Went to bed very early on the 27th so I could enjoy a lovely, early morning 8.5 mi birthday run. Temp was cold (33F) so I bundled up and lauched!
Unfortunately, I forgot to prep the deep blister on the pad of my left foot.
I started strong, and even after being caught by three traffic lights I still reached the 1.5 mi mark in 16:58. The next mile was strong too. Then, fully warmed, I decided to start my sprint intervals. I cranked up my pace into lovely sprint, and near the end started to feel the burning sensation in my foot - the burn that results from forgetting to prep the blister. I stopped sprinting at that point and walked the rest of the way to the zoo merge. I had to stop a couple of times along the way to work on my foot, tighten my shoe laces, and the like, but I still finished the 3.4 mile segment in 43:09. A crummy time if I was running, but not bad for when I walk a good part of it.
Once I reached the merge, I decided to test my walking and avoid further injury. So, I walked the remaining 5.1 mi.
The walking was actually interesting training. I quickly realized that I could not take a long stride because my toes would bend, which made the blister hurt. But, if I took short, quick steps, the blister didn't hurt so much. So, I took short, quick steps the entire last 5.1 miles. My time was sucky, but without jogging an inch I still completed the 5.1 mile distance in 87 minutes, which is approximately a 17:25 mile or just under 3.5 mph. So, even if my lungs pop out in the latter stages of the marathon, I can still add a little jog and average a 15 minute mile, or 4 mph pace.
I got the blister during my run in Reno, and it is much deeper than I thought. My protection measures have worked, though, so we shall see what we shall see....
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Good 8.5!
Ran my 8.5 mi circuit on Apr 22. I am excited about my performance because I have improved substantially. Not quite where I was this time last year, but I'm improving.
I ran the circuit in 103:35. The last time I ran this route was March 13, and I finished in 117:50. So, I reduced my time by 14:15. Woo Hoo! Not my fastest time, but not bad, either.
A quick walk down history lane. This is the 32nd time I ran this route, ranging back to 2006. Tuesday's time was my 6th fastest time.
Breaking down the route, I finished the first segment in 9:52, and reached the Hwy 2 -Rock Island merge in 29:35. Not a great time, but a solid time. I reached the Zoo merge in 58:06, so I completed the Rock Island segment in 28:29. My goal is to reach the merge, which is about 5.1 miles, in under an hour, and the more time I cut the happier I am.
I then walked the portion of the Billy Wolff trail next to the zoo for safty reasons, which I always do when running at night because the path is very uneven for about .3 miles. I was able to get in stride fairly quickly after walking almost 6 minutes, but that walking hurts my time. The distance from the Zoo merge to the Billy Wolff/48th St merge is only about 1.9 mi, but it took 25:55 to complete the distance.
My time up the hill was 19:34, which is not bad. I would like to get it under 18, but I won't be able to do that until my next marathon sequence.
Anyway, I was pleased with my effort, and enjoyed a fine run!
I ran the circuit in 103:35. The last time I ran this route was March 13, and I finished in 117:50. So, I reduced my time by 14:15. Woo Hoo! Not my fastest time, but not bad, either.
A quick walk down history lane. This is the 32nd time I ran this route, ranging back to 2006. Tuesday's time was my 6th fastest time.
Breaking down the route, I finished the first segment in 9:52, and reached the Hwy 2 -Rock Island merge in 29:35. Not a great time, but a solid time. I reached the Zoo merge in 58:06, so I completed the Rock Island segment in 28:29. My goal is to reach the merge, which is about 5.1 miles, in under an hour, and the more time I cut the happier I am.
I then walked the portion of the Billy Wolff trail next to the zoo for safty reasons, which I always do when running at night because the path is very uneven for about .3 miles. I was able to get in stride fairly quickly after walking almost 6 minutes, but that walking hurts my time. The distance from the Zoo merge to the Billy Wolff/48th St merge is only about 1.9 mi, but it took 25:55 to complete the distance.
My time up the hill was 19:34, which is not bad. I would like to get it under 18, but I won't be able to do that until my next marathon sequence.
