Just a basic 6 mile run today. 80 degrees and sunny, a little warm but not bad. I felt good and pushed a little. Got around the loop in a little under 47 minutes.
Then I went to the park to practice soccer with my daughter and strained my calf. Hoping some ice will have it in decent shape to run tomorrow.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Day 79 - Can't do that two days in a row
Today going down the stairs was difficult. My knees and ankles are feeling the effects of my long run yesterday. Today's 3.2 miles was a combination of a mile in 15 minutes running with my 9-year-old son who really wanted to run with me, and then an easy 2.2 in another 20 minutes. That helped loosen things up and get the blood flowing again, and was about all I wanted to do. Also that was after our indoor soccer game where my daughter scored the tying goal in a 3-3 match against the top team in our league. Go, Rose!!
Day 78 - Escaping work
Friday morning sucked at work. I was angry and irritated. Also, the weather outside was 70 degrees and sunny. I moved a noon meeting, and instead of getting in a quick run as planned, I headed out to just go a long ways and let off some steam.
I ended up making a big circle around West Roseville into some neighborhoods and some trails that I had never run on before, and found some bike paths through greebelts that have just recently been constructed. It turned into a nice run that I really needed. I covered 14.6 miles in just over 2 hours, about an 8:25 pace, getting back into the office and cleaned up in time for my 1:30 meeting, where I was calm enough (and tired enough) to not yell at people even though they deserved it.
I ended up making a big circle around West Roseville into some neighborhoods and some trails that I had never run on before, and found some bike paths through greebelts that have just recently been constructed. It turned into a nice run that I really needed. I covered 14.6 miles in just over 2 hours, about an 8:25 pace, getting back into the office and cleaned up in time for my 1:30 meeting, where I was calm enough (and tired enough) to not yell at people even though they deserved it.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Day 77 - 11 weeks down
Squeezed in 3.2 on the treadmill again before my daughters' soccer game. Made myself take it at a slow 9-minute pace. Figure maybe an easy day will be good for me.
And the game was fantastic. We gave up an early 2 goal lead, they tied it at 4-4 with about four minutes left. We had a PK chance a minute later but missed. The girls pulled it out though with a great through pass to our top player for an easy 1-1 against the goalie with just a minute remaining. She made the shot for a 5-4 win.
Anyway, stats for this week:
Miles this week: 33.6
Total miles so far: 417.1
Average miles/day this week: 4.8
Average miles/day so far: 5.4
Longest run: still 13.7 miles (no change)
Time spent running this week: 4 hours 46 minutes
Total time running: 60 hours 11 minutes
Average time running/day: 47 minutes
And the game was fantastic. We gave up an early 2 goal lead, they tied it at 4-4 with about four minutes left. We had a PK chance a minute later but missed. The girls pulled it out though with a great through pass to our top player for an easy 1-1 against the goalie with just a minute remaining. She made the shot for a 5-4 win.
Anyway, stats for this week:
Miles this week: 33.6
Total miles so far: 417.1
Average miles/day this week: 4.8
Average miles/day so far: 5.4
Longest run: still 13.7 miles (no change)
Time spent running this week: 4 hours 46 minutes
Total time running: 60 hours 11 minutes
Average time running/day: 47 minutes
Day 76
Got out for a good, hard 8.5 miles. But not fast. Seems like I've hit a plateau. Not getting any faster or stronger lately. Probably time to actually start adding track work and weights to the routine.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Day 75 - Almost forgot
Got into the office really early this morning. Had a major presentation, a couple of stressful meetings, and then had to leave early to coach a soccer game. Got to the soccer field, started warming up the team, but nothing was set up for a game and no other team was there. This is a brand new team, nineteen 7th and 8th grade girls including my two daughters, and a few of them have never played soccer before. We're still figuring things out.
Turns out we had bad directions and were at the wrong field. With cell phones in action, 10 minutes before the start we figured out where we should have been, piled all the girls and equipment back in the cars and made it to the right field just in time for kick-off. It was crazy.
However, we still won easily 8-0, and my younger daughter scored a goal. Yay! Made it home about 6pm, and I went straight to the fridge for a beer. I was all settled in for the evening and Jennifer asks, "Did you run yet today?"
Oops.
