 5k, so we'll all be there together representing their school. Looking forward to it already!

Day 28 - 4 weeks

Four weeks without missing a day! I have never done that before in my life. Calvin, my 9-year-old son, accompanied me today on his bike around my usual 6-mile loop. It was the first time he had trouble keeping up with me instead of the other way around. Hah! Ran just over an 8-minute pace. I was working hard, but still tired from yesterday. We had a beautiful afternoon, high 60s and sunny.

Stats for this week:

Miles this week: 38.2
Total miles so far: 141.1
Average miles/day this week: 5.5
Average miles/day so far: 5.0
Time running this week: 5 hours, 13 minutes
Total time running: 20 hours 58 minutes
Average pace this week: 8:11/mile... Wow!
Average pace, week 3: 8:50/mile
Average pace, week 2: 9:00/mile
Average pace, week 1: 9:40/mile

Day 27

Still running! I had to get into the gym and hit the treadmill between meetings yesterday, but I was able to complete my target workout. I wanted to run ten half-mile intervals at a consistent and aggressive pace, and I did that, with the intervals at 8.6mph (3:29/half-mile pace). Total 9.0 miles including warm-up and cool-down. I was going to bring my iPod but forgot. It is harder without music. Still, I am getting back into condition faster than I expected.

I was really not sure I would make it this far without missing a day. It has been difficult to find time every day to run, but I've definitely been in a better mood as I've slowly started to return to decent shape. Also, I finally seem to be making a little progress on my weight. It is hard to be certain because my weight tends to vary by 2-3 pounds from morning to morning, but I think I'm now down a pound or two from where I started a month ago.

I have not yet picked a target first race, but that's on my list.

I got to work for an early meeting that started at 5:30 a.m. this morning. Hoping that means I can get off work early today to take advantage of the predicted nice weather and get in 6 miles or so this afternoon.

Day 26 - Dark and fast

Late posting on this one, because I didn't get out until the end of a long day. Had to squeeze in a short run with my little headband light under a full moon. It was not a good day today, so this was also a "burn off the stress" run. The run was cold, dark, and fast. Ran hard, finished my 3.2 mile loop in just over 24 minutes, and felt better.

Day 25 - 1/4 of the way there!

A short, easy 3.2 miles today. Nice weather, but whatever was working yesterday was gone today. Considering this an easy day, I jogged at about an 8:30 pace, but it was not smooth, and I could not figure out why. Still, now I know that pace is in there somewhere. If it were easy, it wouldn't have taken all those years to get there the first time.

Day 24 - Sometimes the Wind is at Your Back

After my nice run yesterday, I wasn't expecting to feel up to pushing it too hard today. And three donuts and a coffee for breakfast an hour before I went out is not exactly the breakfast of champions.

I hit the road for a five-miler, planning to enjoy the 60-degree sunny weather. My plan was to run easy for the first two miles, push it just a little for the next two, then cool down for the last mile.

Almost as soon as I hit the road, things started to click. Up to this point, though obviously I am quite out of shape compared to what I used to be, I had not even begun to realize how rusty I had become in terms of form and technique. Today my body began to remember. As it started to come back to me, running transformed dramatically.

I still lack the strength and stamina I used to have, and it will take months to get it back, but for the first time today I felt fast without struggling to make pace. Without consciously thinking about it, suddenly my hips adjusted forward and began rotating. Instead of trotting I found myself easily and smoothly gliding. As if on cue, my breathing changed in response. Instead of panting for air, forcing it into my lungs, it was if a dam of ice had thawed and suddenly rivers of air flowed in, rippling over every vertebrae, pouring down my spine and deep into my lungs. My chin lifted, and when I glanced at my watch I saw that I was cruising under an 8-minute mile pace with almost no effort. Everything became smooth and easy. The fatigue of the first three weeks of this 100-day attempt just fell away.