Anyway, I was pleased with my effort, and enjoyed a fine run!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Novartis 10K
Lovely 10K (6.21 mi) event. The weather was fantastic! A bit nippy (low 40's) at the start, but quickly warmed to a wonderful race temp with a gentle breeze and very few gusts. We had three racers today, as David and Jasmine ran the 2 miler. Cornell was at track practice, and Jen didn't like racing so she went back to the treadmill last year. But, as always, my Jen got us registered, organized, picked up our packages, then got us all ready in the morning and out the door on time for a lovely race day. What a joy and a privilege it is to have such a supportive wife and mother!
Before I yak about me, I want to boast my children. This was Jasmine's first ever 2 miler, and only her second race. It was a chore for her and she walked in several spots, but she finished in 29:24, or 272 out of 307 runners. She averaged a 14:42 pace. More importantly, she stuck to it and finished! Woo Hoo Jasmine!
David ran brilliantly. He finished in 20:47, which put him in a 3 way tie for 156 place out of 307 runners, most of whom were adults! He averaged just under a 10:24 mile. I don't know the times, but he apparently ran a fast first mile, and ended up walking a portion of the second mile. I would love to get him training from someone who knows how to establish a good pace (I'm still trying to learn this for myself), because I think he would run even better with a little training from a real track coach. Unfortunately, the only track club we have found for kids practices on Sundays, and Sunday is our Sabbath day so we don't do those types of activities on that day. Most of the people who finished behind him were adults, so I was enormously proud of how well he did.
My times show that I am still behind where I was last year, but I am finally catching up a bit. In some ways, I did better on this race than I did on last year's Novartis 10K.
Overall, I finished in 1:10:42, which is exactly two minutes slower than last year. This compares to the State Farm 10 miler, where I finished 9:05 slower than last year. I started very tight, and the first couple of miles were hard. I reached the half way point in 33:42, which was 2:03 slower than last year. However, I finished the last half in 37 min, which is 4 seconds faster than I ran that same distance last year.
My mile times are weird, but very very instructive and point out a trend that I need to correct; I don't properly utilize the down hills stretches. Not even close. I noticed the same thing with my 5.5 hill route and my 3.3 speed route. Both share the same down hill stretch, and I seem to zone out or something instead of capitalizing on a chance for an easy reduction in my time.
To understand the issue, one must first know the race course. This particluar race begins with a loop around Holmes Lake Park. We start out pretty flat, and at about a third of a mile begin a very pronounced down hill slope. It levels off to finish the mile, and a short distance later we begin to ascend the other side of the hill and the level out again, and begin a nice descent as we approach the 2 mile mark. The route is relative flat for the next mile and a quarter or so, then we begin the long, steep climb up 56th street. I run this same stretch as the toughest portion of my standard 5.5 mile hill route. We go most of the way up the hill, but turn around about 50 yds or so short of the intersection. and head back down. We pass the 4 mile marker on the way down, and after a taper and some flat terrain reach the 5 mile mark. At about the 5.5 mark we begin to ascend again, and at the 6 mile mark we head down the same slope we experienced in mile 1, going .21 miles to the finish.
As noted above, I started out very, very tight. I finished the first mile in 10:18, which is about the same time I run the first mile in most of my practice runs. I ran the second mile, which contains the first uphill, in 10:57. We then began a mile that has nice down hill, then flat. My time? 11:07, which is slower than my time with the up hill. My time should have been in the low 10's. Then begins a short flat stretch followed by the long up hill, which I ran in a respectable 11:57. In fact, I was very pleased with my uphill time. But, I completed the next mile, which contains most of the long down hill, in 11:32. The times don't neatly compare because the mile markers don't precisely match the up hill and down hill legs. However, I can say that I ran a mostly pronounced uphill mile only 25 seconds slower than I ran a mostly pronounced down hill mile? The down hill drops about 150 or so feet of elevation, so I should have been in the low to mid 10's as well. Several folks passed my on that down hill, but I passed noone on that slope. I think I either zoned out, relaxed too much, or was abducted by space aliens and lost the time (just kidding). The bottom line is that I did NOT capitalize on that hill. I croaked on the next flat and uphill to finish mile 6 in a horrible 12:41, then had a kick at the end to complete the final .21 in 2:05.
