I bought a pair of Diadora's a couple of weeks ago. Wonderful shoes! According to the gentleman who showed me the shoes, Runner's World rated them highly, but noted they are hard to find. I picked them primarily because they are last year's model and were on sale at half price. These are not motion control like my Nike's and they are not quite as well padded, but they are lighter and springier. Overall, great shoes! My Nike's are still in good shape, but they took a real beating in my Marathon in May. I want to wear them in October for the KC Marathon, but if I use them for training they will be worn out long before race day.
Anyway, I wore my new Diadora's for the first time while running. They felt fantasic and performed wonderfully! I'm not sure I would wear this pair on long runs unless I used an insert (I normally use arch supports). But, I sure do like them.
I ran my 5.5 mi hill route, but instead of running in mid-day, my schedule was so hectic that I started my run around 10:00 pm. I was tired, but still ran the route in 62:58. Not a great time, but not bad, either. I did a poor job of clock and stride management, as I was not tired when I finished. In retrospect, I could have picked up the pace a bit. Hit the weights heavily today, and did a 3.5 with David last night.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Wimpy Week!
A wimpy week or, if you prefer, a weak week.
I hit the trails 4 times, with a great (for me) 3.3 mile run time and a decent 8.5 time. But, did a 3 mile"fire fly walk" with David on Thursday instead of a 5.5, and scrubbed my scheduled 12 miler on Saturday morning for a 2 mile (or so) mid-afternoon cross country run with the Eliker sisters at our annual church fair. Overall, only 17 miles for the week. And, I lifted weights only once!
The cross country run was very different for me. I normally run on asphalt, cement trails, or crushed limestone trails. This was truely cross country because, for the most part, there was no trail at all, and the grass was shin high. We ran at Pioneer's park in a wilderness area; across a field, up a hill, up a bigger hill, down, around, through the trees, up and down some more, etc. And it was hot (90+) and humid.
The Eliker's attend our church, and we had Mark and Fae over to our house on Friday night for a game night and ice cream. Great fun! They have a number of children, and all are cross country and track types. I ran with three of their daughters (two are in college and one in high school). All currently compete, or have competed, in cross country and track. And they are fast. Fortunately for me, one of the girls (who runs cross country and the 400 meter in track) is recovering from a surgery, so they had to take it a bit slower. Otherwise, I would have been toast!
This week will have to be a bit more productive as far as the mileage goes, because next week we'll be on vacation (July 1-9). I have a hearing on the 9th, but that's the only work related thing I'm going to do that day. I'm not sure how much running I can get in, because we'll be visiting K2 at Ft Hood in Texas, but he has a stress fracture so he won't be able to run much. We shall see.....
I hit the trails 4 times, with a great (for me) 3.3 mile run time and a decent 8.5 time. But, did a 3 mile"fire fly walk" with David on Thursday instead of a 5.5, and scrubbed my scheduled 12 miler on Saturday morning for a 2 mile (or so) mid-afternoon cross country run with the Eliker sisters at our annual church fair. Overall, only 17 miles for the week. And, I lifted weights only once!
The cross country run was very different for me. I normally run on asphalt, cement trails, or crushed limestone trails. This was truely cross country because, for the most part, there was no trail at all, and the grass was shin high. We ran at Pioneer's park in a wilderness area; across a field, up a hill, up a bigger hill, down, around, through the trees, up and down some more, etc. And it was hot (90+) and humid.
The Eliker's attend our church, and we had Mark and Fae over to our house on Friday night for a game night and ice cream. Great fun! They have a number of children, and all are cross country and track types. I ran with three of their daughters (two are in college and one in high school). All currently compete, or have competed, in cross country and track. And they are fast. Fortunately for me, one of the girls (who runs cross country and the 400 meter in track) is recovering from a surgery, so they had to take it a bit slower. Otherwise, I would have been toast!
This week will have to be a bit more productive as far as the mileage goes, because next week we'll be on vacation (July 1-9). I have a hearing on the 9th, but that's the only work related thing I'm going to do that day. I'm not sure how much running I can get in, because we'll be visiting K2 at Ft Hood in Texas, but he has a stress fracture so he won't be able to run much. We shall see.....
Friday, June 22, 2007
Firefly walk
Planned a 5.5 mile hill route last night, but it didn't happen.
Instead, our 7 year old son David and I took a "firefly walk."
