Run tonight

4.16 miles at about a 14:30 pace with negative splits. Felt good, legs were loose. Did a run10, walk1 and the weather held; no rain. Although, it felt like I was running into the wind no matter which way I turned. Gotta love ND!!!!

Back on course

Talked to Paige's sister and we think Sunday night was probably just a normal old virus and not a problem with boinking or the calorie deficit.

Ran again last night and it felt great!

2.33 miles at 14:21 and 13:55 in a run 10 minutes, walk 1 minute repeat 3 times. Heart rate was solid in the 73 to 77% of max during run segments and dropping back into the 60's during walk.

Other that my wife calling during the second walk break, it went well. I was trying to answer the phone, change the speed on the treadmill and press the lap button on my watch at the same time. She didn't get the point that I was not going to try to call daycare; I needed her to so I could finish the run!!!! ;) Oh well, in 60 days she will be at this point of the training plan and we will see how she handles clerical work in the middle of a workout.

Gotta go to running club!

Stupid and not Running

Ok, I read the section of every running book I could find on avoiding injuries. I went out and found the best shoes, etc. I was going to make my return to running healthy and problem free.

Sunday morning I ran 8+ miles (bit distracted -- see "Running sad") My heart rate monitor says I put myself in a 2200 or so calorie deficit. Didn't feel like eating much when I got home for emotional reasons (see "running sad" above), although I did eat about 1200 calories. I did hydrate ok and downed a liter of gatorade and some water. Around 9pm, I got the shakes, a fever, a headache, and the chills. Got about 900 calories into me and went to bed. Didn't sleep too well until after 8am Monday and spent most of the day sleeping. Had bagels/Peanut butter and fruit throughout the day and a bowl of pasta last night and slept overnight pretty good.

So now, I am reading about recovery and getting some professional advice on how to do a better job of eating after long runs to avoid my body getting really mad at me and trying to kill the few remaining brain cells that survived my college years. I also need to be aware of my mood and enlist my wifes help in forcing me to eat on days I don't feel like it.

I flipped Monday's light 30 min run and Tuesday's rest day on the schedule so I am back on training plan. But I now know what distances I am going to have to start making allowances for in training plan. I admit that running 8 miles was impossible to consider two months ago. Now, my body can do it, but I need to have a plan to recover from it before I continue to push harder.

Running Sad

My cousin, Kelly James Heyer, was the cabin stweard of Delta/Comair flight 5191 that crashed this morning in Lexington, KY. So I got a slow and sad start to my day for running my LSD (long, slow distance). Starting at 10am instead of 8am meant that the weather was warmer by about 10-12*. My heart was also heavy, so it was a long run lost in my thoughts.

At one point, another song about a plane crash came on my mp3 player ("American Pie") and I was running negative splits while tears were running down my face. I always try to pretend I am the stoiac one, but I am not. It was a good thing I had that part of the trail to myself so I did not have to explain to others. . .

Then around mile 7, I came out of a cloud to realize that there were butterflies all over the place. At my Grandma's funeral a couple of years ago, the pastor talked about the butterflies as a sign of God's promise and love and told us to watch for butterflies. Today I saw the butterflies! We still have a lot of grieving to do. . . but I know that I will alos remember, with joy, how Kelly's smile was infectious. How he touched everyone around him. The way he attacked life with a laugh and a shrug. It was too short of a time, but the butterflies are a promise of a life to come and I know his love and light is not lost; just moved on. . .

"Your Life's Foundation is becoming Strong"

Travleled for work this week in my first multiple day trip since I started running. It was a partial success / partial failure.

Bad:

Drove 4 hours Sunday night in cooling weather after running 7 miles in the morning. By the time I arrived at my destination, I could hardly walk. . .

I spent too long in class rooms and meetings with my legs tightening up. Needed to get out and walk/stretch!

Meetings had catered in lunches and they were not nurtitionally friendly to my plan.

Never sleep well while on the road and felt it in my recovery rates. . .

Pulled a muscle in my left shoulder and it hurts when I turn my head; like the way that I needed to avoid accidents while changing lanes or merging in during Minneapolis traffic!

