5 miles - back on the road

I ran 5 miles yesterday. I’m still having trouble running 2 days in a row (mostly scheduling). I plan on running on the treadmill tonight. I really need to get on the schedule to get up to 13 miles by the end of the summer!

10k PR

So I did a 10k in 1 hr 16 minutes, in Woodstock, which is a PR for me because I've never run a 10k before.  It was a very nice race, and I ran with my friends the Kozeys.  The weather was beautiful, so I believe that my curse of rainy runs is over.

I liked the distance.  5k seems a bit too short, but 10k is a pleasant distance to run.

6.3 miles at noon.

A bit hot of a run, but I did 6.3 today (with a bit of walking).  I did 4 miles on the treadmill a couple days ago.  The first mile is torture (which is new), but then after a while, it all seems to fall into place.  I hope I get over that first mile bit...it's really annoying.

4 miles..and still feeling it

I ran the Bryant 5k on Saturday, which was pretty good but I felt out of shape.  I had run 5k the previous Thursday, and nothing for a while before then.  10k coming up in a few weeks!

I need to get back into trying to run nearly every day.  Now that the semester has eased up, it will be easier I think.  I ran 4 miles today, and really felt it.  It's annoying that if you take a few weeks off, it is as if you are starting again.

Worst...5k...ever...

Not an official 5k, but I have one this weekend (2 days away), so I figured I'd run one tonight just to get back into things.  I'd been a couple weeks off, and it showed.  I had to walk parts of it, I felt sluggish the whole time.  Horrible!

I can't let myself get like this again, and am not looking forward to doing this in front of other people on Saturday, but it will help get me on the ball hopefully.

Trying to Get Back on the Wagon

Job- found.
Cross country road trip- done.
Dissertation defense- Wednesday.

Since things are getting a bit more normal, I am trying to work running back into my schedule for stress relief, getting back in shape, and hopefully to burn off the 10 pounds I gained during the crazy spell.

The Mountain Goat is out the window. I could attempt to do 10 hilly miles, but it is not worth the risk of injury and pain. So, I am looking for a 10k to do around Memorial Day and looking for a late summer race in Michigan so I can keep running after I move.

Started back up last week with run-walk intervals. Have been going for about 40 minutes with 5 min walk to start and end and then starting with 4 min run-2 min walk intervals. Will do those probably through the end of the week and then pick it up a little. I don't want to ramp up too quickly because it is kind of nice running without knee pain!

Trying to stay on the wagon

So I ran 4 miles on Saturday, but it has been tough.  I'd like to run more today (Monday), and hopefully I can make the time.  It's been hard to stay on the wagon, but I want to make sure that by the end of May I can do a 6 miler in my sleep.  :)

6 miles in great weather

Nice weather today, although a bit warm and sunny for running (but I'm not complaining).  It was a hard run, and my longest in a while.  I want to get up to around 15 miles, and a few 5 milers in the middle of the week.  If I can consistently maintain that kind of running schedule through the nice months, and back off a bit for the winter, I'd be satisfied.

The pay off

5 weeks until my first official run, a 5K in Woodstock. I was feeling really good about my progress through the first week in March, however; since starting a new job I hadn't fit running into my new routine until today. I had always run in the morning before breakfast but no earlier than 7:30. Now, I am in the car by 7 and can't bring myself to wake up at 5 to fit in an hour run before my normal hour "get ready" routine. The solution seems to be running an hour after dinner at 7:00pm. Part of the reason it took so long to make this adjustment is because I'm finally starting to get over a cold that turned into a sinus infection, draining me for the last three weeks. I've been on medication since Thursday night and although I still am not feeling 100%, I felt well enough to put in a couple miles. I ran 2.5 miles today. I had to stop because my chest was all scratchy feeling from the infection. Water is helping now.

So, yeah, most awesome moment so far since I've started running. When I went to a walk in clinic on Thursday to get treatment for the sinus infection, a fairly fit looking nurse took my blood pressure. Upon getting the reading, she said "Wow, are you an athlete, do you run?" Now, I am not built like a runner, I've got plenty of pounds I'd like to drop just to be a healthy weight, so I was surprised she asked that question. I explained how I had been running consistently until a few weeks ago, to which she responded that she could tell, that my blood pressure reading had me as possibly the healthiest person in the building. At the moment I'm sure I was beaming with excitement. I didn't realize how impactful running would be on my health so quickly. I'm glad to see that there is already some pay off to this enjoyable hobby.

Going forward, I've got a strict 9 week schedule I will be following until the 10K race on May 31st. It's game time.

Derailed!

So I had a week with a stomach bug, at the end of which I ran a few miles.  Then a week in Florida, when I had no chance to run.  Then I get back, recover for a few days, and then my wife gets a baby shower invite the same day as my half-marathon, so now I have to look for another one.  Finally, I go running yesterday, doing 4 miles, and now my knee hurts...annoying!

It's hard to motivate myself back into things now.