Some good things. I reached the 5 mile mark at 55:53. Three weeks ago at the State Farm 10 miler, I finished the first five miles in 59:30 on a very flat course. Today, I was 3:37 faster on a course with a big hill. Further, I was only 47 seconds off my marathon five mile pace, and the first five on the marathon is a very flat five miles. I finished strong today, in comparison to last year when I thought I was going to croak on my way to the finish line, and this time I recovered much quicker. And, despite my slow start, my time to complete the last 5k of the race was faster than last year's last 5K.
The bottom line: I'm still behind last year at this time. I probably won't catch up, but I might get close. Given the year I've had, I'm pleased.
Before I yak about me, I want to boast my children. This was Jasmine's first ever 2 miler, and only her second race. It was a chore for her and she walked in several spots, but she finished in 29:24, or 272 out of 307 runners. She averaged a 14:42 pace. More importantly, she stuck to it and finished! Woo Hoo Jasmine!
David ran brilliantly. He finished in 20:47, which put him in a 3 way tie for 156 place out of 307 runners, most of whom were adults! He averaged just under a 10:24 mile. I don't know the times, but he apparently ran a fast first mile, and ended up walking a portion of the second mile. I would love to get him training from someone who knows how to establish a good pace (I'm still trying to learn this for myself), because I think he would run even better with a little training from a real track coach. Unfortunately, the only track club we have found for kids practices on Sundays, and Sunday is our Sabbath day so we don't do those types of activities on that day. Most of the people who finished behind him were adults, so I was enormously proud of how well he did.
My times show that I am still behind where I was last year, but I am finally catching up a bit. In some ways, I did better on this race than I did on last year's Novartis 10K.
Overall, I finished in 1:10:42, which is exactly two minutes slower than last year. This compares to the State Farm 10 miler, where I finished 9:05 slower than last year. I started very tight, and the first couple of miles were hard. I reached the half way point in 33:42, which was 2:03 slower than last year. However, I finished the last half in 37 min, which is 4 seconds faster than I ran that same distance last year.
My mile times are weird, but very very instructive and point out a trend that I need to correct; I don't properly utilize the down hills stretches. Not even close. I noticed the same thing with my 5.5 hill route and my 3.3 speed route. Both share the same down hill stretch, and I seem to zone out or something instead of capitalizing on a chance for an easy reduction in my time.
To understand the issue, one must first know the race course. This particluar race begins with a loop around Holmes Lake Park. We start out pretty flat, and at about a third of a mile begin a very pronounced down hill slope. It levels off to finish the mile, and a short distance later we begin to ascend the other side of the hill and the level out again, and begin a nice descent as we approach the 2 mile mark. The route is relative flat for the next mile and a quarter or so, then we begin the long, steep climb up 56th street. I run this same stretch as the toughest portion of my standard 5.5 mile hill route. We go most of the way up the hill, but turn around about 50 yds or so short of the intersection. and head back down. We pass the 4 mile marker on the way down, and after a taper and some flat terrain reach the 5 mile mark. At about the 5.5 mark we begin to ascend again, and at the 6 mile mark we head down the same slope we experienced in mile 1, going .21 miles to the finish.
As noted above, I started out very, very tight. I finished the first mile in 10:18, which is about the same time I run the first mile in most of my practice runs. I ran the second mile, which contains the first uphill, in 10:57. We then began a mile that has nice down hill, then flat. My time? 11:07, which is slower than my time with the up hill. My time should have been in the low 10's. Then begins a short flat stretch followed by the long up hill, which I ran in a respectable 11:57. In fact, I was very pleased with my uphill time. But, I completed the next mile, which contains most of the long down hill, in 11:32. The times don't neatly compare because the mile markers don't precisely match the up hill and down hill legs. However, I can say that I ran a mostly pronounced uphill mile only 25 seconds slower than I ran a mostly pronounced down hill mile? The down hill drops about 150 or so feet of elevation, so I should have been in the low to mid 10's as well. Several folks passed my on that down hill, but I passed noone on that slope. I think I either zoned out, relaxed too much, or was abducted by space aliens and lost the time (just kidding). The bottom line is that I did NOT capitalize on that hill. I croaked on the next flat and uphill to finish mile 6 in a horrible 12:41, then had a kick at the end to complete the final .21 in 2:05.