Ended up eating late on Monday (9:30pm), eating poor on Monday (Old Chicago) and missing breakfast on Tuesday and not doing well because of it. Gained 1.5#.

Good:

Got to run in a new area (Minnihaha Falls park) with lots of trees and some hills.

Bought a "Stick" and a pair of Race Ready shorts.

Discovered PF Changs

PF Changs had 141 employees participate with Team-in-Training at the Rock-n-Roll Arizona Marathon and has donated over $813,000 via the Team-in-Training program. They also have a special page of their menu called "Training Table" in which they promote Team-in-Training and have 13 special entrees designed by runners for runners with nutrition statistics and information. I had the Vegitable Chow Fun (440 Cal, 10g Protein, 100g Carbs, 2g Fat, 0 SatFat.) and it was fantastic. I have a new favorite place and I will be dragging friends and family there.

Anyway, the title of this post was my fortune in the fortune cookie at PF Changs -- way too cool!!!!

That's why I run!!!!!!!

ORN

Sunday 7mi LSD, Monday approx 2mi LSD, Tues rest, Wed 2.07mi LSD.

I hate Nike?

Tough for me to say this, but I hate my Nike Air Max 360 running shoes. They look so cool and they kill my feet!!!! The eyeletts don't really support alternative lacing techniques and they are tight around the midpoint of my foot. I originally looked at them because they were supposed to be for moderate to high arches. I had a sales expert fit me, and they felt fine in the store. But around 2.5 to 3 miles, they start getting real uncomfortable. . .

I am going to try different sox in them tonight and see what happens. I really want them to start feeling good. I have worn Nike for years: basketball, cross trainers, hikers, baseball umpiring, and everyday wear. But now that I have started running, they are uncomfortable!

On another note, I already need to get some Long-sleeve gear. I ran last Sunday and it was mid-60's and rainy. I was cold in just a SS-Coolmax top. Saturday morning should be in the 50's at 6am with a high only in the mid 70's. It is time to start thinking about fall and I don't want to get too cold; past experience with umpiring tells me that is the quick path to discomfort and injury.

Feeling good

One of the really cool things about starting running after a long sedintary lifestyle is that you really notice improvement almost every day. Last night, I did Run/Walk Intervals (8min run, 2 min walk) x 6 for 60 mins of workout. About 4 weeks ago I was dying at the end of a Run-30seconds interval, now I was doing 8 minute runs at a good heart rate and still able to answer calls on my phone. My heartrate was rapidly recovering during the walk (rest) periods. I worked myself well into the fat burning period of exercise beyond 45 minutes at an aerobic pace.

But I do realize it is not always going to be like this. I dug myself a deep hole with 15 years of relatively little exercise and poor eating habits. It is going to take me longer than a few weeks to dig my way out. The pace of progress will slow and I will have many weeks when I struggle; feeling like I am slipping backwards or barely maintaining where I am at. When that happens in the future, I just need to remind myself:

1) On June 1, 2006, I would have found it impossible to perform at the level of what will be even my worst workout currently.

2) Performance has peaks, but also has valleys. Look at the big picture: During my lowest valley in 2007, 2008 or beyond I will still be in better shape than I was from 1988 to June 16th, 2006.

That is what I will use as part of my motivation to continue.

You may be a penguin if. . .

Here is John Bingham's definition:

"You might be a penguin if...

* you have to politely (for the third time) tell the men in the police car moving behind you that No you do not wish a ride.
* you wear your jog bra on top of your singlet. This is especially true if you are male.
* during a race, you keep turning around to see if there is still anybody behind you.
* the rest of the pack is out of sight before you've run 100 yards.
* you meet both the hare AND the tortoise running back towards you doing their cool-down after a race.
* the only reason you don't drop out of a race is that you're embarrassed that the police in the car behind you (closing the course) will see you.
* as you're rounding the corner onto Main Street and the finish line, you overhear the announcer on a microphone to the crowd of 500 saying "we are ASSURED the young lady IS coming in!" (Oh well, at least I was young).
* you recognize all the regular runners on your favorite route from behind.
* you get passed on the uphill by a runner pushing a double baby jog stroller.
* you shoot a 24-shot roll of film during a marathon.
* you make arrangements for a late checkout at the hotel.
* you are more worried about the porta-potty lines than the start line.
* your support crew talks about meeting you for supper, not lunch
* you have to memorize the route because you know that you will lose the back of the pack.
* the truck picking up the cones is pressing on your behind. (Don't laugh—this actually happened to me!)
* as you pass a course volunteer they ask you, "How many are behind you yet?" and you say "Behind me? Behind? Gosh ... I think two ... unless they turned around!"
* the awards ceremony is over before you cross the finish line.