David is the boy in the pictures at the bottom of the blog, so he is a runner. Last night, however, we chased the setting sun out to Antelope Park, where we walked along the Rock Island Trail, enjoying the fireflies. Thousands of these mystic, marvelous creatures twinkled like flourescent green stars in the fading sunlight. It was a bit breezy and the parks people had mowed earlier in the day, so not quite so many came out last night as did the night before. Most sought protection in the tree line, the bushes, and the tops of the tall grass which lie in a small stream bed which runs below and adjacent to the trail. Still, thousands were out. One of nature's simple, yet most glorious, views.
We have a catch and release policy, so David caught a few and let them go. One, however, became his special friend for a few moments. The firefly explored David's hand, crawled up his arm, jumped onto his face, and then rested on his shoulder. The bug then became a bit too adventerous and crawled into his shirt! David was wearing a mesh running shirt, and you could see the bug glowing from inside David's clothes. David pulled his collar out a bit, and the little bug finally made its way out and into the night. It then rested in the tall grass as we walked away. We enjoyed gatorade and bubble gum along the way, and finally got home well after David's bed time. What a special night.
We went only 3 miles, which I think was just enough exercise for me to burn off the calories from our treats. Woo Hoo.
Instead, our 7 year old son David and I took a "firefly walk."
David is the boy in the pictures at the bottom of the blog, so he is a runner. Last night, however, we chased the setting sun out to Antelope Park, where we walked along the Rock Island Trail, enjoying the fireflies. Thousands of these mystic, marvelous creatures twinkled like flourescent green stars in the fading sunlight. It was a bit breezy and the parks people had mowed earlier in the day, so not quite so many came out last night as did the night before. Most sought protection in the tree line, the bushes, and the tops of the tall grass which lie in a small stream bed which runs below and adjacent to the trail. Still, thousands were out. One of nature's simple, yet most glorious, views.
We have a catch and release policy, so David caught a few and let them go. One, however, became his special friend for a few moments. The firefly explored David's hand, crawled up his arm, jumped onto his face, and then rested on his shoulder. The bug then became a bit too adventerous and crawled into his shirt! David was wearing a mesh running shirt, and you could see the bug glowing from inside David's clothes. David pulled his collar out a bit, and the little bug finally made its way out and into the night. It then rested in the tall grass as we walked away. We enjoyed gatorade and bubble gum along the way, and finally got home well after David's bed time. What a special night.
We went only 3 miles, which I think was just enough exercise for me to burn off the calories from our treats. Woo Hoo.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
I bought a new running shirt! (but I'm still slow...)
Jen and I went to the sporting goods store today (Wednesday) and bought a nifty new running shirt! It's made by Nike and is white, sleaveless (the first sleaveless shirt I've ever owned), made of the light weight wicking material, and has stylish reflecting strips on it. So far, all my running has been in plain old t-shirts. I keep soaking the t-shirts all the way through within the first few miles, so I figured it was time to buy a running shirt. I'll post a picture after I've lost 30 more pounds.
Ran a 3.3 on Tuesday and an 8.5 tonight. The 3.3 was my second fastest recorded time, and I felt great. My time was 31:52, which was 24 seconds slower than my fastest time but 26 seconds faster than my previous #2 time. I've set a goal to reduce the time to 26:30 by October 20 (the KC Marathon).
I didn't fare so well on the 8.5 tonite. I was scheduled to run a 5.5 tonight, but I was jazzed from yesterday's 3.3 time so I wanted to see how fast I could do the 8.5. I started out WAY too fast and crumped in the middle. I ran the route counter-clockwise, so the zoo is at the 3.5 mile point instead of the 5 mile point. I reached my first segment (1.5 miles) in 15:56, which was about 49 seconds too fast. I arrived at the zoo in 38:25 which, if I could have maintained that pace, would put me 28 seconds better than my best time. It was not to be. The next segment then took 31 minute and change, and the final segment 32 and change. Oh well.
That having been said, miles 2.5 - 6 were gorgeous. I ran late (left the house a few minutes before 10:00 pm (2200 hrs). Significant portions of the trail passes parks and open areas. Thousands of fireflies illuminated the night, and I thought of happy times with my children, and from my childhood, as I was mesmerized by their flickering glow. A few nights ago I was out watching David catch fireflies (we have a "catch and release" policy). David would catch one of these wonderful creatures, and it would crawl all over his hand, glowing, before flying away. What a happy time! I think I'll take David out for walk tomorrow night along the trail. He will be thrilled!