Some good things. I reached the 5 mile mark at 55:53. Three weeks ago at the State Farm 10 miler, I finished the first five miles in 59:30 on a very flat course. Today, I was 3:37 faster on a course with a big hill. Further, I was only 47 seconds off my marathon five mile pace, and the first five on the marathon is a very flat five miles. I finished strong today, in comparison to last year when I thought I was going to croak on my way to the finish line, and this time I recovered much quicker. And, despite my slow start, my time to complete the last 5k of the race was faster than last year's last 5K.
The bottom line: I'm still behind last year at this time. I probably won't catch up, but I might get close. Given the year I've had, I'm pleased.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Speed (ha ha) run
Started my run tonite with the intention of running an 8.5 mi. Got started very late (as usual) and I was making good time. It was a warm night (57F at start) but the wind was ugly and clouds were billowing. As I thought about the upcoming 10 K on Saturday, I thought "what the heck" and around the 2 mile mark I turned my 8.5 into a 5.4 "speed run" In other words, I ran several hard "sprint splits."
Well, I'm slow. And I'm behind where I was this time last year, and much heavier to boot. Overall, however, my time wasn't bad: 1:00:59. I started on my 8.5 route clockwise, so the first .9 miles is down hill. The path then levels off, and then is followed by a 1/3 mile or so uphill leading to the Rock Island Trail. I completed the first downhill segment in 9:41. At this point I was not hustling, but then I never hustle the first mile or so because I'm trying to warm up without getting injured. I then ran the flat segment and the short uphill in 20:19, for a first half time of 30:01. Not a great time, as this time last year I was running it in 2 or so minutes faster, but what the heck.
I then turned around and ran back, completing that same segment in 19:54, which was 25 seconds faster. I then completed the .9 segment back up the hill in 11:03. The head wind was pretty ugly and it took me an additional 1:22 to complete the segment as an uphill, but what the heck.
Overall, I'm slower than last year and won't catch up until I lose the weight, which won't be completed until the 2nd Marathon in the fall. But, I'm on a good glide path, and considering all the distractions from January - April, I can't complain too much. Of course, I made no attempt at weight management in the three months following the KC Marathon, which was a big mistake. But, we'll pull the weight off as smart as I can, keep our expectations low for this Marathon, and make the big effort for a super time in the fall.
Well, I'm slow. And I'm behind where I was this time last year, and much heavier to boot. Overall, however, my time wasn't bad: 1:00:59. I started on my 8.5 route clockwise, so the first .9 miles is down hill. The path then levels off, and then is followed by a 1/3 mile or so uphill leading to the Rock Island Trail. I completed the first downhill segment in 9:41. At this point I was not hustling, but then I never hustle the first mile or so because I'm trying to warm up without getting injured. I then ran the flat segment and the short uphill in 20:19, for a first half time of 30:01. Not a great time, as this time last year I was running it in 2 or so minutes faster, but what the heck.
I then turned around and ran back, completing that same segment in 19:54, which was 25 seconds faster. I then completed the .9 segment back up the hill in 11:03. The head wind was pretty ugly and it took me an additional 1:22 to complete the segment as an uphill, but what the heck.
Overall, I'm slower than last year and won't catch up until I lose the weight, which won't be completed until the 2nd Marathon in the fall. But, I'm on a good glide path, and considering all the distractions from January - April, I can't complain too much. Of course, I made no attempt at weight management in the three months following the KC Marathon, which was a big mistake. But, we'll pull the weight off as smart as I can, keep our expectations low for this Marathon, and make the big effort for a super time in the fall.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Taking stock, preparing for the future
My next marathon is only three weeks from today, so its time to take stock of my progress thus far and plan my strategy for the next three weeks.
Taking Stock.
Comparing my effort this year to my prep last year for the Lincoln (May 6) and KC (Oct 20) marathon's yields mixed results.
My prep for my first ever Marathon (Lincoln 07) was quite good. I had a solid running base, and in the four months preceding the event I ran 47 times for 326 miles. By this date last year, I had completed 37 runs for 256 miles, and completed an additional 10 runs for 69.8 miles in the three weeks before the marathon.
