1,000 Miles

I've been sick and busy, and too busy to be sick. I know I should not have ran today, but it was the last day of the year. If I was to have a 1,000 miles in by the end of the year, it was now or never. I only needed 2.1 miles, but ran 3.1 to have 1,001 miles from August 2009 through December 31, 2010. I hope to get in 1,000 miles in 2011.

It was 66 degrees, mostly sunny, and windy at 1:00 pm when I headed out. The run was rough for many reasons: tired from the Christmas get togethers, sickness, and other stuff that had to be done. I also had eaten only half of a candy bar all day. It took me 30:49 (9:56 pace) to complete the run. Heart rates: avg. 160, max. 178, rest 82. 82 is highest in a long time.

Catchup

After running for 3 consecutive days, I took Christmas day and Sunday off. I planned on running Monday after Sherri and I got back from the mall and eating lunch. She had wanted to hit Hobby Lobby when it first opened Monday morning. Before we left, I told her I was aching a little. While we were gone I felt tired, but I just thought it was everything adding up over the last few days. As soon as I got home, I went to sleep on the couch. I felt I was getting sick. When I awoke, I had broken a sweat. I hoped this meant that I would escape sickness. Tuesday was my worst day. Wednesday I felt good during the middle of the day. This was after the drugs took affect and before they wore off. That evening, although I was worn out, Sherri and I went to Sears. We had someone to work on our refrigerator on December 11 and it had stopped working again. I called them to come look at it again. I called them at 8:30 am on Tuesday and was led to believe it would be 2 or 3 hours. I called them back at 2:00 - they would be "straight out". Never heard from them on Tuesday. Never heard from them on Wednesday. So, we went to buy a new one. We also got a new washer and dryer. Thursday I kept my brother, Shane, busy carrying two dogs to get shots. A lot of time was taken - the previous sentence doesn't do the situation justice. That evening Sherri and I moved the old washer and dryer into the garage. We realized the dryer vent would need replace, so I made a run to Lowe's about 7:00 pm. Friday, I was under the house redoing the dryer vent. The old vent was pretty much nonexistent. The amount of lint under the house is unbelievable. After the delivery of the new appliances was complete, I got in a 3.1 mile run, before having to get ready to go to Crissy's for NewYear's Eve.

December 24, 2010

I forgot that had not logged this run. I guess because it was just another boring run. It was 38 degrees and breezy at times. Mile 3 was the slowest - 8:44, 9:46, 10:07, 9:45, and 9:49. Total time - 48:11 (9:38 pace). Heart Rates: avg. 167, max. 183, rest. 70. Recovery from 179 to 159.

Ditto

Pain-wise and time-wise today was much like yesterday. It was 38 degrees, so i only had on one long sleeve shirt. I was not prepared for the cutting wind and the windchill factor. My legs hurt in the same areas, but felt stiff due to yesterday's run. I did finish about a minute faster, though - 47:37 (9:31 pace). My slow mile now seems to be Mile 4. 8:38, 9:38, 9:35, 10:11, and 9:35. Heart rates: avg. 167, max. 183, rest. 70. Recovery. 171 to 115.

Not a Good 5 Miler

First day of winter, but the warmest day in about a month. It was 45 degrees at 9:00 am and cloudy with rain in the forecast. There was only some misting during the day in my neighborhood, though.

The run was not a good one. My weight has hit a new 6 month high. My shins hurt; my feet across the bends at the top hurt. Even my right knee cap hurt. My time was also quite slow - 5 miles in 48:34 (9:43 pace). Mile 3 wasn't my slowest, though. 8:42. 9:53. 10:18. 10:21. 9:21. Two miles over 10:00 - not what I wanted to see. Heart Rates: avg. 166; max. 183; rest. 74. Recovery: 174 to 120.

Back (Once Again)

After a 10 day layoff, I ran 5 miles today. It was 30 degrees when I ran at 8:00 am. It has been cold; 5 degrees kept me from running one morning. I have an excuse for each day, but will save you from reading them.

I ran the 5 miles in 48:13 (9:39 pace). I feel so slow and heavy that I want to give up. I feel like I am having to start over again, and it was torture when I first began running. I do know that it will get better, if I stick to it.

I finally put a new battery in my heart rate monitor: avg. 169, max. 185, rest 66, recovery from 171 to 124. As usual mile 3 was my slowest: 9:01, 9:35, 10:35, 9:24, and 9:38.

16 Degrees!

I was up and dressed to run before 5:00 am. Since it was early and only 16 degrees, I had decided to go back to bed until time to get ready for work, but my wife said, "If you are planning on running a marathon and half marathon, you need to train." Out the door I went.

Of course, it was cold at first, but I warmed up; I had dressed warm enough that I broke a sweat. I ran today's 3 miles a minute faster than Monday's. 28:03 for a 9:21 pace.

A neighbor, getting her paper, said she couldn't believe I was out in this weather, but then she added, "You are dedicated." I hope to be. I don't want these cold, early morning runs to be worthless. I've got to keep it up.

Dedication or Stupidity

If you have read parts of my blog or viewed the Log Your Run table on the right-hand side, you know that I am not "dedicated". So, it must be "stupidity"!

I was running at 5:00 this morning. It was 23 degrees! At times, I was also heading into a strong wind, but not often, thankfully. I was afraid that if I waited until I got home from work I wouldn't run at all today. So, if I have the urge, I better do it! I dressed warm enough that I broke a sweat, but I guess my legs never completely thawed out. Well, that's my excuse for my time being on the slow side. A total time of 29:02 (9:41 pace) for a 3 mile run.

Up to Five

My wife woke me up about 7:00 this morning and said I better take the dog out before it began raining. I knew the forecast called for rain, and I wanted to try running 5 miles, so I jumped right up. After that, I loaded the garbage into my truck and hauled it to the dump - almost a month's worth - before it rained. Once back home, I was in no hurry to get ready to run. Secretly, in the back of my mind, I was waiting on the rain to talk myself out of running. However, there was still no rain as I headed out the door at 9:00. I thought that my brother, Shane, should be completing Mile 6 (probably farther than that with the adrenaline pumping) in the St. Jude's Marathon in Memphis. Six miles - with 20.2 more to go. And I was only running 5.

It was 44 degrees when I headed out, with a forecast high of 45 and rain. (The temperature reached 60 with no rain, though). I was a little surprised by my time - 43:48, a pace of 8:46. 8:42, 9:03, 9:09, 8:34, and 8:20.

After I finished my run, I was thinking that Shane should be somewhere between Miles 11 and 12 by now......

Made Myself Do It and Got a Surprise

I didn't get up early enough to run this morning, so if it was to happen it had to happen after work. After I had to stop by Foodlion for Sherri, I was even later getting home, and leaning even more towards not running. But I ran! It was dark and 38 degrees. I ran as if I was only running 1 mile. I don't know why I was in such a hurry, except that I wanted to get it over with and eat. I am unable to button some of my blue jeans that I was wearing only a month ago. The last 2 runs have reminded me of what it was like when I first began running about a year-and-a-half ago - labored breathing and a heavy belly. However, I'm running 3 miles instead of one! The "pains" of this run led to my surprise of running it in 24:45, a pace of 8:15. Mile 1 was 7:55. Mile 2 - 8:23; Mile 3 - 8:27. I was EXHAUSTED afterwards, but the times made me feel pretty good about it.