So I quickly finished my beer, changed into running gear, and got in another short 3-miler. If she hadn't reminded me, I probably would have just plain forgot to run today. On the plus side, I ran reasonably fast, and was pretty relaxed. I always thought of beer as something you drink after a run, but maybe I should have a beer before my run more often.
Turns out we had bad directions and were at the wrong field. With cell phones in action, 10 minutes before the start we figured out where we should have been, piled all the girls and equipment back in the cars and made it to the right field just in time for kick-off. It was crazy.
However, we still won easily 8-0, and my younger daughter scored a goal. Yay! Made it home about 6pm, and I went straight to the fridge for a beer. I was all settled in for the evening and Jennifer asks, "Did you run yet today?"
Oops.
So I quickly finished my beer, changed into running gear, and got in another short 3-miler. If she hadn't reminded me, I probably would have just plain forgot to run today. On the plus side, I ran reasonably fast, and was pretty relaxed. I always thought of beer as something you drink after a run, but maybe I should have a beer before my run more often.
Day 74 - Late
This week is going to be a challenge. My work schedule is awful, and I am coaching soccer games on a couple of days. Today I got out very late in the evening for a short 3 miles. No warm-up, no cool-down, just getting out and done in 30 minutes or less was the goal.
Day 73 - Heat
Summer feels like it is here. Got out at 3pm, and the temperature is in the low 90s. Joints feel better today, but I decide to just take it easy and get used to the summer temperatures. Ran 6 miles, and actually held a pace right around 8:30/mile despite the heat. Felt pretty good. Strangely, while yesterday everything seemed to ache, today everything felt just fine. I wish I knew what causes some days to be pain-free, and other days to be such a struggle.
Day 72 - Pain
No, I did not get in a long run. This was one of those days where everything hurts. Ankles hurt, feet hurt, knees hurt, calves hurt. Achilles tendon feels OK though. Struggled through 3 miles and I was done.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Day 71
Today I got out of the office during the lunch hour for a 6 mile run. With the weather heating up, I was not particularly fast, but I was pretty happy with the 8:10/mile pace given the conditions. Everything felt fine during the run, but my left Achilles stiffened up and hurt afterwards. I think it is getting better, but I still need to be cautious. Also, I got just a bit of sunburn on my shoulders. Summer is coming! I'd planned a long run tomorrow, but I'm not sure if I'll go through with that.
TGIF!!!
TGIF!!!
Days 67-70
Monday kicked off a brutal week at work. This week was the hardest yet to stay with the program and not miss a day. I got in a 3.2 miles late Monday evening, but in addition to being really tired I felt some aches and pains still from the race, especially my left Achilles tendon.
Tuesday I crammed in 3.2 miles on the treadmill at the fitness room at work between a late meeting and getting out to my daughters soccer practice, where I've been recruited as an assistant coach. There was just not going to be any other time to run before 10pm. I ran the 3.2 hard in 24 minutes with no warm-up or stretching or cool down, threw a clean shirt on, and was only 15 minutes late to the practice. I really hate being late as a coach, even as an assistant, but I had to choose to either stick with this program or not. Wednesday I worked from 6:45am to 7:30pm with no breaks, ate lunch at my desk during a conference call, got home, and ran another quick 3.2 just before dark and then dug in to help kids with math homework.
Yesterday I finally was able to clear enough time to run for a full hour for the first time since Sunday. I ran my 2x20minute interval pattern, covering 7.8 miles. It was also 80 degrees. My first interval was fast, but my second interval was barely faster than the easy jog in between. Since the idea is to balance the two and run the same pace, this was not exactly a great workout. The heat really began to hit me. My next task in training will be to begin to adapt to the challenge of running in Sacramento in the summer. Supposed to be 90 this weekend. And while most of the aches and pains from the race have passed, I'm still having a fair bit of pain in my left Achilles tendon. I'll need to pay attention to that, and may need to take it easy for a few days.
Anyway, 10 weeks down and I have not missed a day yet!