My prep for the KC Marathon was poor. If I count my Lincoln Marathon miles as prep for the KC Marathon, I ran 223.9 miles in the 5+ months between the two races. Not good, but the rest of the story is even worse. I had a decent June 07 with over 60 miles, but July and August were minimal. So, in the four months before KC I ran only 25 times for 119 miles. With three weeks to go, I had completed only 15 runs for about 80 miles, with 10 runs and 39 miles being completed in the last three weeks.
My current prep is better than last year's KC prep but far below Lincoln 07's prep. With three weeks left in the four month period, I have run 22 times for about 128 miles. My January and February were bad, but that is chronicled below. Barring accident, I should be able to complete an additional 10 runs for about 62 miles, bringing my pre-race total to 33 runs for 190 miles. This will put me 8 runs and 71 miles better than Kansas City, but 14 runs and 136 miles below Lincoln 07.
The information is interesting, but the trends from last year were even more interesting. I made incremental improvement in my time last year throughout February and March, but as I neared the end of my prep phase in April I had several "break through" days. For example, for my 8.5 mile times, in early March 07 I hovered between 106 and 110 minutes. But, on March 28, 07, I cut almost 7 minutes off my time. I cut another 6 minutes off by April 23, and cut off another 4 minutes only three days later. So, from March 19 to April 26, 07m I cut 16:25 off my overall time. My reductions in my 3.3 mi route were no less dramatic. My times throughout March ranged between 37 and 40 minutes. But, I knocked it down to 33:31 on April 19, and sliced off another 2 minutes on April 28 (my birthday) for a personal best 31:28. Significantly, just a few days before the KC marathon where I had less prep time, my time on the 3.3 route jumped back up to 34:52.
2008 has been a bit unkind, as my additional weight and multi-impacted running schedule saw my 3.3 time balloon to just over 36 minutes last month, and my 8.5 mile time tanking. Fortunately, I think my times are starting to trend downward again, which is a good sign. They won't be as low as my times last year because I have run less miles and am several pounds heavier, but If I can get them down a bit I'll be ok. I'm looking forward to next week's Novartis 10K to compare my progress under race conditions to last year's race.
So, what does all this mean? If I finish the month strong and watch my diet carefully, I'll be fine. Otherwise, I finish over 6 hrs again.
I did make some goals in January. 60 runs, 150 miles in March, 110 miles in April. Hah! Shot to crap. I may reach 90 in April! Maybe.
One final note. On July 8, 2006, I ran my first long run in many years, 15.33 miles, following the same basic path as I took this time (looped around the lake then, but no neighborhood loop). That time was 5:18:08. Today I went about the same distance in almost 2 hrs less time. At least I'm progressing.
The Next Three Weeks.
Unfortunately, I need work in every area. So, I will run a 3.3, a 5.5, and 8.5, and a 12-15 for each of the next two weeks. I'll then run an 8.5 and a 5.5 the week of the Marathon, with my last run being on Wednesday and resting Thursday - Saturday for the event on Sunday. Next Saturday is the Novartis 10K (6.2 mi), so I'll run that in the morning and see if I can add another run later in the day.
I have my diet program up and running, and am recording everything going into my mouth. I am trying to lose 12 lbs over the next 21 days. It will be a big task, but if I eat right I should be able to make this goal, which will help me be a bit lighter for the next marathon.
I will evaluate this in a couple of weeks, but I think I will use last year's race plan for the Marathon. Better clock management (I lost track of my time on several occassions last year) should help me keep my last 11 under control, and if I can average 4 mph over that distance I should finish in just under 3 hours. We shall see.
Taking Stock.
Comparing my effort this year to my prep last year for the Lincoln (May 6) and KC (Oct 20) marathon's yields mixed results.
My prep for my first ever Marathon (Lincoln 07) was quite good. I had a solid running base, and in the four months preceding the event I ran 47 times for 326 miles. By this date last year, I had completed 37 runs for 256 miles, and completed an additional 10 runs for 69.8 miles in the three weeks before the marathon.