Crazy Life

Running has taken a back seat to the job search for the past 4 months, but this is coming to an end! I have two offers- one from Michigan Tech and one from Portland State. I have decided to go with Michigan Tech!

I was so excited last night that I went for a half hour run after the basketball game, which apparently was a bad idea because my knee is absolutely killing me today! Ah well, I am running that race on Saturday regardless.

Post Saturday race, I am embarking on an adventure with a fellow Bryant alum. We will be traveling cross country for the next week and a half. Going from San Francisco back to New York via the southern US. I am pumped and hopefully will get to run in several states!

Once I get back to NY, I will begin training for the Mountain Goat and hopefully get back into a regular routine again.

Miles for calories, not calories for calories

Whenever I had used a treadmill in the past, it was to burn off calories and drop pounds. I'd painfully watch the calories rack up one by one until about 300 or 400. With a pound consisting of 3600 calories, an extra few hundred burned, didn't seem to make much of a difference, and therefore I'd never give the extra effort to improve my daily burn. Calories burned was not much of a motivator.

My goal since November, however, has been to run distances. I'd like to run an official marathon. Seeing my distance improve weekly, is a strong motivator to jump on the treadmill and push myself harder each time. I ran 5 miles on Saturday. It took me just under 60 minutes. Every tenth of a mile I ran past 4 miles felt like a major achievement, with 4 miles being my best to that date. The best part of running is the improvements you make over what you have already accomplished. It might be the hardest physically but the improvement is why I jump on the treadmill every other day in the first place. It just so happens, that with these incremental improvements, the calories burned seem to rack up on their own. 5 miles meant 750 calories burned. 750! That to me is just insane. I have never burned that many calories at one time, ever! Obviously more distance equals more calories, but it is the difference in mindset between the two strategies that I find so interesting.

Rack up the miles if you want to burn calories....don't aim to simply burn calories because you'll always feel like you are not getting anywhere!

4 miles on the treadmill...

...while watching battle scenes from the lord of the rings goes by much faster.  :)  I've been trying to run 4 times a week, with the long run at the end,  but I've only managed to do 3 a week, with the long one 3rd, and sometimes get the 4th in the next week.  I have to basically say that my week starts on Wednesday, because realistically I can't run Tuesdays (classes start at 9am, and I don't finish until 8:30pm).

I've been a bit more sore lately.  I need to stretch more!  That's my biggest failing, because sometimes it feels like it takes forever...just get me to my running already!  I do know if I don't stretch, then I will eventually get inured, which is no good at all.

Break day...and perhaps tomorrow

Ran 5 miles yesterday, and am starting my second week of training.  A break day today after the longest run of the week.  Tuesdays are crazy, and I might not get a chance to run tomorrow night, but I'd like to.  It will make the rest of my week a bit better.

Mind over matter

Back to back posts today. After rereading my previous post, I decided to not make any excuses and to at least get on the treadmill and walk. I walked at a 3 for 2 minutes and noticed that my ankle didn't hurt too bad. I wanted to see if I could do a 5. I ran at a 5 for 2.3 miles. I stopped because of cramping in my side not because of my ankle. I ran basically right after eating, not expecting to accomplish much, hence the side cramp. It felt so good to push through the pain and watch the distance rack up. While running, I called my sister, who is a runner herself, to help distract from the pain and make the run go by more quickly. 8 tenths of a mile went by rather fast while on the phone.

I don't think I would have run today if I had not written that last post. Seeing it down on paper, that I was accepting failure, made me want to give it all I could. I will not sell myself short.

First set back

February 12th was the first time I ran for distance on my new treadmill. I ran 2 miles straight through....I'm pretty proud of that accomplishment. Since then, I've run 2.1, 2.5, and 3.0 miles, every other day consecutively. I thought I'd make it to 5k with no problem on my next running day. On 2/20, I was all pumped up to run my first 5k. I started out super aggressive. Running a 6 seemed to come easy, although to that point, I had primarily ran at a 5. I ran a 10 minute mile...but at a major price. I pushed myself through ankle pain, which now, two days later is still aggravated just by walking. I should be running today, but that will not be happening. I hope I will be able to run again tomorrow.

And the Season Begins...

Last week I mailed in the registration and fees for my two spring races, so I supposed it is time to get back to training. The Shamrock Run is a 4 mile run through the Irish section of town on March 6, and the Mountain Goat Run is THE run to do in Syracuse- 10 miles of hills on May 2.

The weeks and months that have passed since the Newport half-marathon have been quite interesting. I kept up running between 16-20 miles per week after a week of rest post-Newport, but the search for a job, the holidays, and a terrible cold and sinus infection, and the search for a job (still) got the better of me, so I feel like I am starting from scratch again!

I have been picking up the training, doing alternating days of running and cross training (mostly elliptical and bike) indoors. It has been too windy and slushy to get outside. As usual, I am battling sore knees, which I am trying to get better by strengthening.

Official training for the Mountain Goat begins on March 15. Until then, I will continue to build my base and work on overall fitness! Haven't thought about goals for the race. That will have to wait until I get a job!