Evidently, I Wasn't All That Serious

I was prepared to run over the Thanksgiving holiday, but it didn't happen. I carried my running garb to Mississippi with me, but never really gave running a thought. My excuse is/was "I'm spending time with family."

I planned on picking up again Monday morning (so I would only have a week between runs), but I couldn't make myself get out of bed to run before work. I thought, "No big deal; I will run when I get home from work this evening." However, it was raining when I got home, and I sure wasn't running in that downpour.

Tuesday, I overslept. Sherri wasn't going to work, so I had my iPod alarm set. I also had the sound level so low that I did not hear it. So, no running Tuesday morning. No problem. I will run when I get home from work. After I stopped by Foodlion, it was too dark (and I was too lazy) to run.

Finally, after 9 days I ran again. I thought today would be a good day to start - December 1st. Oh, it was not easy rolling out of bed and hitting the road at 4:45 AM! When I returned, Sherri asked me how it went. I said, "I hated every minute of it, because all I could think about was that I could be in bed." It was 32 degrees with a slight breeze. This morning my weight once again hit a number I haven't seen since June - 176.0. I wasn't going to type it, but I hope by doing so that it will help me work on it. It took me 26:26 (8:49 pace) to run these 3 miles.

I am struggling to run 3 miles on Wednesday, while my brother, Shane, will be running 26.2 on Saturday in the St. Jude's Marathon in Memphis.

Am I Serious?

I thought that after I finally picked back up on Saturday that I would run on Sunday, too. I was too tired and sore. What has happened? My legs haven't been this sore in awhile. So, no running on Sunday. However, I did run Monday morning.

It was a nice morning for a run at 5:00 am. The sky was clear and the moon was full, so I had some light. The temperature is around 20 degrees above normal for today, so it was a nice 61 degrees. Rain is supposed to be moving in for tomorrow morning, so I had the breeze blowing that upcoming rain in as well. However, my legs were still sore, and I weighed more this morning than I have since June 15. The run was just so-so, but it didn't kill me - 8:33, 8:56, 9:10. Total time: 26:39; Pace: 8:53.

For last year's Oxford Run 4 Hope Half Marathon, I didn't begin running regularly until January, because of my ITB injury. If I want to break the 8 minute mark in February, I need to get serious - NOW!

I Ran on November 20

Well, this was my second run in 21 days, and my first in 16 days. After a feel good Clarksville Half Marathon, I thought I could take a week or two off and pick right back up. I don't mean distance-wise, but at the pace of my shorter runs without killing myself to do so. I was wrong! It seems I have lost 3 months of training over the last 3 weeks of "nothing".

After getting a haircut, I drove out to the Animal House to get Morgan some food. I talked to Shane, who has 2 weeks before the St. Jude's Marathon in Memphis. Talking to him inspired me to get back on the road. After I got back home, I got up a few leaves (hopefully, that's all for the year), and Sherri and I put up a few Christmas decorations outside. Nothing like the previous years - we have 4 lighted deer, 3 lighted trees, some spiral trees, and a few other things that we did not set out. Thank goodness! Before we headed to Crissy's to help get her Christmas stuff out of the attic (Corey's working in Alabama), I decided to run.

I wasn't sure on how many miles to start back up with, so I went with 4, which is the number Shane suggested I should be able to do. I struggled through those 4 miles. My chest hurt all the way across - from armpit to armpit. I didn't want to finish - wasn't sure if I could finish. Times - 8:23, 8:56, 9:31, 9:13. Total time: 36:04. Pace: 9:01.

Am I Finished?

After running the Clarksville Half Marathon on Saturday, October 30th, I took a few days off from running. Then I ran 4 miles on Thursday (November 4th). I planned on 10 miles on Saturday, November 6, but plans changed. Sherri had BOTH Max and Lainey for the day, so I decided I would stay home and help out. I could run the next day. Sunday was a beautiful day for a run, but I just couldn't make myself do it. Now that the time has changed, it is dark when I leave for work and when I get home from work. It's not only dangerous, but I have the winter-time blues as well. I thought that I would try again to get a 10 mile run in on Saturday, November 13. After I mowed over the leaves, I just didn't want to run. Besides, I could run tomorrow. Of course, that didn't happen either. So now, it has been almost 3 weeks, and I've only ran once. I have decided not to run the R3 5 or 10 mile race this weekend.

Ran Anyway

My original plan was to wait until Saturday to run again, but I thought I may as well get back to it. After all, I have a runner that is "about" a decade younger than me wanting to run faster than me. I want to retain the best times for as long as I can, because I know one day he will catch me. He's running further distances than me already. Besides, he needs a lofty goal to achieve. :)

My ankle did okay until about 1.5 miles into the run. Once again, it felt like a cracked bone from the bottom of the ball across the top to the other side. I thought about stopping, but it was cool (53 degrees) and a strong wind that made it feel cooler. It worked itself out and had only a few instances of shooting pain the rest of the run. My concern, though, was my right ITB. It was last year after the Clarksville Half that I injured it before. I do NOT want a repeat. Before I had gone the first half-mile, I felt that familiar pain. I was hoping it would loosen up. The pain did ease up, but it was always nagging at me. After each strike of my right foot, I felt a sigh of relief that I didn't feel like someone shot me in the knee.

I ran the four miles in 33:41, an 8:25 pace. I will let this slide - this time - since I was worried about the ITB. If I am able to run a half marathon in a pace of 8:09, shouldn't my shorter training runs be under 8:00?

Trying to Get Back to Running

Later in the day after Saturday's half marathon, everything from just above my right knee down seemed to stop working. It was my like my knee was frozen and unable to bend. I could feel every cell in my calf resisting movement. I was thinking, "Oh, no. I don't want to feel this way for days or weeks." I didn't have to. A few hours later, everything loosened up. Now, my problem was my ankle. My ankle hurt all day Sunday. It felt like the bone was cracked from the ball across the top to the other side. Monday, it seemed to be moving from the ball to the bottom of the foot. Since I worked on Monday, I had to move my foot more, which evidently loosened my ankle up, because it seemed to be getting better that evening. During the day on Tuesday, pain ran through it only every now and then, instead of it being there every single step. By Tuesday evening, it was feeling good. Since I wasn't moving around too much the last few days, I sat around and ate a lot. Now, I have that extra weight to contend with when I get back to running. I plan to pick it back up on Saturday with a 10 miler.

Clarksville Half Marathon - October 30, 2010

The day did not start off as planned. I got up 10 minutes before the alarm was to go off. I guess knowing I had an extra 10 minutes made me "waste" too much time. After showering, getting dressed, etc., I let my truck warm up, since it was only 30 degrees (it did warm up to 71 degrees that afternoon), as I scarfed down some toast with jelly and swallowed a cup of coffee in one gulp (it was only warm). I don't know where the time went. I was out the door at 7:10, and I wanted to be there at 7:15. I drank a complete 32 oz PowerAde on the drive across town. It was after 7:30 when I got there. I hurried to take off the sweat pants, lace my shoes, prepare the GPS, etc. About 7:40, I called my brother, Shane. No answer - maybe he's at already waiting on me. I headed toward the crowd and got in line for the port-a-johns. It was a long line. I thought about taking a chance and heading to the starting line, but thought better of it. After all, I had a coffee and 32 oz of PowerAde. It was getting close to gun time. I finally got into a port-a-john. I peed and I peed. And while I was peeing, I heard the starting buzzer. I finally finished and rushed toward the starting line. The whole crowd of runners had already gone through. I had noticed that while I jogged toward the starting line I didn't like the way my shoes/socks felt, so I made some adjustments and headed through the starting line.