Anyway, the temp was a bit warm (83F), and I'm still getting used to the heat. The sky was beautiful, with a light breeze from the south. Overall, a lovely run.
Pounded the weights on Tuesday. Took today off (sore shoulder) and will be back in the gym early tomorrow morning (actually, its so late now that I'll be lifting this morning).
Ran a 3.3 on Tuesday and an 8.5 tonight. The 3.3 was my second fastest recorded time, and I felt great. My time was 31:52, which was 24 seconds slower than my fastest time but 26 seconds faster than my previous #2 time. I've set a goal to reduce the time to 26:30 by October 20 (the KC Marathon).
I didn't fare so well on the 8.5 tonite. I was scheduled to run a 5.5 tonight, but I was jazzed from yesterday's 3.3 time so I wanted to see how fast I could do the 8.5. I started out WAY too fast and crumped in the middle. I ran the route counter-clockwise, so the zoo is at the 3.5 mile point instead of the 5 mile point. I reached my first segment (1.5 miles) in 15:56, which was about 49 seconds too fast. I arrived at the zoo in 38:25 which, if I could have maintained that pace, would put me 28 seconds better than my best time. It was not to be. The next segment then took 31 minute and change, and the final segment 32 and change. Oh well.
That having been said, miles 2.5 - 6 were gorgeous. I ran late (left the house a few minutes before 10:00 pm (2200 hrs). Significant portions of the trail passes parks and open areas. Thousands of fireflies illuminated the night, and I thought of happy times with my children, and from my childhood, as I was mesmerized by their flickering glow. A few nights ago I was out watching David catch fireflies (we have a "catch and release" policy). David would catch one of these wonderful creatures, and it would crawl all over his hand, glowing, before flying away. What a happy time! I think I'll take David out for walk tomorrow night along the trail. He will be thrilled!
Anyway, the temp was a bit warm (83F), and I'm still getting used to the heat. The sky was beautiful, with a light breeze from the south. Overall, a lovely run.
Pounded the weights on Tuesday. Took today off (sore shoulder) and will be back in the gym early tomorrow morning (actually, its so late now that I'll be lifting this morning).
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Week in review
Busy week, so I'm going for the "block update."
Ran three days last week for 19.5 miles, and heavy lifted weights three days (one day I lifted in the morning, then came back in the afternoon with the boys and did other lifting, so technically I lifted four times).
Two of my runs were on my new "hill route." The first time, as noted below, was painful and slow. I ran the route again on Thursday, in the middle of the day, and reduced my time by 2 min 10 sec. (1:02:44).
After comparing my calculations to my Nike-Ipod results on the second run, it became apparent that I had miscalculated the 5.5 mile route. Part of the route is on the Billy Wolff trail, and the "official" publications report 2 different distances for that stretch of the route. Of course, I can't drive on the trail to measure it, and the shape of that segment is not conducive to measurement without surveying equipment. Fortunately, my math is pretty good, so I measured the streets north and south of the route, used a little trigonometry, and calculated the total distance at just over 5.5 miles. So, I'll go with 5.5 miles even and call it good. Recalculating my hill route to 5.5 made me feel better about my time on Tuesday. Thursday's run was hotter and muggier, but I had eaten properly so I improved upon my time. By the time the next marathon rolls around, I want to have reduced my time to 52 min.
Today's run was just plain hot. The temp was either 87F or 89F, depending on which sign you believe. David and I were on the Rock Island trail, and David rode his bike while I ran. He became sick to his stomach so we had to stop several times, one of which was about 15 minutes so he could sit in the shade. I stopped timing the run after the third stop. He was feeling better near the end so I hustled the last mile and sprinted the last .25 miles. It felt great!
The weightlifting went well. I did three days of "heavy" lifts for my chest, shoulders, arms, and abs. On the day I went to the gym twice, I did a light leg workout (I need leg work to get ready for the hills in Kansas City, MO.
The mileage picks up a bit next week, weights remain the same.
Ran three days last week for 19.5 miles, and heavy lifted weights three days (one day I lifted in the morning, then came back in the afternoon with the boys and did other lifting, so technically I lifted four times).