Miles this week: 32.8
Total miles so far: 383.5
Average miles/day this week: 4.7
Average miles/day so far: 5.5
Longest run: still 13.7 miles (no change)
Time spent running this week: 4 hours and 29 minutes
Total time running: 55 hours and 25 minutes
Average time running/day: 47 minutes
Tuesday I crammed in 3.2 miles on the treadmill at the fitness room at work between a late meeting and getting out to my daughters soccer practice, where I've been recruited as an assistant coach. There was just not going to be any other time to run before 10pm. I ran the 3.2 hard in 24 minutes with no warm-up or stretching or cool down, threw a clean shirt on, and was only 15 minutes late to the practice. I really hate being late as a coach, even as an assistant, but I had to choose to either stick with this program or not. Wednesday I worked from 6:45am to 7:30pm with no breaks, ate lunch at my desk during a conference call, got home, and ran another quick 3.2 just before dark and then dug in to help kids with math homework.
Yesterday I finally was able to clear enough time to run for a full hour for the first time since Sunday. I ran my 2x20minute interval pattern, covering 7.8 miles. It was also 80 degrees. My first interval was fast, but my second interval was barely faster than the easy jog in between. Since the idea is to balance the two and run the same pace, this was not exactly a great workout. The heat really began to hit me. My next task in training will be to begin to adapt to the challenge of running in Sacramento in the summer. Supposed to be 90 this weekend. And while most of the aches and pains from the race have passed, I'm still having a fair bit of pain in my left Achilles tendon. I'll need to pay attention to that, and may need to take it easy for a few days.
Anyway, 10 weeks down and I have not missed a day yet!
Miles this week: 32.8
Total miles so far: 383.5
Average miles/day this week: 4.7
Average miles/day so far: 5.5
Longest run: still 13.7 miles (no change)
Time spent running this week: 4 hours and 29 minutes
Total time running: 55 hours and 25 minutes
Average time running/day: 47 minutes
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Day 66 - Race Day!
I was not at all sure how things would go today. After trudging through my easy run yesterday, I'm not very confident. Also, I have overdone the carbo-loading the last three days, "carbo-loading" being a euphemism for eating way too much junk food. I weighed in this morning at my heaviest weight in seven weeks - not optimal for race day.
But I am feeling a little energetic today, and the adrenaline is kicking in as I anticipate the race. The race preparation is good in the morning, and I feel great during an easy 1.5 mile warmup. A couple of days ago I had in mind two pretty ambitious goals: first, to try to finish under 55 minutes, and second, to try to squeak into the top ten in my age group - men 40-44. I am not at all sure I can get close to either of those, but I have not entirely given up.
Some might think that it gets easier in the groups over 40, but that is not the case. Men 40-44, my classification, is probably the toughest age group. The men are almost as fit as the 30-somethings, they are generally despereate to prove they haven't lost a step as they passed the 40-barrier, and they tend to be much more experienced in race strategy and tactics than the younger runners. The 40-50 year old groups, and even 50-54, also compete fiercely within their groups, especially among the top few who pretty much have been showing up together at all the same local races for 15 years. In fact, I recognize a couple of men I used to race against in local races when we were in the 30-34 age group.
I try to hold back a little at first, but I am too excited, and I cover the first mile under 7 minutes - too fast. I back off a little, and find a good pace by the second mile. In fact from mile 2 to mile 6.5 the order of the runners around me barely changes at all, a good sign that I found the right spot for my pace. I pass only three people in that 4.5 mile span, one early and two of them right around mile six as a few people are tiring, and one person passes me about mile four and I never see him again.
The end gets interesting. Just after mile six my stomach starts to feel queasy. My pace has slowed over the rolling hills, but I'm still averaging just about 7:30/mile. I know I can't sustain it without losing breakfast before the finish, but I really do not want to be one of the several people who run out of gas and gets passed by 100 other runners in the last mile. I slow up just a bit, hopefully enough to recover without dropping too far. As I get to mile 6.5, two women pass me, accelerating into the last mile. Shortly after that, another really tall guy about my age passes me. Besides just trying to hang on, this time my thought is that I am probably on the edge of top ten in my group, and this guy passing me could be the difference. But right now I can't do anything about it as he slowly pulls away a step or two at a time.
About mile 7, my stomach settles and I get a little bit of a second wind. I pick up the pace, and with 1/4 mile to go the two women and the man who passed me are all within about 60 yards. 200 yards to go, and the man is now 25 yards ahead, between the women, but moving faster. 100 yards to go, I catch the first woman, and the other two are just 10 yards ahead but moving fast. I'm feeling queasy again, but at this point I'm just focused on the arch of balloons right in front of me. I find a kick somewhere, and sprint as hard as I can. 50 yards to go I pass the other woman. With just steps to go I catch the tall guy, regaining my place from a mile previous and beating him across the line by a step or two. Yes!!!