For more Penguin wit and wisdom, visit JohnBingham.com.

Original link.

The road less travelled

I was running Friday and I noticed something. Actually, I noticed it again, but it finally made sense to me. The "greeway" bike/running path made a 90* right turn to skirt arount an office complex. The path "wandered" as it went around. I noticed a younger runner going straight through the complex, running through the parking lots and dodging the rush hour traffic of the employees trying to get out for the weekend. My route around was much longer, but there was no traffic and the path even had some elevation change! (big deal in the Red River Valley of ND). As I thought about the other runner, it occured to me that I used to be the other runner. I used to be soo focused/worried about where I was going; the shortest path was all I had time for. Now, I have evolved (I hope) to a different paradigm where the journey is more important than getting there.

Given that I am a Penguin runner, I think this is a healthy outlook. I am never going to be happy if I am focused on the end results; I am too old and too slow to run winning times, with PR's , records, etc. Instead, I need to enjoy the journey. . .

By the way, my running log has a space for mileage ran, not "where did I get too." I was coming back from the "other-side" of that office park and the scenery and running conditions over there were pretty poor (broken pavement, lots of cars, open to wind, etc.) Going the long way got me to my goal (mileage) with a better route, a better view, and a more enjoyable run.

Frost talks about the road less travelled, that's what I took and "it made all the difference." The only thing is, I realized that the joy is not from it being "less travelled." What makes this path better is the journey, and it can be shared without ruining it. In fact, it would be great if everyone took this route; the road more travelled was also the best route to run!

Outdoor running

I started on the treadmill at work because I could slip in 1.5 to 3 miles during my lunch break and get back to work. I found I liked the treadmill because I could set a constant pace, easily see my heart rate, controlled environment, and lower impact than pavement. But I have realized in the last couple of days that I really enjoy running outside. My pace is less consistent, but I am looking at something other than the TV's or mirrors on the wall.

Of course, I am also subject to weather. Friday night was hot and sunny, today is cold and rainy. The only thing that worries me about today is trail running and an injury. I have not "sprung" for a pair of trail running shoes and I am concerned that I will hit some mud, slip, and injure myself. After all, I am a klutz on dry, level, ground. :)

ORN -- Fri 4.23 mile LSD in 82* sun with 15-25mph wind; Saturday Rest.

Running and improving

This week, I am noticing definate improvements in lung capacity, endurance, and weight loss. It feels great; an endorphin high that is like any drug or drink I have ever experienced. It is fun to see.

I had a friend compliment me at Running Club last night. She started asking what made me "start" working out in June. I really could not point to any one thing other than it was just "what needed to be done." She then said she thought it was "great" what I was doing. I was a bit embarassed by that. I need to think through both how I explain it to others and how I dela with these comments.



ORN -- 3.75miles last night; trail run today of 3-4 miles. Weight loss= 2# this week, 15# since June, 67# from highest weight.

I'm Free!

Ok, just for yesterday. I did my first run in Nike Free's. I did just a short run (2miles on the treadmill). It felt like I was running barefoot (which is good and bad). I am a big guy and there was not as much cushioning, so my knees and hips felt it. But two other things happenend: my foot bones got a work out and I had to concentrate on my style. I "slightly" supinate but when my legs get tired, I tend to roll outwards more.