Two of my runs were on my new "hill route." The first time, as noted below, was painful and slow. I ran the route again on Thursday, in the middle of the day, and reduced my time by 2 min 10 sec. (1:02:44).
After comparing my calculations to my Nike-Ipod results on the second run, it became apparent that I had miscalculated the 5.5 mile route. Part of the route is on the Billy Wolff trail, and the "official" publications report 2 different distances for that stretch of the route. Of course, I can't drive on the trail to measure it, and the shape of that segment is not conducive to measurement without surveying equipment. Fortunately, my math is pretty good, so I measured the streets north and south of the route, used a little trigonometry, and calculated the total distance at just over 5.5 miles. So, I'll go with 5.5 miles even and call it good. Recalculating my hill route to 5.5 made me feel better about my time on Tuesday. Thursday's run was hotter and muggier, but I had eaten properly so I improved upon my time. By the time the next marathon rolls around, I want to have reduced my time to 52 min.
Today's run was just plain hot. The temp was either 87F or 89F, depending on which sign you believe. David and I were on the Rock Island trail, and David rode his bike while I ran. He became sick to his stomach so we had to stop several times, one of which was about 15 minutes so he could sit in the shade. I stopped timing the run after the third stop. He was feeling better near the end so I hustled the last mile and sprinted the last .25 miles. It felt great!
The weightlifting went well. I did three days of "heavy" lifts for my chest, shoulders, arms, and abs. On the day I went to the gym twice, I did a light leg workout (I need leg work to get ready for the hills in Kansas City, MO.
The mileage picks up a bit next week, weights remain the same.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Hot and humid, first "hill" route
Ran my first "hill training route" today, with a time 1:04:54. The total distance is about 5.5 miles (I can make it almost 6 by running around the block once). The route has one long uphill of about 1.2 miles, a shorter but steeper uphill a half of a mile later, and a less steep but .9 mile long uphill at the end. (this last segment does have about a .1 mile dip and a .1 mile straight, and concludes on a .15 uphill.)
I decided to make this run mid-day as I am trying to adjust to the heat. The temp was in the mid-high 80's with high humidity. I finished the first 1.5 miles in 15 minutes and change, which is an excellect time for me. The total distance from the house to the corner of pioneers via 48th, the BW parkway, and 56th is about 3 miles, and I finished it in 33:34. The last portion is about 2.5 mi, which I finished in 31:20.
At this point, the times are poor, but I'm not concerned because I'm adjusting to the heat and humidity. When I finished the run I was totally denched in sweat, which I don't get while running in colder temps. It'll take a few runs to get acclimated.
Later, I took David on a walk of just under 3 miles. We walked over to the store to get some Gatorade and a few other things.
Pounded the weights today (shoulders) and yesterday (arms).
Jen is a leader at our church's week long girls camp, so she not here to help. My mom is here, which is geat.
I decided to make this run mid-day as I am trying to adjust to the heat. The temp was in the mid-high 80's with high humidity. I finished the first 1.5 miles in 15 minutes and change, which is an excellect time for me. The total distance from the house to the corner of pioneers via 48th, the BW parkway, and 56th is about 3 miles, and I finished it in 33:34. The last portion is about 2.5 mi, which I finished in 31:20.
At this point, the times are poor, but I'm not concerned because I'm adjusting to the heat and humidity. When I finished the run I was totally denched in sweat, which I don't get while running in colder temps. It'll take a few runs to get acclimated.
Later, I took David on a walk of just under 3 miles. We walked over to the store to get some Gatorade and a few other things.
Pounded the weights today (shoulders) and yesterday (arms).
Jen is a leader at our church's week long girls camp, so she not here to help. My mom is here, which is geat.
Monday, June 11, 2007
More on the Havelock 10K
I forgot to mention in my previous entry that I spoke with several people who ran the full or half-marathon last month, and we all had the same thought - "this race seems so short compared to our race last month." That may be a BFO (Blinding Flash of the Obvious), but its true. The race was still 10k (6.21 mi), but in comparison to my last race (26.2 mi), it sure wenth quick. I was done before I knew it!
Jen is at girl's camp for our church this week, so I'll work mostly out of my home office and drag the boys down to the YMCA for bouts of brutal weight lifting! WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF!