Then I drop to my hands and knees in the road and start taking deep breaths so I don't lose breakfast.
As for my goals, I was one out of two. My time was 55:31, not quite 55 but a very respectable 7:27/mile pace. The final results showed me as 8th place in my group out of 41. Cool!! And the the guy I passed...well he was indeed in my age group, 40 years old, but apparently he was a few seconds behind me at the start line because by "chip time" (the diffence between when the shoe sensor crosses the start line and the finish line, which is official for everyone below the top awards), he finished in 55:29, two seconds faster than me, making him 7th place in our group. @#$#@^$!!!! So even though I passed him, he still got by me in the standings.
And as for the "old men", they ruled the day. The overall winner on the day by 8 seconds was in the 40-44 age group. He took home both the first place checks for overall winner AND for masters winner. Two more of the top 10 overall finishers were also men 40-44. The only other age group with three runners in the top ten overall was men 15-19 years old. And even more men in the 45-49 group finished ahead of me than did men in my own group, so it won't get any easier for me this decade!
I am really happy with how the day went, and now have to start thinking about my next race!
But I am feeling a little energetic today, and the adrenaline is kicking in as I anticipate the race. The race preparation is good in the morning, and I feel great during an easy 1.5 mile warmup. A couple of days ago I had in mind two pretty ambitious goals: first, to try to finish under 55 minutes, and second, to try to squeak into the top ten in my age group - men 40-44. I am not at all sure I can get close to either of those, but I have not entirely given up.
Some might think that it gets easier in the groups over 40, but that is not the case. Men 40-44, my classification, is probably the toughest age group. The men are almost as fit as the 30-somethings, they are generally despereate to prove they haven't lost a step as they passed the 40-barrier, and they tend to be much more experienced in race strategy and tactics than the younger runners. The 40-50 year old groups, and even 50-54, also compete fiercely within their groups, especially among the top few who pretty much have been showing up together at all the same local races for 15 years. In fact, I recognize a couple of men I used to race against in local races when we were in the 30-34 age group.
I try to hold back a little at first, but I am too excited, and I cover the first mile under 7 minutes - too fast. I back off a little, and find a good pace by the second mile. In fact from mile 2 to mile 6.5 the order of the runners around me barely changes at all, a good sign that I found the right spot for my pace. I pass only three people in that 4.5 mile span, one early and two of them right around mile six as a few people are tiring, and one person passes me about mile four and I never see him again.
The end gets interesting. Just after mile six my stomach starts to feel queasy. My pace has slowed over the rolling hills, but I'm still averaging just about 7:30/mile. I know I can't sustain it without losing breakfast before the finish, but I really do not want to be one of the several people who run out of gas and gets passed by 100 other runners in the last mile. I slow up just a bit, hopefully enough to recover without dropping too far. As I get to mile 6.5, two women pass me, accelerating into the last mile. Shortly after that, another really tall guy about my age passes me. Besides just trying to hang on, this time my thought is that I am probably on the edge of top ten in my group, and this guy passing me could be the difference. But right now I can't do anything about it as he slowly pulls away a step or two at a time.
About mile 7, my stomach settles and I get a little bit of a second wind. I pick up the pace, and with 1/4 mile to go the two women and the man who passed me are all within about 60 yards. 200 yards to go, and the man is now 25 yards ahead, between the women, but moving faster. 100 yards to go, I catch the first woman, and the other two are just 10 yards ahead but moving fast. I'm feeling queasy again, but at this point I'm just focused on the arch of balloons right in front of me. I find a kick somewhere, and sprint as hard as I can. 50 yards to go I pass the other woman. With just steps to go I catch the tall guy, regaining my place from a mile previous and beating him across the line by a step or two. Yes!!!
Then I drop to my hands and knees in the road and start taking deep breaths so I don't lose breakfast.
As for my goals, I was one out of two. My time was 55:31, not quite 55 but a very respectable 7:27/mile pace. The final results showed me as 8th place in my group out of 41. Cool!! And the the guy I passed...well he was indeed in my age group, 40 years old, but apparently he was a few seconds behind me at the start line because by "chip time" (the diffence between when the shoe sensor crosses the start line and the finish line, which is official for everyone below the top awards), he finished in 55:29, two seconds faster than me, making him 7th place in our group. @#$#@^$!!!! So even though I passed him, he still got by me in the standings.