A couple of years ago, I rolled my ankle and after three weeks of hobbling around, I was finally forced by my wife and her MD cousin to get it xray'ed. The PA came in with the results and sad he had two pieces of good news: I didn't break my ankle and my previous break healed fine. Which would have been great news if I had known before tha moment that I had broken my ankle. I had a clear virtical crack up the bone from the ankle area and I had no idea how it had gotten there!

I could feel myself starting to get a bit tired and I focused on my running style to avoid problems. The feel of the Nike shoes was great help. I guess I am confessing that I am "drinking the cool-aid" and adding runs in the Nike Free to my training regimin.

Borg CR10 Scale

This is a category ratio scale with values from 1 to 10

0 Nothing at all
0.5 Extremeely weak(just noticeable)
1 Very weak
2 Weak (light)
3 Moderate
4 Somewhat strong
5 Strong (heavy)
6
7 Very Strong
8
9
10 Extremely strong (almost maximal)

* Maximal

This is a modified scale of perceived exertion. It takes into account Steven's law. This scale also makes it possible to make interindividual comparisons.

Borg Scale (RPE)

"Instructions for Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) Scale

While doing physical activity, we want you to rate your perception of exertion. This feeling should reflect how heavy and strenuous the exercise feels to you, combining all sensations and feelings of physical stress, effort, and fatigue. Do not concern yourself with any one factor such as leg pain or shortness of breath, but try to focus on your total feeling of exertion.

Look at the rating scale below while you are engaging in an activity; it ranges from 6 to 20, where 6 means 'no exertion at all' and 20 means 'maximal exertion.' Choose the number from below that best describes your level of exertion. This will give you a good idea of the intensity level of your activity, and you can use this information to speed up or slow down your movements to reach your desired range.

Try to appraise your feeling of exertion as honestly as possible, without thinking about what the actual physical load is. Your own feeling of effort and exertion is important, not how it compares to other people's. Look at the scales and the expressions and then give a number.

6 No exertion at all

7
Extremely light (7.5)
8

9 Very light

10

11 Light

12

13 Somewhat hard

14

15 Hard (heavy)

16

17 Very hard

18

19 Extremely hard

20 Maximal exertion

9 corresponds to "very light" exercise. For a healthy person, it is like walking slowly at his or her own pace for some minutes

13 on the scale is "somewhat hard" exercise, but it still feels OK to continue.

17 "very hard" is very strenuous. A healthy person can still go on, but he or she really has to push him- or herself. It feels very heavy, and the person is very tired.

19 on the scale is an extremely strenuous exercise level. For most people this is the most strenuous exercise they have ever experienced.

Borg RPE scale
© Gunnar Borg, 1970, 1985, 1994, 1998




Link

Running Club Today

Today has been HIGH stress. I contracted for some service work, and major mistakes were made. So now I am getting close to a deadline and I am having to redo work my company has already paid for. Late night tonight, long day tomorrow, etc. I am really looking to a good run. The temp is down from last week (85* or so). Still Sunny and slightly breezy, meaning I will go out with a headwind and finish with a tailwind.

Time to let the miles distract and slow down my mind so I can get back to work with a fresh view and find a better solution!

Running Naked ; I mean barefoot part 3

Here is some suggestions getting started. The liturature that comes in the box with the Nike Free shoes has similiar suggestions for starting slowly and strengthening.

"Gradually. Before you start running barefoot, you should walk barefoot for a few weeks to strengthen the muscles in your feet and ankles and toughen up the skin on the bottom of your feet. Start out by walking barefoot for 5 to 10 minutes a couple of times each day. You can also do exercises while walking barefoot such as high knees and walking on the balls of your feet to prepare your feet for running barefoot. Dr. Stewart says, 'Feel your arches the next morning. If they are not sore, then you can do a little more the next day, but progress slowly. When you can walk barefoot for an hour relatively comfortably, then you should be ready to start a little barefoot running.'

Once you start barefoot running, the forces on your feet and calf muscles increase greatly. Start out with five minutes at the very most, and increase slowly, running barefoot every two to three days. After a couple of months, you may get to where you can run barefoot for 20 minutes, but for some people a few minutes will be all they can handle. Unfortunately, the options are more limited in much of the country during the winter, but you can keep your feet in shape by walking barefoot at home and doing a few laps on an indoor track (barefoot jogging is a nice way to cooldown after a track workout)."