My prep for the KC Marathon was poor. If I count my Lincoln Marathon miles as prep for the KC Marathon, I ran 223.9 miles in the 5+ months between the two races. Not good, but the rest of the story is even worse. I had a decent June 07 with over 60 miles, but July and August were minimal. So, in the four months before KC I ran only 25 times for 119 miles. With three weeks to go, I had completed only 15 runs for about 80 miles, with 10 runs and 39 miles being completed in the last three weeks.
My current prep is better than last year's KC prep but far below Lincoln 07's prep. With three weeks left in the four month period, I have run 22 times for about 128 miles. My January and February were bad, but that is chronicled below. Barring accident, I should be able to complete an additional 10 runs for about 62 miles, bringing my pre-race total to 33 runs for 190 miles. This will put me 8 runs and 71 miles better than Kansas City, but 14 runs and 136 miles below Lincoln 07.
The information is interesting, but the trends from last year were even more interesting. I made incremental improvement in my time last year throughout February and March, but as I neared the end of my prep phase in April I had several "break through" days. For example, for my 8.5 mile times, in early March 07 I hovered between 106 and 110 minutes. But, on March 28, 07, I cut almost 7 minutes off my time. I cut another 6 minutes off by April 23, and cut off another 4 minutes only three days later. So, from March 19 to April 26, 07m I cut 16:25 off my overall time. My reductions in my 3.3 mi route were no less dramatic. My times throughout March ranged between 37 and 40 minutes. But, I knocked it down to 33:31 on April 19, and sliced off another 2 minutes on April 28 (my birthday) for a personal best 31:28. Significantly, just a few days before the KC marathon where I had less prep time, my time on the 3.3 route jumped back up to 34:52.
2008 has been a bit unkind, as my additional weight and multi-impacted running schedule saw my 3.3 time balloon to just over 36 minutes last month, and my 8.5 mile time tanking. Fortunately, I think my times are starting to trend downward again, which is a good sign. They won't be as low as my times last year because I have run less miles and am several pounds heavier, but If I can get them down a bit I'll be ok. I'm looking forward to next week's Novartis 10K to compare my progress under race conditions to last year's race.
So, what does all this mean? If I finish the month strong and watch my diet carefully, I'll be fine. Otherwise, I finish over 6 hrs again.
I did make some goals in January. 60 runs, 150 miles in March, 110 miles in April. Hah! Shot to crap. I may reach 90 in April! Maybe.
One final note. On July 8, 2006, I ran my first long run in many years, 15.33 miles, following the same basic path as I took this time (looped around the lake then, but no neighborhood loop). That time was 5:18:08. Today I went about the same distance in almost 2 hrs less time. At least I'm progressing.
The Next Three Weeks.
Unfortunately, I need work in every area. So, I will run a 3.3, a 5.5, and 8.5, and a 12-15 for each of the next two weeks. I'll then run an 8.5 and a 5.5 the week of the Marathon, with my last run being on Wednesday and resting Thursday - Saturday for the event on Sunday. Next Saturday is the Novartis 10K (6.2 mi), so I'll run that in the morning and see if I can add another run later in the day.
I have my diet program up and running, and am recording everything going into my mouth. I am trying to lose 12 lbs over the next 21 days. It will be a big task, but if I eat right I should be able to make this goal, which will help me be a bit lighter for the next marathon.
I will evaluate this in a couple of weeks, but I think I will use last year's race plan for the Marathon. Better clock management (I lost track of my time on several occassions last year) should help me keep my last 11 under control, and if I can average 4 mph over that distance I should finish in just under 3 hours. We shall see.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
What a difference a couple of weeks make!
Ran a 15 mi today (actually 15.1). Started strong and ended strong. Had to walk the last 4 mi or so because I became nauseous, but that was a diet problem, not a running problem. I haven't had much of an appetite over the past week or so, primarily due to the family circumstances mentioned previously. For today's run, I started a little after 5 pm, but my only intake for the entire day, besides a couple of bottles of water, was 2 scoops of protein powder and an ounce of mixed nuts for lunch, and a handful of Pringles (cheddar cheese) moments before I ran. Big mistake, forcing me to take an extended bathroom break and mostly walk the last 4 miles to avoid losing the Pringles. That having been said, I still ran strong and walked strong, so I'm very happy with the results.