I felt like I was flying. I was zig-zagging past a lot of people. The sad thing about that is that most of them were walking. They were in it to complete it. I had a personal record to obtain. I was about to make another move onto the side of the round when someone grabbed my shirt from behind. I moved back over behind the slower jogger, because I thought I cut someone off. It was just Shane, though. After a short conversation, he told me to go on, he would see me at the finish. So, as the crowd was thinning out, I tried to find my pace and just run. I wasn't in a race with anyone, but myself.

I didn't see the Mile Marker for Mile 1, but my watch beeped indicating I ran it in 7:32. My watch beeped Mile 2 in 7:51. Mile 3 was 8:09. However, it was about 2 minutes later that I saw the course's Mile Marker for Mile 3. This continued for for the remainder of the race: about 2 minutes between my watch marking a mile and the course marker. About Mile 4, my ankle really began hurting. It kind of felt like the bone was cracked. I thought about stopping, because there was no way I could run 9 more miles. I ran by Mile Marker 4 and it got better, so I kept on going.

My main goal was to set a personal record, which is 1:57:33 (8:58 pace) in the Oxford Run 4 Hope Half Marathon back in February. I was really hoping for under 1:57:00 (8:55), and dreaming of 1:55:00 (8:46). Shane asked me last week what I wanted to run it in, and I jokingly said, "8:30", which would be about 1:51:20.

According to my GPS, I ran 13.28 miles. I guess the extra 0.18 miles was from weaving around people. My watch time was right on with the official chip time of 1:46:38. I beat my "dream" time by almost 9 minutes. I felt good during the whole race, except for the ankle episode and between miles 9-11... I don't know how to describle them - depressed, lonely, can't wait until it's over? After that, things picked back up - the finish was getting closer!

Amazingly, I ran every mile faster than my 8:30 joke with Shane. My slowest pace was 8:23, which I did 3 times (at Miles 4 (ankle), 6 (?), and 11 (sad)). My list of mile paces - 7:32, 7:51, 8:09, 8:23, 8:13, 8:23, 7:41, 7:51, 8:09, 8:09, 8:23, 7:58, 8:13, and the last 0.1 (or 0.28) 1:43. I never dreamed of a pace of 8:09!

Last year, 884 people completed the 1st Annual Clarksville Half Marathon. I thought that since it joined the Half Marathon Series, there would be over 1,000 people this year. Evidently, some people were not thrilled about some of the things going on and didn't support it this year, and only 493 people finished this year. I was 88th overall, 11 of 34 in the 40-44 age group, and 72 of 234 men.

My next half marathon goal: an 8:00 pace. It will be difficult, though. The Oxford, Mississippi Half is hilly, and it may be cold on that February day.

Breezy, Chilly, and Crazy

Sherri wanted to stop by the store on the way home from work, so I got a late start. It was 54 degrees with a strong breeze at 6:15 and on the verge of darkness. I wanted to hurry for safety reasons - there are no street lights on my route. I probably shouldn't have ran like crazy, though, on the last run before the Clarksville Half Marathon. Instead, I risked getting injured two days before the race I've been waiting almost a year for, and instead of giving my legs some recovery time, I pushed them to the limits. The good news is that the previous pains had gone away; there's just a little soreness in my right ankle.

Running crazy. Mile 1 was at 7:22. "Hey," I thought to myself, "that's pretty good." Then came Mile 2 at 7:12. Although I've blogged from time to time about how long it took to run each mile of a run, I've never really kept track of each mile. And I'm not going back through all the blog entries, which still wouldn't give me all the "per miles", because I didn't enter them all. Plus, my fastest miles were probably in actual races in which I did not wear my GPS, and I only know the final time and pace. Having said all that, I still feel like 7:12 is my fastest mile in 20 years. Mile 3, my consistent slow mile, was 7:37. My total time of 22:11 gave me my fastest pace in 20 years at 7:24, which beat the Houston County 5k by 3 seconds per mile. When training runs become faster than actual races, I feel like I am improving.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

After Monday's 5 miler, I was awaken several times during the night by a sharp pain shooting across the lower shin of my right leg. Occasionally, the pain shot through it on Tuesday and Wednesday. Of course, it occurred during Wednesday's run. It doesn't happen that often, so I'm not really worried about it affecting me on Saturday.

Mile 1 as at 8:00 and Mile 2 at 8:06. This got me to thinking about finishing the 4 mile run with a pace of 8:00. I knew I had to push a little for my usually slow Mile # 3 to do so. Again, an 8:06. Now, I had to run Mile 4 in 7:48 or less. I tried to maintain a fast pace, but I didn't feel like it was any faster than the previous 3 miles. So, with less than a 1/4 mile to go, I sprinted the best I could. Mile 4 - 7:33! I did it! Why? I don't know. Total time: 31:45; Pace: 7:56.

Monday, October 25, 2010

It was cloudy and 71 degrees when I headed out about 5:30 pm. I felt like I had a lot of strikes against me for what was supposed to be an "easy" run with the half marathon just days away. I was still recovering from having weekend visitors, eating way too much pizza (pizza sub Friday night, pizza for lunch and supper Saturday, a couple of small pieces that were leftover for lunch Sunday, and some pizza at my dad's Sunday night at his birthday get together; plus, all the other junk food over the weekend), running the two races Saturday, and my shins were killing me. Other than mile 1, they were all over 9:00 - 8:40, 9:35, 9:31, 9:13, and 9:03. It felt like I was running faster than these times, though. Total time: 46:02. Pace: 9:12. (A downer: I weighed 170.8 this morning; the first time I have been over 170 since July 19 and the half marathon is this weekend! When I should be at my lowest, I'm at my highest!)

10/23/10 - Sango Scamper 10k and 5k

I was not really prepared for these early morning races. Holly, Derek, and Max came in from Mississippi last night. After we ate (I had a whole pizza sub from Paul's, plus some chips and cookies while waiting on Sherri to get home with the subs), Derek and I went to Rural King, Lowe's, and Home Depot. He was looking to buy a generator. Well, long story short, he didn't buy anything, and I didn't get in bed until 11:30. I got up at 5:30 and headed out before 6:30. It was 43 degrees when I left. I drank some coffee and ate a couple of waffles (without syrup) on the way to the Sango United Methodist Church. After getting my race bag, I drank some PowerAde. Ten minutes until start.

The 10k was first. I began kind of in the middle of the pack. Even though I started out a little fast, I slowed down and resisted the urge to weave around people. Finally, everybody thinned out and I found a comfortable - but faster than usual - pace. 7:50, 8:16, 8:09, 8:09, 7:48, 7:48, and 1:40 for last 0.2 miles. Total official time: 49:40. Pace: 8:01. Finished second in my age group (40-44).

Since it was cool and breezy, I sat in my truck between races. For some dumb reason, I did not bring a dry shirt for the second race. I finished off my 32 oz PowerAde and waited until about 8:30 and headed toward the starting line.

I wanted to run the 5k a little better than what I did. However, the food, late night, and the 10k took care of that. It also seemed to be getting a little cooler as I was running the 5k versus the 10k. I ran 7:45, 8:02, 7:44, and 0:42 for the last 0.1 miles. My total time was 24:13. I was wanting it to be under 24:00. My pace was 7:49. I won my age group (40-44).