Good luck to everyone in your training!

4 miles and not speeding

As I was heading back on the 2nd half of my 4-mile run, I ran past one of those machines the police put up to broadcast your speed to show you whether you're going too fast.  I wasn't breaking any speed limits, but I did register at 6 mph!  :)

It was a little windy today, but not so cold.  As seems typical of my runs now, the first mile or so are really tough but then I get into the rhythm or something and the last parts of the run are not as bad.  I'm starting to notice the switchover from being limited by cardio (getting winded) towards being limited by my legs tiring.

So it begins

I'm nearing the end of my first week of training. This is the first time I've trained for something that no one has suggested for me. I've always been content to take advice and live a "sensible" life, as it was labeled, to pursue only my strengths and not waste my time on things that will never amount to anything. I asked myself a few months ago, what else is there for me? I'm married, I have a beautiful son, nice house/nice cars, I've climbed the professional ladder quickly only to find myself stepping off it for a while to reassess things. What is really important in life? We only get one life and I'm going to start living! That is why the running began. I'm not trying to impress anyone....I run for me.

I began casually running in November 09. With the new year ringing in, I decided that signing up for a 10K would be my first step towards committing to my new year's resolution.....to push myself outside of my box. I purchased a NordicTrack 2550A in January, which was finally functional on February 10th. I'm signed up for a 10K on May 31st. I still can't believe I'm doing this.

This is getting long winded and I've got to go get the little one ready for bed. Next time, I'll blog about my progress so far. Peace out!

Treadmill vs Outside

So I ran twice on the treadmill and twice outside this week.  I have to say that outside running is ultimately more satisfying, but much harder!  Part of it is the wind but I don't think that accounts for it all.  For some reason the treadmill seems more repetitive, so perhaps it is the small side-to-side adjustments you have to make outside that you don't with a treadmill that makes a difference.

I won't run in the rain, by choice, unless it is a race but I will run in the cold and (now) the dark, with a headlamp.  It is harder to motivate myself to get outside, but once outside is it much easier to motivate myself to finish a hard run.  It's too easy on a treadmill to call it quits early, because I'm already at home.  If I tried that with an outside run, I'd be stopping a mile away from home!

A week off, a week on

Just finished my final 30-minute pre-training run.   It was outside, cold and windy.  I ran today without a jacket, because I'd been too warm by the end of the run yesterday with a jacket.  The first 1.5 miles were *cold*!!  Although I warmed up by the end, I'm not sure it was a good choice to not wear a jacket.

Now on to the half-marathon training!  (my schedule can be found here: http://runningblais.blogspot.com/2010/01/after-long-break-im-back.html)

Felt lousy...did run anyway...

...and now I feel just fine!  I had a sore throat all day today, and was kind of weary.  I decided to do my run anyway, because it was going to be short (25 min) as part of the pre-training.  My sore throat felt better afterward, and I had a lot more energy!  Wow!

My running friend Joe told me that he runs when he is sick, as long as it is from the neck up.  Anything from the neck down (i.e. respiratory, digestive, etc...) he doesn't run.  Sounds like reasonable advice.  Tomorrow I hope to do my 25 min run outside (Sunny, with a high near 25. Wind chill values as low as -5. cold!).

27 degrees and dark - a nice run!

So I got a head lamp, which seems to work fine for letting me run in the dark (yay!).  Now I just have to figure out what to do with the cold.  I ran 17 minutes, walked 3, then ran 16 minutes again.   This was the first run outside since the half-marathon in October.  I feel a little wheezy, but that is probably due to the cold.

However, with the head lamp, I felt a bit like Locutus of Borg...

Another run down, tomorrow is rest day

I really feel it in my legs, the lack of running for several weeks.  However, one of the things that I haven't lost is the knowledge that I can do it.  It is a good thing to sustain me through the tough parts of the run.  I'm taking this by the numbers, in the hope that I won't get injured.  So far so good!  Tonight, 15 minutes run, 5 minutes walk, repeat.  Two more days of this (Saturday and Sunday), and then I notch it up a little next week.

After a long break, I'm back

So I haven't run for weeks, and it has started to get to me.   But I needed a goal too.   So I decided to run another half marathon, because I really didn't want to take the time to train for a marathon, and I thought that a shorter run would not be worth the registration fees, etc...   Then I had to find a race with a reasonable date, so I chose this one:  http://www.rhoderaces.com/ which is on May 2.  It's a tall order to train for a half marathon during the winter, but I didn't know what my summer schedule was, and I didn't want to run in the middle of the summer, and October seemed too far off for a goal, and on and on.  :)

I received the book "The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer", and it has been very good.  I am going to  take things slowly, and will ramp up to running a half by around May 2, about half of the listed marathon training schedule.   I ran my first night tonight, which is part of the pre-training weeks.  15 minutes run, 5 minutes walk, 15 minutes run, 5 minutes walk.  The schedule requires 4 days a week running.  Here is the schedule:

Let the running commence!