Jen is at girl's camp for our church this week, so I'll work mostly out of my home office and drag the boys down to the YMCA for bouts of brutal weight lifting! WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF!
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Havelock 10K (6.21 mi)
Ran the Havelock 10K this morning. Mixed results. I ran my fastest 10k since I was 28/29, but as you can see from the clock I didn't come close to the 1:05:00 I wanted. (Of course, I'm the man in the white T-shirt and ball cap).
Before I get into the details, I must make an admission. I'm a guy, and I'm vain. I didn't know that I was vain (I have always known that I'm a guy, of course). About a quarter mile from the finish line, my knees were throbbing and the gentleman in the picture passed me (orange tank top and yellow shorts) at a solid rate. As he passed, he looked at me and said "you're not going to let a 72 year old man beat you, are you." I responded "I'm not vain that way, so go right ahead."
I was mistaken.
I always sprint the last 40 yards or so anyway, but the vanity I didn't know I possessed reared its ugly head and kicked into high gear! He had pulled quite a distance ahead, but I began to accelerate approx 100 yards from the finish, then went into a dead sprint at around 50 yards and shot past him. And, I finished less than a foot behind the lady in the picture. HA! I showed that 72 year old gentleman just how tough I am! WOOF WOOF WOOF. Anyway, we talked after the race. Nice gentleman. He has run numerous marathons and the like, and he is in extraordinary shape for being 72. I hope my 72nd birthday finds me in as good as shape he is in at that age.
Back to the matters at hand.
I finished the race in 1:08:11 (gun time). This was a chip timed event, but the Lincoln Track Club seems to be having a computer problem, so they posted only our gun times. My chip time would be about 35 seconds or so faster than my gun time.
I started at the very end of the pack (as is my wont), but had to stop after 100 yards to fix a problem with my I-Pod. I wear my contacts when I run, which means that I see great at distances but can't read anything closer than 2 feet. I especially cannot read when I'm running, so I had to stop if I wanted to use my I-Pod. It took about 40 second or so to get the thing on the right setting (coordinated with the chip in my shoe), so when I started out again I was dead last and way behind the pack. I worked my way up at a methodical pace, and finally started passing people.
Even though this was my best 10k in 17 or 18 years, I was still disappointed with my time. I wanted to finish in 1:05:00 or less, but it became quite clear to me around mile 3 that I'm not fully healed from the Marathon. The route has a 1m+ uphill beginning around the 1.5 mile mark, and as I plugged up the hill my knees felt a bit unstable. They later started to ache, and I tried to run as carefully as I could. I've iced them and they are still a bit sore, but they will be ok.
My only other 10k time this year was 1:08:42 (gun time only) in the Novartis 10k, and I beat that time by 31 seconds. In the Lincoln Marathon I ran the first 10k in 1:08:39 (chip timed), but I was conserving energy. The State Farm 10 mi run did not provide a 10k time, so I have no idea what that time would be.
Here's the stats: I finished 598th out of 632 runners. I beat 8 guys this time, and 4 were actually younger than me! I finished the first mile in 10:26. I started my time at the sound of the gun (not when I crossed the starting line), and the time includes my 40 seconds or so to fix my I-Pod problem. Under the circumstances, I'm quite happy with that time. The second mile was also in 10:26. Mile 3 was a bit harder due to the hill, so I finished in 12:12. Mile 4 had a bit of a down hill, and I finished in 10:53, and I slowed a bit in mile 5, at 11:19. I didn't see the 6 mile sign, but I ran the final 1.21 mi in 12:53.
Now its time to brag about my youngest. David, age 7, ran the 3k and finished in 20:02. He finished 350th place out of 586 runners. The group was runners of all ages, and the vast majority were adults (more than 80%). Of the 349 people who finished before him, only eight were his age or younger (six were age 7, and two were age 6). Nice work!
I'll be doing shorter distances over the next couple of weeks to allow my knees to fully heal. I only have 1 race left before the marathon in KC, and that is the 5 k "Thunder Run" in August.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Rest and Weights
My first official week in prep for the Kansas City Marathon. Light running, but heavy lifting. I pounded the weights Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I took yesterday off (heavy workload and I gave a final exam to both my classes last night), and will heavy lift (shoulders and arms) tonight. I have a 10K tomorrow morning (the Havelock 10K), so I won't lift again until Monday.