I did not stay around for the awards, because Max and Lainey were having a birthday party at the armory in Tennessee Ridge. I tried to watch Alabama and Tennessee that evening, but had trouble staying awake. After halftime, I slept through just about the whole thing. It was only 13-10 (Alabama) at halftime, but not even the close score could keep me awake. The final score ended up being around 41-10.

Missed a Day and Now Feeling Ill

I did not run on Wednesday - a week-and-a-half away from the half marathon and I did not run. I had other things on my mind to do. Buy and replace a belt on the lawnmower. I stopped at a few places and none had the belt I needed, so I didn't have to put the belt on when I got home. I was also to help Sherri around the house (at least vacuum downstairs), but since she did not have to keep Lainey all day, she had it all done, except shampooing the downstairs carpet. Now, what was I to do? Run. No. I just couldn't make myself get out the door. So, what did I do? I sat in front of the TV and ate. I ate some Goldfish - a lot of Goldfish, 2 bowls of cereal, 2 waffles, some cookies, and a bowl of ice cream. I guess it wasn't THAT bad. But I did not run!

Today, before leaving work, my throat began to feel a little sore. This led to a struggle of "run because I'm scheduled to, plus I skipped yesterday/don't run to avoid the risk of sickness". Of course, I was heavily leading toward the "don't run", but I ran. It was 67 degrees. I wore shorts, a short sleeve shirt, and a skull cap. I wore the skull cap to keep my head warm - one of the handicaps of being bald. I sweated during the run, but I didn't feel that chill on the back of my scalp as I have done before while running in cool weather. Again, certain areas of the route seemed much cooler than others. Swallowing was a little difficult for the first couple of miles. I thought it would get worse as I continued to suck in the cool air, but it actually got easier.

I ran 5 miles at an easy pace. 8:21, 8:13, 8:20, 8:27, and 7:58, for a total time of 41:19, a pace of 8:16.

Monday, October 18, 2010

I ran 13 miles Saturday and the thought of not being able to complete the run without walking didn't enter my mind until about mile 9. Today, the thought entered my mind at about the first half mile, and this was only a 4 mile run. Thankfully, I was able to keep up a jog for the whole way on both runs.

After Saturday's long run, I was worried my ITB would give me some problems. For some strange reason, it felt better on Sunday than it has for a long time. It also felt good today.

It was 70 degrees when I finished, soaked with sweat, but I was cold. There were some areas on my route that felt as if the temperature was 10 degrees cooler than most of the route.

The run was slow and easy - 8:45, 9:06, 9:03, and 8:55. Total time: 35:49. Pace: 8:57.

13.1 Miles - (Mile 3 was at it again)

It was a chilly 38 degrees at 7:00 this morning. After buying some outdoor play sets and checking out the other yard sales at our community yard sale (in which we did not participate, even though we really needed to) and going to the dump, I finally headed out at noon for my 13.1 mile run. The temperature was finally up to 76 degrees. I drank a cup of coffee early in the morning, ate a couple of waffles between 9 and 10:00, and washed them down with a swig of Dr. Pepper. The I ate 2 pieces of bread and drank 16 oz of PowerAde right before heading out the door. I didn't know if this would be enough fuel for 13 miles. I also carried some gummy Star Burst that I began eating on after the half-way point. I'm making note of it, because I felt pretty good during the run. Of course, I was running on empty toward the end - no matter what I ate, I would be slowing down at the end. I was worried about my ITB, since it has been bothering me for awhile. During the first couple of miles, a sharp pain ran through it a few times. Since overuse is one of the causes of ITBS, I was afraid that I would not be able to complete the entire run, but the problem went away.

As usual Mile 3 was my slowest mile until Mile 12 - both were 9:17. The times per mile were as follows:

1. 8:43
2. 8:45
3. 9:17
4. 8:59
5. 8:38
6. 8:48
7. 8:48
8. 8:38
9. 8:38
10. 8:45
11. 9:03
12. 9:17
13. 10:07
last 0.1 miles 0:47

I seemed to have hit a groove on Miles 5 through 10, before losing stamina. My overall time was 1:57:11 for a pace of 8:57 per mile. This is my fastest pace of anything 9 miles or more. The pace was 1 second faster than I ran the Oxford Half Marathon and 4 seconds better than Clarksville Half last year. I will be happy if I can repeat this pace in 2 weeks!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

When I headed out about 5:30 pm, it was a cool 65 degrees. Since the sun is going down sooner, the trees already had the sun blocked, so I was running in the shade with a slight breeze. When I finished the run, the temperature had dropped to 57 degrees.

Nothing spectacular for this 7 miler, but I did run faster toward the end. 8:51, 9:03, 9:24 (my slow 3rd mile), 9:17, 8:34, 8:38, and 8:05. Total time: 01:01:52. Pace: 8:50.

Out of my Head!

I had 7 miles scheduled for today and 5 for tomorrow. I had to make a couple of stops on the way home from work, so I decided to swap days to avoid running in the dark. My right ITB has been bothering me the last couple of days, which makes this run even more "out of my head". I probably should not have pushed it like I did, but I was racing against "Darkness". Then "The Clock" entered the race.

My first mile was 7:57. I was surprised, but didn't think much about it. I had 4 more miles to go and knew I would be slowing down. Mile 2 was a little more of a shocker - 8:08 - still a pretty good pace. Mile 3 is usually the mile I slow down in and my times remain around, until pushing some during my last mile. Today, it was 2 seconds faster than Mile 2. That's when it hit me: "I'm hanging around 8:00 miles, and I know I will push during Mile 5 (and hopefully, it will be under 8:00). Could I possibly run 5 miles under an 8:00 pace?" I ran Mile 4 like it was the last mile. I felt like I had slowed down quite a bit during the last half of it, and I may have, but the overall Mile 4 pace was 7:51. Through 4 miles, I was at 8:02. Now, I had to erase those 2 seconds. I ran hard. I was going to do it. At least, try to do it. For some reason, Mile 5 - the same stretch of road I've ran many times for Mile 5 - seemed a lot longer today. Finally, the beep of the watch I had been waiting for - Mile 5 complete!

Last week, I set a new best pace for 5 or more miles at 8:20. This week it was broken - shattered. My total time was 39:43, a pace of 7:57. To non-runners, the 1 minute and 58 seconds difference between last week and this week may only be "2 minutes", but for a runner (or for me anyway), it is a long time.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Slow 5 miler today. A week ago today, I ran my fastest 5 miler, but I decided I would run this one slow. I tried to put my pace on cruise control and just run for the fun of it. (If there is anything such thing as running for fun.) No pressure of time. No need to feel like I needed to push to make any progress in my running.

As usual, Mile 1 was a little fast at 8:32. Then 9:10, 9:28, and 9:06 - just cruising. Then came Mile 5, and I gave in and pushed a little at the end. It was my fastest mile of the run by 1 second. Total time: 44:46. Pace: 8:57.

APSU Homecoming 5k

I ran the APSU Homecoming 5K in 24:04 (unofficial). This was about a minute slower than the Houston County Fair 5k. I was kind of surprised, though. The HC Fair had a flat course, while the APSU 5k was hilly. I was also feeling full. I ate pizza Thursday night, carried the leftovers to work for lunch Friday, and stuffed myself at O'Charley's Friday night. I was miserable. The 7:46 pace is my second best pace.