I hit mile three and began to push just a little. I covered the next half mile in 3:45, then two more halves a little faster in 3:42 and 3:41. I still felt good, and was not working that hard yet. I decided to push the gas pedal more and accelerated, covering the next half mile in 3:21. As I reached the end of that half, my stomach muscles ached with fatigue, and my form and technique began to degrade. I jogged the last mile home at an easy 9-minute pace, focusing on my form and breathing, and completing the 5.15 mile loop in 40:30.

I am sure that it will take time for me to get back to feeling easy and natural on every run, and I was reminded at the end that I need to spend much more time on ab/core exercises if I want to be able to sustain that for any distance. Still, it is awesome to rediscover that stride, to remember what good form really feels like, and to know that I still have the capability to run that way. Sometimes you turn a corner, and suddenly the wind is at your back.


UPDATE: Phil finished Napa in 4:11:08. Way to go, Phil!

Day 23 - Phil

It was the final leg of my flight home. I was about to open my book, when the person next to me started poring over a map, and I could not help but notice that it was the Napa Valley Marathon course map - the same course where I had my best marathon time back in 2005. We got to talking, and spent the whole flight discussing running, and his and his wife's tactical plans for Napa, their second marathon. I was more than a bit jealous. I'll have to check tomorrow after the race and see if Phil, age 46, reached his goal time of four hours.

Today was a beautiful day in the Central Valley. Sunny and 68 degrees in the afternoon. Despite the weather, and physically feeling fine, I still almost didn't make it out today. Everything in me wanted to just be at home, laying on the couch and doing nothing. If I weren't writing this blog, which according to Google stats now has more readers than I could count on all my fingers and toes put together if I were a triple-amputee, I would not have gone out at all.

But once I started and my legs warmed up, I felt great. I kept thinking about Phil and Napa, and psyched myself up for my "two 20-minute intervals" workout. I averaged about a 7:42/mile pace for my first 20-minute interval, and almost a 7:32 pace for the second interval. By the end of the run I had covered a total of 8.5 miles including warm-up and cool-down.

Tomorrow I'm going to pick a first 10k race to target this spring. At this rate, it won't be too long before all the Phils out there better look out...

Day 22

Got my 3.2mi on the treadmill. Really hoping this was my last treadmill run for a long time. Off to my last meetings, then finally home by evening if all goes well!

Day 21 - Oh, The Humidity!

In Houston now, on the last leg of the trip and the last hotel. Today is my last full day of work before heading home, and likely my busiest workday, so I was up at 5:30 a.m. to get to the treadmill. There is no good place to run outdoors here without driving somewhere - no sidewalks or bike lanes on any of the streets, and lots of traffic. The air conditioner is already running in the hotel fitness center, with the weather forecast for low 80s and humid. The outside of my water bottle is dripping before I even start the treadmill.

The TVs are off and the music is on, but I am tempted to try to turn on some local news, just to see if it is as crazy as it was in Denver and Dallas, but that quickly passes. Music is fine. I planned to run some 1-mile intervals today, and did, feeling strong, though damp. I ran four 1-mile intervals hard with rests in between, with my fourth and fastest at a 7:15 pace. The last few days have been very up and down, but today was a good day. In total I ran 6.5 miles. I looked and felt like I just had just walked through the hot tub with my clothes on when I was done.

Then I went out and had three hefty meals in restaurants during the day, and probably consumed considerably more calories than in any other single day of this trip. The highlight was the whole prawn, with cheddar and cream cheese, all stuffed inside a fresh jalapeno pepper, breaded and deep fried. Those were amazing! And probably 300 calories each. The scale will not be my friend when I get home. Houston is a bad place for a diet.

Three weeks down now. Stats for this week:

Miles this week: 35.8
Total miles so far: 102.9
Average miles/day this week: 5.1
Average miles/day so far: 4.9
Time running this week: 5 hours, 16 minutes
Total time running: 15 hours 45 minutes
Average pace, week 3: 8:50/mile
Average pace, week 2: 9:00/mile
Average pace, week 1: 9:40/mile