I decided that I should probably work on my legs one day per week. On Wednesday I did squats, abductions and adductions, leg curls, and hamstrings. I wanted to do leg presses, but if I start doing that again my thighs will get huge again and slow down my running even more. I tell my son that the gym is no place to get goofy and competative, but every time I jump on the sled I start ramping up the weight and doing mega sets. A couple of years I ago, I did a set of "show off" reps at over 900 lbs to Jennifer, K2 and Heather. Fortunately I was not injured. I don't know why I get goofy near the sled, so for now I'll just avoid it and keep my knees intact.
I'm using lighter weights and more reps on the squats, and as I sit here I'm pretty sore!
I decided that I should probably work on my legs one day per week. On Wednesday I did squats, abductions and adductions, leg curls, and hamstrings. I wanted to do leg presses, but if I start doing that again my thighs will get huge again and slow down my running even more. I tell my son that the gym is no place to get goofy and competative, but every time I jump on the sled I start ramping up the weight and doing mega sets. A couple of years I ago, I did a set of "show off" reps at over 900 lbs to Jennifer, K2 and Heather. Fortunately I was not injured. I don't know why I get goofy near the sled, so for now I'll just avoid it and keep my knees intact.
I'm using lighter weights and more reps on the squats, and as I sit here I'm pretty sore!
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Milestone Day - June 5, 2007
I started working out again on June 5, 2006, following a 15 month layoff due to a serious injury. So, today is my 1 year anniversary, of sorts, of being back in the gym. Here's the stats:
Total miles: 716.38
Total runs: 135
Exercise Days: 176
Long Distances (10+ mi): 10
8.5 milers: 21
Races run: 5
Pounds lost: not enough (oh well)
Woo Hoo!
Total miles: 716.38
Total runs: 135
Exercise Days: 176
Long Distances (10+ mi): 10
8.5 milers: 21
Races run: 5
Pounds lost: not enough (oh well)
Woo Hoo!
Monday, June 4, 2007
Round 2 Starts Today!
I started prep for the Kansas City Marathon today. October 20, 2007.
I was scheduled to run a 5 miler. However, I started with a 3.5 mile walk with my wife Jennifer, and that went well (finished in about 60 minutes). I then dropped Jen at the house and ran an 8.5 miler.
My first run was somewhat of an inauspicous start to my training. I reached the zoo (just over 5.1 miles) at a moderate pace (57:17), but my knees became very sore around the 6 mile point so I throttled back substantially and decided to "slow and go" the rest of the way. Unfortunately, I ran out of steam around the 7 mile mark. At about the 8 mile mark, I figured out my problems. First, I forgot to eat breakfast or lunch before running, so I was running on a completely empty tank. Dumb. Second, this was my warmest running day (by far) this year. The temp was 80F when I ran past the various bank signs, but all of my other runs this year have been at 68F or less (with at least half being at 30F or less). Given the conditions and my body's need to adjust to warmer temps, I should have run the scheduled 5 miler. Lastly, I was wearing a polyester (cool weather) running shirt on a warm day. Double dumb.
Time was horrible, 1:48:07. But, the slow down was a good idea as I didn't want to suffer a stupid injury, especially on the first day.
I iced my knees, which felt good.
In the evening, I went to the Y with Cornell and Lindsey and pounded the weights and my abs. I have completely scrapped my "maintenance lifting" idea because it didn't work very well. I did maintain some of my benchmarks, most notably in my triceps and biceps, but I lost a lot of upper body strength in my presses and flys. Restoring it will take at least three months or more.
I jumped on the scale and almost cried! I lost a lot of weight prepping for the Lincoln Marathon, but I gained back 4.5 lbs in my recuperation month! I need to shed quite a few pounds to make my time goal in October. I thought of getting down to my heavy weightlifting weight (222 from 2003-2005) but, given my age (45), I should probably drop down to my old fighting/military weight (198) and call it good. Unfortunately, 198 is probably 9 months to a year away.
No run scheduled tomorrow. Court in the morning and afternoon, office visits in the middle of the day, and I'm handing out a takehome final to my rules of criminal procedure class tomorrow evening. So, I'll recuperate tomorrow and go again on Wednesday.
I was scheduled to run a 5 miler. However, I started with a 3.5 mile walk with my wife Jennifer, and that went well (finished in about 60 minutes). I then dropped Jen at the house and ran an 8.5 miler.