After completing the race, I headed to the refreshments. No water! No sports drink! What? They did have coffee and hot chocolate. When registration began at 6:30, it was cool, but the temperature was to reach the mid- to upper 80's. I guess they just weren't thinking. I didn't try, but I bet it's not easy to turn up a cup of hot coffee/chocolate to quench your thirst after a 3-mile run. I will give them credit for having little cups of orange juice, but downing a few cups of acid was not really wanted I needed at the moment. They did have bagels, bananas, donuts, and some other food items. In reference to an 80's Wendy's commercial: "Where's the water?"

I walked to my truck where I had about 4 oz of PowerAde left. (I drank a coffee and about 10 oz of PowerAde before the race). I needed more, but would have to wait until I got home. I walked back to the registration area and waited to see if I placed in my age group. I was second in the 40-44 age group.

Needless to say, I was planning on running 11 miles when I got home, but it did not happen. I had 14 scheduled, so I was going to subtract 3 from it. I don't know how bad it will affect me by running 5k's on days I should be doing my long runs. I feel confident that I can complete the half marathon coming up in 3 weeks, but I want to be able to run it faster than last year. I don't care if it's just 30 seconds, I just want to improve on it.

Sad Note: #1 Alabama lost to #19(?) South Carolina.

October 7, 2010

Uneventful run, except for the pains. My calves were still sore, my shins hurt at times, and my right knee. I need to be careful with the knee. I have all these pains with the APSU Homecoming 5k on Saturday. Hopefully, Friday's rest day will help out.

I ran 4 miles, trying to be easy on the legs. I was consistently getting slower - 8:36, 8:48, 8:52, 9:03, for a total time of 35:19, a pace of 8:50.

October 6, 2010

This afternoon at work my calves began feeling sore. I don't know why. They felt fine Monday night after my 5 mile run, and there was no indication of any soreness on Tuesday. Anyway, I ran today's 6 miles hoping to work the soreness out. At times, I didn't feel anything, but most of the time I did - nothing major, just a little discomfort. I usually try to run the first mile at a pace that would be consistent with my overall time, but tend to start out too fast. My sore calves solved that problem for today. It was still faster that I thought, because I felt like I was hardly moving. Mile 1 was 8:47. The rest of the run was just another run with miles 2 through 6 at 9:10, 9:17, 9:20, 9:24, and 8:02. I did push somewhat on the last mile, because it was getting dark and I was on the main road. My overall time was 54:00 even, a 9:00 pace.

Fastest Pace for 5+ Miles

Even though today's weight was the most I have weighed since July 19, I was able to run at a pace faster than any previous runs of 5 or more miles. I did have some motivation, though. We picked up a pizza on the way home from work and I could not wait to get home to eat!

My shins were still a little sore, as were the tops of my feet where they connect to the ankle/leg. It was a cool 61 degrees with a brisk breeze, so I wore a long sleeve shirt for the first time this season. I ran the 5 miles in 41:41, a pace of 8:20. My miles were 8:14 (started too fast), 8:45 (more like it), 8:41 (still good), 8:17 (getting closer to the pizza), and 7:44 (pizza!).

Survived the Taylor, Mississippi Bigfoot

I ran 12 miles while visiting in Mississippi. It is 2.5 miles from Holly's house in Oxford to the Taylor city limit sign. I ran by some wooded areas and some open fields to the "ghost" town in the video. There is a post office not visible in the video that is still open. The town is about 5.5 miles from Holly's house, so I ran another half mile and turned around. Although I spent 7 of my 12 miles running in Taylor, I did not encounter the Taylor, Mississippi big foot, or as the locals call it - Loup Garou.

It was cool when I headed out at 8:30, and was just right by 9:30. I believe this helped with my pace, because I didn't eat a singe bite before or during the run. I only had about 6 oz of PowerAde before the run and nothing during. I know not a good idea. I was hoping to run at a 10 minute pace, but wasn't really counting on it. Most of the run was flat, but it started and ended on some "major" hills. Major Hills. I am very happy with my time of 1:57:46 (9:49 pace). No heart monitor.



Hilarious.

Wednesday 0, Thursday 5

This week's running schedule has been a total bust. I did not run Wednesday, because we rushed home from work and went to see the "Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames" drama. I did get in 5 miles this evening. I had planned on at least 6, but we got home a little later than usual and darkness was falling.

I ran the 5 miles in 45:43, a 9:09 pace.

Overdue 10 Miles

I was supposed to run 10 miles the day I ran the Houston County Fair 5k. Once I finally got home, I took a shower and watched Alabama beat Arkansas. I kept telling myself that I would run it "tomorrow". Sherri had a baby shower to go to after church, so she went to church in Erin and I went to church in Clarksville. After I got home from church, I rode the riding mower over the yard. I hated to do that on a Sunday, but it really didn't need mowing except in a few places. I thought I would run after - didn't happen. Instead, I watched football and ate junk food, just like the day before. Monday, I will get back on track... Again, it didn't happen. Sherri and I went to eat at Chili's after work. Chili's was donating the day's proceeds to the St. Jude's Children's Hospital. (In case you didn't know, I had a step-sister (Richie and Misty's half-sister) die from cancer when she was 18. Her mother and step-father moved her to Memphis. She's the reason I really wanted the St. Jude's Marathon to be my first marathon.) Well, I concluded that it was too dark to run by the time we got home.

Finally, on Tuesday, I would run. In calculating on how many miles I wanted to run, I added the 10 miles I missed Saturday, the 4 miles missed Monday, and the miles coming up for Wednesday (6), and Thursday (4), which gave me a total of 24 miles. I divided the 24 by 3 days (T,W,Th) for 8. I could run 8 miles each day to get my mileage back on track. However, I really wanted to complete the long run of 10 miles. I decided I would run 5 miles away from home and turn around. If I could only do 8, I would walk the last 2 and run 8 each of the following 2 days. If I could do 10, I would adjust the next 2 runs.

Although I hadn't had much to eat today (I had plenty of fuel stored up from the weekend) and did not carry a drink with me, I ran 10 miles. I felt good - real good. Better than I have felt on 4 and 5 milers. I guess the 68 degree temperature added to the comfort and easiness of the run. I've listed my times per mile, because I am amazed (and proud) at them:

1. 8:41
2. 9:15
3. 9:38
4. 9:49
5. 9:46
6. 9:38
7. 9:10
8. 9:35
9. 9:10
10. 8:38

Of course, Mile 1 was one of my fastest (second), since I have the tendency to start off too fast. My last mile was my fastest, mainly because I was on the main road for at least half of it, and I was trying to hurry so I wouldn't get ran over, because a car couldn't see me - it was just after 7:00 pm. I was hoping to average 10:00 per mile, so I was real happy to see that every mile was under 10:00. When I saw the time for Mile 4 (and Mile 5), I figured the later miles would be over 10:00, but somehow I ran them faster. I didn't push myself; I just ran a comfortable pace, except for part of Mile 10. Enough of the "bragging"...

Once again, no heart rate monitor battery and I would have liked to have seen the numbers. My overall pace was 1:33:19, a pace of 9:20.

Houston County Fair 5k

Ran the inaugural Houston County Fair 5k. I think I finished 5th overall. I was 2nd in my age group (40-49), behind Cousin Todd (3rd overall?). His wife, Marlaina, was the first female finisher. Other family members that ran/walked the race include Sherri (my wife), Crissy (daughter), Shane (brother), Kayla (2nd cousin?) and Lainey (granddaughter) rode in a stroller.

Afterwards, we went to Fitz's to eat. I had a great time and wish it could happen more often - not just the running, but the visiting.