Link

Running Naked ; I mean barefoot part 1

"This a-little-medicine-is-good-for-you perspective is shared by a number of other podiatrists, physical therapists, and coaches. Their theory: Modern man does spend too much time in shoes, and this weakens many of the foot and leg structures. To correct this, you can walk barefoot around the house, do simple foot strengthening exercises, or run a few barefoot miles a week on safe, secure surfaces. "

Link

More to come. . .

Running Naked ; I mean barefoot part 2

"Interest in barefoot running seemed to wane until 2001, when Michael Warburton, an Aussie physical therapist and 2:42 marathoner, published an online paper titled, simply, 'Barefoot Running.' (You can view the paper at the sports science web site sportsci.org.) In his section on running economy, Warburton points out that the extra weight of shoes on your feet is much worse than a pound or two around your middle. Weight on your feet is subject to constant acceleration and deceleration (runners call these movements 'strides'), which have a high energy cost. According to Warburton, research has shown that 100 grams of extra weight on your feet decreases your running economy by one percent. Simple math says that two 10-ounce shoes will make you more than five percent less efficient. That's a big deal. When you add five percent to Paul Tergat's marathon world record 2:04:55, he's a 2:11 guy, which doesn't net him enough for a warm bowl of ugali in the Kenyan highlands.

But we don't think much about running economy when we buy a pair of new running shoes. First we want protection from harmful objects. And then we expect cushioning and/or motion control--the stuff of injury prevention. But this is where things get strange, because scientific studies have had a hard time proving that shoes represent a big step forward from the naked foot."

Link

I am a big guy and I slighty supinate -- mostly when my legs get tired. I don't need "motion control", but cushioning is a key factor in my shoe selection. During college, I played alot of basketball and had problems with the bones in my feet (lots of pain and swelling, but never got as far as a stress fracture). I am wondering how to incorporate feet strengthening into my regimen. Like anything else, slow and listen to my body seems to be the best guide here.

Of course, maybe it is just dreaming about running along the beach in North Carolina that is driving this lark . . .

Two "Duh!" breakthroughs today!

OK, experienced runners will say "Duh!!!!!" if they ever read this, but today's run was an ephinany for me. I had major breakthroughs in breathing and stride while running on the treadmill.

Stride first. I figured out that LSD (long slow distance) was key and I was doing my intervals too fast and at too high of a heart level. When I slowed pace down, I felt like I was going too slow and I had a short, choppy shuffle rather than a stride. Today, I felt like I reached the point where even though I had a slow pace, I had a better stride. Now, here is the embarassing part. When I closed my eyes, it felt really good. When I opened my eyes, I still looked silly and slow, but it felt smoother and it felt like running! Hopefully, in about 10-12 weeks when I start upping speed, it will look cooler!

Breathing -- My breathing sucks. But the good points are that now I know it and I can improve it. I was able to slow my heartrate well into a running interval by focusing on my breathing. Deep breaths, good exhales, breathing from my gut rather than just the upper chest; you know -- all the things any beginning running book will tell ya. Well, I read it many times, but it finally sunk in today and my results felt much better. Recovery during the walk intervals was much better and I was able to run faster at a slower heart rate than Monday's workout.

Who says you can't teach an old dog a new trick? ;) The rule definately does not apply to old penguins!

By the way, if you experienced runners have stopped laughing and read this far, I am willing to bet that it did not come natural to you either when you first started. Those little things that you reject as "Duh!" or overly obvious are the things beginning runners are confused about and afraid to ask. So help us out! Ok, getting off soapbox. . .

Keep running!

Plateau bustings

I was stuck on a plateau for most of June and July. I just could not bust through. My weight was flucuating within a 5# range, but would not drop below the hard floor. Yesterday, I was a half-pound under and this morning it was a full pound. Yahoo!!!!!

Schedule has "no run" with a bit of Tai Chi today, so I am guessing that after the workout, I will be even lower.