My first run was somewhat of an inauspicous start to my training. I reached the zoo (just over 5.1 miles) at a moderate pace (57:17), but my knees became very sore around the 6 mile point so I throttled back substantially and decided to "slow and go" the rest of the way. Unfortunately, I ran out of steam around the 7 mile mark. At about the 8 mile mark, I figured out my problems. First, I forgot to eat breakfast or lunch before running, so I was running on a completely empty tank. Dumb. Second, this was my warmest running day (by far) this year. The temp was 80F when I ran past the various bank signs, but all of my other runs this year have been at 68F or less (with at least half being at 30F or less). Given the conditions and my body's need to adjust to warmer temps, I should have run the scheduled 5 miler. Lastly, I was wearing a polyester (cool weather) running shirt on a warm day. Double dumb.
Time was horrible, 1:48:07. But, the slow down was a good idea as I didn't want to suffer a stupid injury, especially on the first day.
I iced my knees, which felt good.
In the evening, I went to the Y with Cornell and Lindsey and pounded the weights and my abs. I have completely scrapped my "maintenance lifting" idea because it didn't work very well. I did maintain some of my benchmarks, most notably in my triceps and biceps, but I lost a lot of upper body strength in my presses and flys. Restoring it will take at least three months or more.
I jumped on the scale and almost cried! I lost a lot of weight prepping for the Lincoln Marathon, but I gained back 4.5 lbs in my recuperation month! I need to shed quite a few pounds to make my time goal in October. I thought of getting down to my heavy weightlifting weight (222 from 2003-2005) but, given my age (45), I should probably drop down to my old fighting/military weight (198) and call it good. Unfortunately, 198 is probably 9 months to a year away.
No run scheduled tomorrow. Court in the morning and afternoon, office visits in the middle of the day, and I'm handing out a takehome final to my rules of criminal procedure class tomorrow evening. So, I'll recuperate tomorrow and go again on Wednesday.
Kansas City Marathon
The first marathon went well, so its time to do it again! I will be running in the Kansas City Marathon on Saturday October 20, 2007.
Here's the plan!
1. Goal Time: 5 hours or better.
2. General Plan. I download the course elevation chart, reviewed the video of the course, and compared all of this to my training stuff and my goal in finishing in 5 hours or less. The course is a bit hilly, with three major (to me, anyway) hills in the route. The key to finishing on time will be to focus on my endurance so I can reduce my walking splits in the last 11 miles from a 7:30 run/2:30 walk split to a 17:30 run/2:30 walk split. Also, the further I can run without walking, the better.
I will need to improve my first 15 mile time only marginally (about 21 minutes). I can achieve this kind of improvement because my previous times were so slow. Improving from a 7 minute mile to a 6 minute mile is unreasonable to expect in this short space of time. Improving from an 11:30 mile to a 10:30 mile is very reasonable.
3. Schedule. I created a 20 week plan, which includes the Marathon itself. I need to run about 500-550 miles to prepare, so I scheduled just over 660. After cancellations and the like, I should hit my actual goal just fine. I prepped for my last marathon by running over 680 miles. However, only around 360 of those miles were in the 16 weeks preceeding the marathon. Several runs were canceled due to weather, and I lost a few runs do to illness or injury. In retrospect, the limited mileage was probably a good thing, as I was so heavy that running any more than this could have caused a major injury. The rest of the running plan worked great, and I'll repeat most of it this time.
4. Planning for Hills. This Marathon has three major hills, so I created 2 "hill" routes. They are not quite as steep as the hills will be in Kansas City, but these are the biggest hills locally available. The first big hill comes around the 2 mile mark, so my new route hits the hill at about that same distance. I can run it as a 3+ miler, a 5 miler, or an 11+ miler. If I run it as a 5 miler, I will have a smaller hill at the end. If I run it as an 11 miler, I'll have the long uphill on 48th Street as the end.
The second route will be on 56th street. The distance from Van Dorn to Hwy2 is about 1.9 miles, with a big hill in the middle. So, I just back and forth on 56th street, up the hill and down the hill, until my legs fall off.
5. Weights. In retrospect, the "maintenance lifting" idea didn't work well at all. In February I was benching 245, but in May I was struggling at 205. I want to be back to 300 lbs before the marathon. I will pound my upper body, with only light lower body lifting.