I ran my fastest (of the second 20 years of my life) 5k. I'm not sure if I will be able to beat that pace, because I doubt I will ever run another 5k with that flat of a track. My time was 23:06, a 7:27 pace. However, it was a minute or so behind Todd. It's not that he beat me, but how bad he beat me. One minute is like an hour to a runner.

I was scheduled to run 10 miles for my half marathon training, but I decided to put that off. I ate and watched #1 Alabama play #10 Arkansas. It did not look good for the defending National Champions. Arkansas scored on the 2nd play from scrimmage and, at one point, had a 20 to 7 lead. Bama fought their way back to a 24-20 victory.

A couple of 5k photos:

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Ran 3 miles, and even after another day of rest, my legs were still tired and sore. It took me 25:55, a pace of 8:38.

Tired Legs and Stomach Cramps

Tuesday is usually a rest day, but Sherri and I will be going through Dickson on our way home from work tomorrow; Brandi is to give us haircuts.

I had no idea my legs would feel so tired and sore. I had Sunday off and only ran 3 miles yesterday. About half mile in to the run, my stomach began cramping. It was my whole stomach, too - bottom to top, front to back.

I survived it, though, completing the 5 miles in 43:59, an 8:48 pace.

Just 3 Miles

There's not much to say, except that I ran 3 miles today. Sherri and I made a couple of stops on the way home from work, so I got a late start (about 6:30). It was at least cooler now (83 degrees), than the 94 of today's high. I tried to run fast, so I wouldn't be on the road at dark. My times were 7:41, 7:58, and 8:09. Total time of 23:48, for a pace of 7:56.

No 10 After All

I blogged the other day that I was dreading this 10 miler. However, this 10 miler turned out to be only an 8 miler, because I'm not running a full marathon training schedule anymore. I'm just preparing for a half.

I didn't head out until about 12:30 (Sherri and I had gone to some yard sales) and it was a sunny 91 degrees, so I was in a hurry to get back before the Alabama-Duke game came on TV. Once I got back, I decided to record the game and help Sherri finish mowing. I knew once I had a shower and watched the football game, I would not want to mow. Anyway, I ran the 8 miles quicker than I thought I would. I guess the desire to get back for the game outweighed the problems of this past week's other runs. I finished in 1:09:50, a pace of 8:44.

About the game: Alabama won 62-13. Last year's Heisman trophy winner Mark Ingram played for the first time this season. He missed the first two games after having knee surgery on August 31. His first carry went for 48 yards; the next for only 3; then a 50-yarder. Three carries for 101 yards!

Yes, It's 7 Months Away

Yes, I know it is just over 7 months away, but I signed up for the Country Music Marathon today. I didn't want to miss out on this marathon, like I did the St. Jude's. At least I have until April 30, 2011, to train.

Another Rough Run

I swapped yesterday's and today's mileage, so I ran this week's mid-mileage of 5 miles today. It was not much fun. It really has me dreading the 10 miler I have coming up Saturday. My ankles, shins, and knees were hurting. My right hip popped a few times early in the run, but all problems with it went away. My right side and stomach also hurt some. I also had trouble catching my breath, even though I ran slowly. My previous 5 mile pace was 8:49; today's pace was 10:06. My body felt like it was week one all over again.

Sherri's Birthday

Today is Sherri's birthday, so I didn't think I would run. I was a little late getting home from work, and Terri was there when I got there. After Terri left and we decided to stay home, I decided to go for a run. However, it was not the six I had scheduled. I went to the St. Jude's website to sign up for the marathon - it was sold out. The half was sold out, too. Now, I can ease up on some mileage, since the full is out of the picture. I can cut off a mile per run and be prepared, hopefully, for the Clarksville half. Instead of running five miles, though, I only ran three, because it was after 6:30 and it was getting dark. I hope to run the five tomorrow.

For some reason, the three miles were very rough today. I finished in 25:35, a pace of 8:32.

Another 4 Miler, but no PR

I had the opportunity to set a Personal Record for the 5th consecutive time on 4 mile runs, but it didn't happen. I did, however, make it my 5th best time out of all my 4-milers. My total time was 33:42, a pace of 8:26. I still haven't replaced the battery in the heart rate monitor. From time to time after the run, I felt a burning sensation in my right knee (the area in which I had ITB problems before).

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Ninth anniversary of 9/11 attacks.

After a couple of good running weather, the humidity has returned. When I took Morgan out at 7:45 am, it was already 75 degrees, and felt warmer than that. It was 83 when I left at about 9:30, and 93 when I returned and hour-and-a-half later. After last Saturday's "feel-good" 8 mile run, I was hoping for more of the same for today's 9-miler. Didn't happen. I was ready to start walking before reaching Mile 7 - was really ready before completing Mile 8. I kept going, though.

I must have hydrated too much before I left home and drove to the Salem United Methodist Church. I had to pee before leaving the parking lot. I didn't carry anything to drink with me, but when I returned to my truck after just over 5 miles, I had to pee again. I probably lost 2 to 3 minutes, as I also toweled off some (I was already soaked) and drank about 16 oz of PowerAde. I didn't want to carry a bottle with me for the last 4 miles, so I gulped the Powerade down. I tried to quench the thirst I had and prepare for the thirst that would be coming. Bad idea - it sloshed around for awhile.

Even though I lost a few minutes at my pit stop, I was still able to finish in under an hour-and-half, by only seconds - 1:29:36, a pace of 9:57. When I got home, Sherri had started mowing, so I finished push mowing a small section of the front yard. Then I push mowed the back. My legs were worn out!

I Will Probably Pay for It

I had already talked myself out of running before I got home from work. Both ankles, right shin, and left hamstring were a little sore. My knees felt tighter than usual, and my legs were also shaky at times, especially walking up steps. Rain also seemed to be moving in - it was already sprinkling with a darker cloud in the distance when I got home. I changed clothes, but not into my running clothes. The rain wasn't coming down any harder, and the feeling of "failure" for not sticking to my schedule, plus desire to break 8 minutes overcame me. So, back upstairs to change again. I still had to push myself out the door.

Before I began running, I thought that maybe I should walk the first tenth-of-a-mile. That way I wouldn't be so tempted to try to break 8:00, and risk further soreness. I wiped that out of my mind as I headed down the driveway - "A hard rain may be moving in, I need to get back as soon as possible!" The race was on.

The temperature was 75 degrees, just right to work up a good sweat. The rain picked up just a little and was steady throughout the run. The combo of sweat and rain kept me soaked. The sweat/rain was running down my face and I had nothing dry to wipe with. The rate at which the rain came down was at the point that I wished it would either stop or just pour down.

Mile 1 came in at 7:41. I knew I would slow down, because I pushed it hard. Mile 2 was 7:51. Okay, I was 28 seconds under. Keep pushing. Mile 3 was 8:09. I usually have a let down in Mile 3, and the 8:09 and 7:51 gave me 8:00. Now, all I had to do was run Mile 4 in 8:19 or less. "Push, push, push. Don't look at your watch. Just push." I did it! Mile 4 was 7:41.

My total time was 31:22, for a pace of 7:51. The fourth consecutive time of besting a 4 mile run. This is the best pace (and the only one under 8:00) of any distance since I was in my late-teens or early twenties. (Evidently, I could run a mile in 7:41, but I have been running 3 or more miles each time I run since December 2009.) I had less than a half mile "cool down" walk back home. I was already paying for it. It wasn't in any of the locations that were already bothering me. The added location was the right hip. It felt like it needed to pop - every last step home. My legs felt like jello.