And as for the "old men", they ruled the day. The overall winner on the day by 8 seconds was in the 40-44 age group. He took home both the first place checks for overall winner AND for masters winner. Two more of the top 10 overall finishers were also men 40-44. The only other age group with three runners in the top ten overall was men 15-19 years old. And even more men in the 45-49 group finished ahead of me than did men in my own group, so it won't get any easier for me this decade!
I am really happy with how the day went, and now have to start thinking about my next race!
Day 65 - T minus One Day to Race
Often after a couple easy days, the body starts to get anxious to work again. When resting up for race, it is important to hold back on the days leading up to the race and save your energy despite the urge to push faster. I felt a little sluggish today at the start, and took it easy in the first mile of my 3.2 mile loop. That expected feeling of energy did not kick in after warming up. The second mile was also slow. The third mile I slowed down a bit more, and never did get any inspiration to push anything today. I hope I feel a little better tomorrow, or the race is really going to be tough.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Day 64
Got in a quick 3.2 miler between meetings and also, luckily, between rain showers. Taking it easy today and tomorrow to rest up for the race on Sunday.
Day 63 - Nine Weeks
My 12k race is three days away. I pulled out my road racing shoes from years ago, since they are still in good shape. I never throw anything away, which really bugs my wife but I do have racing shoes. (I also have track spikes, trail running shoes, cross-country spikes, basketball shoes, boots for horseback riding, and other well-hidden shoes I never wear but could in the future.) I use Asics DS Trainers for road racing because they are very light yet still have more support and cushion than a racing flat. One of the things I discover is that in the last few years, running shoes in general have come farther than I thought. The regular running shoes I bought a few weeks ago are almost as light as my six-year-old "ultra-light" DS Trainers. The difference is maybe an ounce or two at most. But I still want to wear the DST's Sunday so I figure I better get one good run in and make sure they still are comfortable.
Once again I am wedging my run into a busy schedule. I have to pick up my daughter at 5:30, so I go early, park at her school, and head out running, thinking a change of scenery will be nice. That area has a few more hills like what I expect Sunday, and she'll be ready to go when I get back. It is not raining, but the wind is gusty and the sky is overcast with really ominous dark spots, so I put on my hat and long sleeves.
Good thing. I get two miles out and a thunderstorm sweeps in from out of nowhere. Naturally I am alone on a bike trail in the middle of a huge open field, 3/4 of a mile from anything when the thunder rolls in. Fortunately, all the lightning seems to be above the clouds with no sign of coming to ground, but I am definitely nervous and in a hurry to get closer in to taller structures! In a matter of just a minute or two I am right underneath the storm, with deafening thunder all around me almost simultaneous with the lightning. Then the hail starts. Quickly it grows to the size of marbles - about the largest hail I have seen in California. First, I am very glad I have a hat. Second, OW! That stuff hurts!
I'm now running with my elbows over my ears and my hands in fists because stinging ice balls from the sky hurt the most on fingertips and earlobes. And I'm trying hard not to slip on the suddenly very icy pavement. Fortunately it only lasts about three minutes, and the thunder and lightning soon roll away into the distance as well. The hail melts off the road as fast as it came in. The storm center passes and leaves me merely running through cold, driving rain for another twenty minutes. The shoes are OK, but DS Trainers are not nearly as light when they are full of water. I suppose this is partly why most runners just take a day off now and then.
I get back to the school having covered about 6-3/4 miles at about an 8:15 pace. On the positive side, I do get to embarrass my 12-year-old daughter who is waiting out front with her friends as I come jogging into the school parking lot, soaked and bedraggled, calling her name. She tries to pretend not to know who I am.
Nine weeks of running down, three days to my first race!
Stats for the week:
Miles this week: 43
Total miles so far: 350.7
Average miles/day this week: 6.1
Average miles/day so far: 5.6
Longest run: 13.7 miles / 2 hours 0 minutes
Time spent running this week: 6 hours and 4 minutes
Total time running: 50 hours and 56 minutes
Average time running/day: 48 minutes
Once again I am wedging my run into a busy schedule. I have to pick up my daughter at 5:30, so I go early, park at her school, and head out running, thinking a change of scenery will be nice. That area has a few more hills like what I expect Sunday, and she'll be ready to go when I get back. It is not raining, but the wind is gusty and the sky is overcast with really ominous dark spots, so I put on my hat and long sleeves.