6. Nutrition. I'm starting that piece much earlier (actually, it begins when I get out of bed this morning). I get 1 soda only on my cheat day (Friday). Sweets and similar crap are gone. Lots of complex carbs and protein.
7. Weight. I'm still too darn heavy. I want to lose an additional 30 lbs by race day. That's not quite 10 lbs a month, which should be do-able.
8. Sleep. I made major improvements in my sleep but, as you can tell from the time on this posting, my sleep is still imperfect. I will be working on that heavily over the next few weeks.
That is the gist of my plan. It starts when I awake in the morning!
Here's the plan!
1. Goal Time: 5 hours or better.
2. General Plan. I download the course elevation chart, reviewed the video of the course, and compared all of this to my training stuff and my goal in finishing in 5 hours or less. The course is a bit hilly, with three major (to me, anyway) hills in the route. The key to finishing on time will be to focus on my endurance so I can reduce my walking splits in the last 11 miles from a 7:30 run/2:30 walk split to a 17:30 run/2:30 walk split. Also, the further I can run without walking, the better.
I will need to improve my first 15 mile time only marginally (about 21 minutes). I can achieve this kind of improvement because my previous times were so slow. Improving from a 7 minute mile to a 6 minute mile is unreasonable to expect in this short space of time. Improving from an 11:30 mile to a 10:30 mile is very reasonable.
3. Schedule. I created a 20 week plan, which includes the Marathon itself. I need to run about 500-550 miles to prepare, so I scheduled just over 660. After cancellations and the like, I should hit my actual goal just fine. I prepped for my last marathon by running over 680 miles. However, only around 360 of those miles were in the 16 weeks preceeding the marathon. Several runs were canceled due to weather, and I lost a few runs do to illness or injury. In retrospect, the limited mileage was probably a good thing, as I was so heavy that running any more than this could have caused a major injury. The rest of the running plan worked great, and I'll repeat most of it this time.
4. Planning for Hills. This Marathon has three major hills, so I created 2 "hill" routes. They are not quite as steep as the hills will be in Kansas City, but these are the biggest hills locally available. The first big hill comes around the 2 mile mark, so my new route hits the hill at about that same distance. I can run it as a 3+ miler, a 5 miler, or an 11+ miler. If I run it as a 5 miler, I will have a smaller hill at the end. If I run it as an 11 miler, I'll have the long uphill on 48th Street as the end.
The second route will be on 56th street. The distance from Van Dorn to Hwy2 is about 1.9 miles, with a big hill in the middle. So, I just back and forth on 56th street, up the hill and down the hill, until my legs fall off.
5. Weights. In retrospect, the "maintenance lifting" idea didn't work well at all. In February I was benching 245, but in May I was struggling at 205. I want to be back to 300 lbs before the marathon. I will pound my upper body, with only light lower body lifting.
6. Nutrition. I'm starting that piece much earlier (actually, it begins when I get out of bed this morning). I get 1 soda only on my cheat day (Friday). Sweets and similar crap are gone. Lots of complex carbs and protein.
7. Weight. I'm still too darn heavy. I want to lose an additional 30 lbs by race day. That's not quite 10 lbs a month, which should be do-able.
8. Sleep. I made major improvements in my sleep but, as you can tell from the time on this posting, my sleep is still imperfect. I will be working on that heavily over the next few weeks.
That is the gist of my plan. It starts when I awake in the morning!
Update
I'm pretty well healed from the my first marathon. I tried to resume running a bit too early, and my shins and right knee let me know! I started running an 8.5 miler just over a couple of weeks after the marathon, and I started out at my fastest time ever for this route. I finished the first mile in just over 9 minutes, and hit the trail merge (about 5.1 miles or so) far faster than my best time. Just after the six mile mark, however, my shins and right knee began to ache, and I was forced into walking several portions of the last 2 miles. However, I was so far ahead of schedule that I still finished in my 3rd best time: 1:39:53. I then took more time off. I did a 5 mile jog walk on May 26 (2.5 miles with my three youngest, and then my 7 year old and I jog walked an additional 2.5), and then ran a 1.25 with David on the 2nd. We had to walk a bit, but we finished in just over 13 minutes, which was (in my mind) a great time for a 7 year old. I am most healed (I think) and beging training for the Kansas City Marathon in the morning. I'll discuss that in a separate entry.
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