No heart rates for today - the battery is dead. I would have like to have seen them, since this was the most consistent and hardest push I have done so far.

I Need to Slow Down

I need to slow down. I know I can't expect to go out and set a new personal record every time I run. On Monday, I set a new PR for 4 milers, but before that I set a PR for 6 or more mile runs on an 8-miler on Saturday. That lasted until today when my pace for this 6 mile run was 8:43. This desire to keep besting previous times is really beginning to wear on my legs. My knees were already giving me a little trouble. Now, the other parts of my legs are beginning to feel it. I do hope I have one more PR in me tomorrow, though. I would really like to average 8:00 or less on my 4-miler, since I missed it by an average of 2 seconds. After that... Slow down!

Mile 1 was at 8:45 - not blazing, but ahead of 6+ mile paces. Mile 2 was 9:13. Mile 3 was 9:06. It was after Mile 3 that I decided to go for a 9:00 or lower pace. Mile 4 was 8:20. Mile 5 was 8:41. Then my best time was Mile 6 with 8:13. A total time of 52:18. Heart rates: 165 avg, 187 max, 68 rest. Recovery was 186 to 131.

Labor Day - Monday, September 6, 2010

For the third time in-a-row, I beat my pace for 4 mile runs. However, it wasn't as fast as I wanted. It was another great day to run - sunny and 85 degrees, but it felt nowhere near the 85. There was also a nice breeze from time to time. The weather was "just right" to break the 8 minute pace for 4-milers; it was my body that was the problem. Even though I ran 8 miles hard on Saturday, yesterday was a rest day, and besides, I only needed to be 27 seconds better than my last 4-miler. Today's time was 32:09 (8:02 pace). 9 total seconds - just under 2 seconds per mile - would have allowed me to reach that goal!

Mile 1 was at 7:45. Mile 2 was tough to keep the pace and was 8:20. I made a little recovery for Mile 3 at 8:09. I knew I had to run Mile 4 in 7:45 or less. I pushed the best I could and could only manage 7:55.

Heart rates: 171 avg, 186 max, 68 rest. Recovery was 185 to 121 - a 64 point difference. The first time in the 47 times I've recorded recovery that it was above 59 (which I've done 4 times).

Saturday, September 4, 2010

In a hurry again today! I ran earlier than usual (9:00 am), and it would have been earlier if I had not have gone to Foodlion. As I was about to leave for my run, Sherri wanted to know if I would go to Foodlion. I said that I would, but she and Holly couldn't really make up their mind on what to eat for breakfast. Finally, a decision was made, and I went to pick up some eggs, bacon, and bread. After my delivery, I drove to the Salem United Methodist Church for a flatter running course. During the whole drive (about 2 miles) and the whole run (8 miles), I was thinking, "The faster I finish, the sooner I eat!"

It was a nice, sunny 62 degrees when I left and 75 when I returned. There was also a bonus-breeze. The high for the day was only to reach 79 degrees. With the way previous long runs had gone (including last week's 7-miler in 10:05), I was hoping to keep a pace under 10 minutes. "The faster I finish, the sooner I eat!" The first 3 miles were my slowest; the last 3 my fastest. I had tried not to burn too much energy in the beginning. I didn't want to have to walk any at the end. Also, I would have usually slowed down for a drink after about 5 miles, but not today. I kept on running - I was ready to eat a "good" breakfast. The weather, flatter course, and desire to eat made this run a success. It was my fastest pace of any run of 6 miles or more, including the 10k I ran in June. I ran the 6.2 miles at a pace of 8:54; today's pace was 8:51 (a total time of 1:10:44).

Heart rates: 162 avg; 183 max; 68 rest. Recovery: 183 to 124 - once again, 59 point difference.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

For the second time in-a-row, I beat my 4 mile time. Tuesday's pace was 8:22; I ran a 5-miler on Wednesday; and today's pace was 8:07. Dadgum 27 seconds cost me an 8:00. Well, it gives me something to shoot for.

I was "racing" today, because Holly, Derek, and Max were coming from Mississippi. After I got home from work and changed to run, Sherri said they would be at our house in about an hour. I ran for almost 33 minutes and walked about 10 minutes (I finished less than 1/2 mile from home. I thought that if I hurried I would be out of the shower before they got there. No such luck. They were pulling in the driveway as I reached the sidewalk.

Wearing the GPS on my arm causes me to lose a place to wipe sweat from my face. I cannot bring my arm up and brush the sleeve across my face, since the GPS is right under that part of the sleeve.

My ITB has again been bothering me a little lately - just a tingle every now and then. After today's run, it is more constant. I will have to watch it - I don't want to be sidelined for 2 months as I was before, especially with the Clarksville Half Marathon coming up at the end of October. Through FB, my cousin, Katina, asked me where I ran in preparing for the Clarksville Half (she lives around the corner from me). I haven't received a reply from my comment, but from what I read of her post, she "planned" on running the half, but due to her lack of actually training for it, she may be backing out.

Anyway, the numbers: 8:14, 8:16, 8:16, and 7:41 (total 33:27). My side was really hurting. I was really happy with the consistency of the first 3 miles, because mile 3 usually has a big drop in time. I ran like crazy for mile 4, because I wanted to secure a new best time. Heart rates: 166 avg, 183 max, 68 rest. Recover 183 to 124 (the 59 point difference equals my highest recorded drop).

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Uneventful 5 mile run on this sunny, 86 degree, Wednesday. I did have to wear my GPS on my arm - guess I will have to from now on. I almost cut off the circulation, because I wanted to make sure it didn't slide down to my elbow.

Time: 44:05. Pace: 8:49. Heart Rates: 163 avg, 181 max, 70 resting. Recovery 179 to 132.

Bouncing GPS

I was actually supposed to run yesterday. Now, I will have to run 3 days in-a-row to get back on schedule. It was a nice, sunny 84 degrees for this 4 mile run.

I wasn't expecting this to be my fastest 4 mile run, but it was - by about a minute - 33:28, a pace of 8:22. As in a FB conversation with cousin Todd, the faster I complete a run, the sooner I'm home watch TV and eating supper. I do not do anything that is suggested to improve speed, such as running up hills and some kind of sprints. I don't do any other exercising at all. I just try to keep my times from being "way" slow, while hoping to better my time in each mileage category. As Todd pointed out when he was urging me to run a marathon, It's about finishing the race, because I will never win one. Since I still haven't ran a marathon, I'm not sure of a goal, but I'm thinking about 4.5 hours. I also want to keep half marathons under 2 hours. I've been struggling with my long runs and the Clarksville Half is just under 2 months away.

Back to this run... Miles 1-3: 8:21, 8:31, 8:56. I decided I wanted an 8:30 pace after I checked my time while completing Mile 3, so I picked up the pace. I picked the pace up so fast (or maybe it was because of my flat-footed lumbering) that I ran out of my GPS. I was pushing along when I heard a "dijt-dijt-dijt". I looked down and there was my GPS unit bouncing alongside me, until it left the road for the grassy shoulder. I made a quick u-turn to pick up the unit and a part of the clip - I was in a hurry. The other part of the clip was still sandwiched between my hip and shorts, because the drawstring was tight. I ran the last 1/2 mile carrying it in my hands. Mile 4 came in - and I was quite surprised - at 7:41! Maybe the GPS malfunctioned, but it did say I ran 4 miles.