Now the particulars. Ran my 15 mile route (check the right column on the blog), counter clockwise. The weather started cool and windy (41F, gusts up to 15 mph) and ended up cooler and windier, with light snow blowing around (37F, gusts up to 25, humidity 61%). I ran "heavy," which means I wore my CamelBak (about 20 lbs this time) and a long sleeved shirt along with my usual cold weather gear.
By going counter clockwise, I started with the hilliest part of the course first. I finished the first 10 mi in 2:02:10, which included traffic light stops for a total of 2:39 (I don't deduct time for stops from my overall time). Two weeks ago I ran 10 mi in 2:07:59 with similar weather condictions, but on a very flat course with no stops. Today, I ran the same distance 5:49 faster, but on a very hilly route, carrying a 20 lb pack on my back, and losing 2:39 to stop lights. In other words, wonderful improvement.
My stomach began flaking out around mi 11 so I jog-walked the last 4 mi to keep from throwing up, and I still finished in 3:24:19. At the end of February, 2007 (the last time I ran this route), I finished in 3:39:05. Today, I ran an extra loop around the block ( about .45 miles). The bottom line: almost 15 minutes faster on a route that was .45 mi longer.
Also, I ran a 14 mi on the ultra flat MOPAC trail back on March 22, finishing in 3:38:53. So today, I ran 1.1 mi longer in 14:44 fewer minutes, without stops and on a hilly course. Woo Hoo!
Now the bad news. I jumped on the scale today, and was stunned by what I saw. Way, way, way too heavy. My best guess is that I should lose 13 lbs by race day. I have been attacking the diet all week, but until race day I'll do it in more earnest.
Now the particulars. Ran my 15 mile route (check the right column on the blog), counter clockwise. The weather started cool and windy (41F, gusts up to 15 mph) and ended up cooler and windier, with light snow blowing around (37F, gusts up to 25, humidity 61%). I ran "heavy," which means I wore my CamelBak (about 20 lbs this time) and a long sleeved shirt along with my usual cold weather gear.
By going counter clockwise, I started with the hilliest part of the course first. I finished the first 10 mi in 2:02:10, which included traffic light stops for a total of 2:39 (I don't deduct time for stops from my overall time). Two weeks ago I ran 10 mi in 2:07:59 with similar weather condictions, but on a very flat course with no stops. Today, I ran the same distance 5:49 faster, but on a very hilly route, carrying a 20 lb pack on my back, and losing 2:39 to stop lights. In other words, wonderful improvement.
My stomach began flaking out around mi 11 so I jog-walked the last 4 mi to keep from throwing up, and I still finished in 3:24:19. At the end of February, 2007 (the last time I ran this route), I finished in 3:39:05. Today, I ran an extra loop around the block ( about .45 miles). The bottom line: almost 15 minutes faster on a route that was .45 mi longer.
Also, I ran a 14 mi on the ultra flat MOPAC trail back on March 22, finishing in 3:38:53. So today, I ran 1.1 mi longer in 14:44 fewer minutes, without stops and on a hilly course. Woo Hoo!
Now the bad news. I jumped on the scale today, and was stunned by what I saw. Way, way, way too heavy. My best guess is that I should lose 13 lbs by race day. I have been attacking the diet all week, but until race day I'll do it in more earnest.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Reno Runs
2008 is turning out to be quite the year! My aunt Louise died in a wrongful death matter, so I drove out to Reno (1400 mi one way) to assist the fam. So far this year, my only sibing died in January and I had a solid case of bronchitis in February.Anyway, I was determined to run, and I learned from a park ranger that the city had a nice bike and running path along the Truckee river through the middle of town. So, I ran a 9+ miler on Saturday and an approx 8.5 on Monday. I took this self-portrait near a lovely down town park area at the conclusion of my first run.
The path is, for the most part, not as nice as the paths here in Lincoln (thin asphalt with numerous cracks, mounds and the like,many caused by tree routes) but the scenery is fantasic in many places.
The Saturday run was a bit of a pain as the route was not completed as advertised. I ended up getting partially lost while trying to navigate my way through several detours, and finally called it quits and went back to the start. Monday was great, and I may have gone longer than the 8.5 I calculated. Doesn't matter. I had two nice runs and only two blisters! Woo Hoo!
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