Good thing. I get two miles out and a thunderstorm sweeps in from out of nowhere. Naturally I am alone on a bike trail in the middle of a huge open field, 3/4 of a mile from anything when the thunder rolls in. Fortunately, all the lightning seems to be above the clouds with no sign of coming to ground, but I am definitely nervous and in a hurry to get closer in to taller structures! In a matter of just a minute or two I am right underneath the storm, with deafening thunder all around me almost simultaneous with the lightning. Then the hail starts. Quickly it grows to the size of marbles - about the largest hail I have seen in California. First, I am very glad I have a hat. Second, OW! That stuff hurts!
I'm now running with my elbows over my ears and my hands in fists because stinging ice balls from the sky hurt the most on fingertips and earlobes. And I'm trying hard not to slip on the suddenly very icy pavement. Fortunately it only lasts about three minutes, and the thunder and lightning soon roll away into the distance as well. The hail melts off the road as fast as it came in. The storm center passes and leaves me merely running through cold, driving rain for another twenty minutes. The shoes are OK, but DS Trainers are not nearly as light when they are full of water. I suppose this is partly why most runners just take a day off now and then.
I get back to the school having covered about 6-3/4 miles at about an 8:15 pace. On the positive side, I do get to embarrass my 12-year-old daughter who is waiting out front with her friends as I come jogging into the school parking lot, soaked and bedraggled, calling her name. She tries to pretend not to know who I am.
Nine weeks of running down, three days to my first race!
Stats for the week:
Miles this week: 43
Total miles so far: 350.7
Average miles/day this week: 6.1
Average miles/day so far: 5.6
Longest run: 13.7 miles / 2 hours 0 minutes
Time spent running this week: 6 hours and 4 minutes
Total time running: 50 hours and 56 minutes
Average time running/day: 48 minutes
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Days 57-62 - Still running, just missed writing
Between a really tough few days at work, Easter, and other activities, I've been too stressed and exhausted to write. But I am still running, even last night when I got home from work at 7:30pm and had to go out and run in the dark and in the rain. Yuck. I knew there would be weeks like this.
On the other hand, Saturday morning I had a great time running, taking my son along on his bike and jogging 10.6 miles at an easy 9-1/2 minute/mile pace around the 5 and 10 acre lots a few miles away, on a sunny day with field full of wildflowers and goats, horses, cows, sheep, llamas, chickens, and other livestock.
Short summary of the last six days:
Friday - short 3.2 mile run
Saturday - 10.6 miles with Calvin on his bike
Sunday - short 3.2 mile run in the evening after Easter festivities
Monday - 5 mile loop in between work and more work
Tuesday - 10 x 1/2mi intervals at night on the treadmill
yesterday - 5 mile loop
On the other hand, Saturday morning I had a great time running, taking my son along on his bike and jogging 10.6 miles at an easy 9-1/2 minute/mile pace around the 5 and 10 acre lots a few miles away, on a sunny day with field full of wildflowers and goats, horses, cows, sheep, llamas, chickens, and other livestock.
Short summary of the last six days:
Friday - short 3.2 mile run
Saturday - 10.6 miles with Calvin on his bike
Sunday - short 3.2 mile run in the evening after Easter festivities
Monday - 5 mile loop in between work and more work
Tuesday - 10 x 1/2mi intervals at night on the treadmill
yesterday - 5 mile loop
Friday, April 6, 2012
Day 56 - 8 weeks!
Ran my 2x20minute interval pattern yesterday, covering 8.5 miles in 1:11 with warm-up and cool down. Not as fast as last time, but not bad. Weather was surprisingly cold for April. Even though it was 4:30pm and sunny, it was in the low 50s with a strong, cold breeze. I should have worn long sleeves. This morning when I got up the thermometer read 32 degrees. Feels more like February than April.
Anyway, eight weeks of running down! Also just 10 days until my first race in years. I'm actually a little nervous, even though it is just a local 12km run.
Updated stats for the week:
Miles this week: 42.9
Total miles so far: 307.7
Average miles/day this week: 6.1
Average miles/day so far: 5.5
Longest run: 13.7 miles / 2 hours 0 minutes
Time spent running this week: 6 hours and 3 minutes
Total time running: 44 hours and 52 minutes
Average time running/day: 48 minutes
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Day 55
Packed a 6-mile run in between work and a music rehearsal for Easter. Didn't have time to warm up or stretch, but got around my loop in 46 minutes. Felt pretty good, though I was strongly tempted to detour into Starbucks for a cookie at mile 4.5.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Day 54 - Reminiscing
A simple 3.2 mile recovery run yesterday, trying to work the stiffness out of knees and ankles after my almost-14-miler. The weather was perfect - mid 60s and overcast, and I got my run in just before another hard rain hit.
Just out of curiosity, I went back through my running logs, all the way back to my first marathon in 2001 to see what my previous best was for consecutive days of running before starting this effort. In May 2007 I ran 11 days in a row, totaling 77 miles. This was a few months after my last marathon, but when I was still doing shorter races and training for the Hood to Coast relay in Oregon.
In December 2004, when I was training for the Napa Marathon, my Boston qualifier and best-ever marathon, I ran 10 consecutive days totaling 80 miles at one point - my second best consecutive-days streak. Most of those runs were in rain and fog (which I apparently tolerated much better back then), and my long run was 14 miles, which I "jogged" at a 7:21 pace. In addition to running every day, that 10-day stretch also included four full weight sessions in the gym, two pilates classes and a yoga session, and the streak ended when I took Christmas Day off. But the day after, I ran a hilly 17 mile course just for fun. I wonder if I can ever get back into that kind of condition. A lot of work lies between where I am today and that level.
But 54 days in a row is a good start.
Just out of curiosity, I went back through my running logs, all the way back to my first marathon in 2001 to see what my previous best was for consecutive days of running before starting this effort. In May 2007 I ran 11 days in a row, totaling 77 miles. This was a few months after my last marathon, but when I was still doing shorter races and training for the Hood to Coast relay in Oregon.
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| Hood to Coast Relay Team 2007 (I'm on the end on the right) |
In December 2004, when I was training for the Napa Marathon, my Boston qualifier and best-ever marathon, I ran 10 consecutive days totaling 80 miles at one point - my second best consecutive-days streak. Most of those runs were in rain and fog (which I apparently tolerated much better back then), and my long run was 14 miles, which I "jogged" at a 7:21 pace. In addition to running every day, that 10-day stretch also included four full weight sessions in the gym, two pilates classes and a yoga session, and the streak ended when I took Christmas Day off. But the day after, I ran a hilly 17 mile course just for fun. I wonder if I can ever get back into that kind of condition. A lot of work lies between where I am today and that level.
But 54 days in a row is a good start.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Day 51 through 53
I haven't given up! Just been away from my computer. Quick recap:
Day 51 - Got back from a long day, and a long drive back from Fresno, and squeezed in a quick 3.2 miles just as it was getting dark.
Day 52 - Put in 5.1 miles during another busy day, but forgot my watch. Didn't really push the pace, took about 44 minutes.
Day 53 - Finally found time to do my first long run in a while, having put it off for a few days due to my schedule. Ran 13.7 miles, my longest run since I started, in just under two hours. I wasn't as fast as I was a couple weeks ago on my 13 mile run, but I still ran well. Had the usual minor aches and pains in the last couple of miles (and afterwards), as expected when I'm pushing the distance again, but nothing serious. Actually got a little bit sunburned on my nose from being out that long at midday, even though it was cool and breezy.
Day 51 - Got back from a long day, and a long drive back from Fresno, and squeezed in a quick 3.2 miles just as it was getting dark.
Day 52 - Put in 5.1 miles during another busy day, but forgot my watch. Didn't really push the pace, took about 44 minutes.
Day 53 - Finally found time to do my first long run in a while, having put it off for a few days due to my schedule. Ran 13.7 miles, my longest run since I started, in just under two hours. I wasn't as fast as I was a couple weeks ago on my 13 mile run, but I still ran well. Had the usual minor aches and pains in the last couple of miles (and afterwards), as expected when I'm pushing the distance again, but nothing serious. Actually got a little bit sunburned on my nose from being out that long at midday, even though it was cool and breezy.
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