Heart rates: 169 avg, 183 max, 70 rest. Recovery 182 to 128.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Unfortunately, I believe this was the hottest day of the week, and I did not get out the door until 11:00 am. The thermometer read 92 degrees when I went out the door and 97 degrees when I got back home about an hour and 15 minutes later. I drank about 16 oz of PowerAde beforehand and then ran the entire 7 miles without a drink. I got a little thirsty, but nothing like I had the previous, shorter runs.

It took me 1:10:38, a 10:05 pace. Heart rates: 168 avg, 188, max, 80 rest (high). Recovery 188 to 171 (still breathing hard).

Thirstier

Today, I was thirstier than I was yesterday. About a half mile into the run, my mouth was completely dry. During the day, I drank 2 cups of coffee, 2 Dr. Peppers, 64 oz of water, and then 16 oz of PowerAde before I walked out the door. The water was the thing that mostly changed - it's usually none or little - and it didn't seem to help. Although, I guess the dry-mouth experience may have been worse if I hadn't drank the water. There was a time I was hoping to swallow a gnat, just to get some moisture. Then I thought, "It would be my luck it would hit me in the back of the throat and I would choke to death, because I couldn't wash it down."

I finally got out the door at 6:15 pm. (Sherri is out of town, so I fed Morgan, checked her water, and did some other stuff, before I left). It was sunny and 82 degrees, and I got a little chill around Mile 4, but it quickly went away. I tried to run a consistent pace, but, as usual, that didn't happen. Or did it? Mile 1 (8:29) was close to my overall pace of 8:31. Miles 2 and 4 were about the same pace, 8:16 and 8:13, while Miles 3 and 5 were 8:48 and 8:49. That would make Mile 1 8:29, Miles 2 and 3 averaged together = 8:32, and Miles 4 and 5 averaged together = 8:31. Pretty consistent.

HRs: 172, 188, 68. Recover 179 to 128.

Thirsty

I have been quite thirsty all day. I had 2 coffees and 3 Dr. Peppers. I didn't carry water with me to work and I will not drink water out of those faucets. Still, that is more than I usually drink during the day. Most of the time I have 2 coffees and am still working on a Dr. Pepper I left home with in the morning when in leave work.

When I got home today, I drank 16 oz of PowerAde before I headed out at 6:00. I thought I would get the urge to pee during the run, but I didn't. In fact, it is 9:15 right now and I still haven't peed, even after drinking another 16 oz of PowerAde and a little Dr. Pepper after the run.

It was a warm 84 degrees with a nice breeze. I ran 5 miles in 44:03, an 8:49 pace. Times: 8:46, 8:45, 8:52, 8:13 (what?), and 9:27. Heart rates: avg. 170, max. 187, rest 66.

I am planning on trying ton quench my thirst tomorrow.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Today marks the official start of my Clarksville Half Marathon training. After mowing the backyard, I ran 3 miles. It was a nice sunshiny 83 degrees at 6:30 pm.

I was already feeling tired and wondering if I was going to complete the run before I had even reached the first quarter mile. For some reason, I got an adrenaline rush and ran Mile 1 in 7:53. During Mile 2, I think my GPS lost the signal for a short time. I ran about 1/10th of a mile past the usual place that the GPS beeps 2 miles. Mile 2 was 9:24, which is another reason I feel the signal was lost. Since it was 9:24 and I knew I would not be setting any personal records, I lost my "drive" for mile 3. So, Mile 3 had to be slower than 9:24, right? Wrong. It was 8:38.

I have wondered before about some times and distances especially since the Oxford Half Marathon in February - I think my watch said 13.6 miles. Now, I don't know if anything has ever been right. Was my best run really my best run? Was the worst the worst? I know the GPS isn't always exact, but it should prove to be close. I know it sometimes takes a little time to relay signals from the satellites to the GPS and watch. For this reason, when I reach a turnaround, I slow down a little. Hopefully, the last few feet I ran will be recorded. If I do it too fast and the GPS takes some time to relay, it may pick up when I reach a place on the return trip. I just have to use the times and distances as "approximates". It is not like it is for official use anyway.

Back to this run. My overall time was 25:55, for a pace of 8:38. Heart rates: 172 avg, 186 max, 64 rest. Recovery 178 to 136.

Rough 6

I didn't get up until 9:00. That gave me about 11 hours of sleep and I still felt very tired. I also awoke in the middle of the night with a throbbing headache. Luckily, it didn't last until I got up as it did last weekend. After I went to the dump, got a hair cut, got the oil changed in the Xterra, and went to Foodlion, it was 2:00 before I got a chance to hit the road. At 9:00, it was 82 degrees, but the humidity made it feel a lot warmer. There were dark clouds that hinted of rain, but then the sun broke through - no rain. I think it rained all around us - again. It also has clouded up several times during the day, but still no success. It was 94 when I finally headed out.

I had planned on taking it easy today, and I did. A little too easy, though. Running 6 miles today would give me 20 miles for the week. That is less than what I have had scheduled, and I didn't want to go below 20. I think my Clarksville Half Marathon training schedule starts Monday, so I am a little ahead of that as of now. I have had such trouble with the 10 milers that I decided to cut back today and get closer to the Clarksville Half schedule. The bad thing is that today's 6 miles were just about as bad as the 10 milers had been. It took me 01:04:54, a pace of 10:49, to complete it. My times are just all over the place.

Heart rates: 158 average, 178 max, 54 resting. Recovery. 166 to 144.

Too Fast Too Soon (and Other Excuses)

I originally planned to run 5 miles today, but after 2 miles, I was worn out. The temperature was 10 degrees warmer (87) than yesterday at the same time, which also contributed to my failure. I think the main cause of my failure, though, was trying to better yesterday's pace. I kept telling myself during the day that I had to ease up a little when I ran this evening, because I would be running back-to-back days. However, once I was on the road, it was "Go, go, go!" to be faster than yesterday.

Well, my over all time for 4 miles was 36:17, a pace of 9:04. One thing that makes the 9:04 even worse is that I ran Mile 1 in 8:17 and Mile 2 in 8:31. So, in my demise, I ran Mile 3 in 9:31 and Mile 4 in 9:58. My running ego is in the ICU, only time will tell if it will make a complete recovery.

Heart rates: 167 avg, 183 max, 56 rest. Recovery 172 to 135.

The one plus of today's run is that when I tried to sprint the last 1/10th of a mile, the tank was empty. I had not saved anything - I gave it all I had.

Not bad. (if I say so myself)

The sun had just popped back out after a real good rain, when I headed out about 6:00 pm. It was a nice, warm 77 degrees, with some more clouds slowly moving in.

As I posted Monday, I need to get more consistent with my times. I tried that today, and I think it went pretty well. I didn't just try to maintain an easy pace to ensure myself of accomplishing that goal either. I tried to maintain a pace in which I was putting effort into the run. I wanted to be closer to the 8:16 of my last and fastest mile on Monday rather than the 9:00 mark. However, I did expect it to be closer to the 9:00 than my dream, but... Dreams do come true!

After checking my time at Mile 1, I thought, "There is no way to keep up this pace for 4 more miles" - 8:22. I was going to try, though. I was at least going to try pushing for as long as I could. I thought maybe Mile 5 would end up being 15 minutes, but the first 2 or 3 miles were to be around 8:22 - I hoped.

Mile 2 was just 1 second behind Mile 1. So far, a steady pace. Then Mile 3 came in at 8:38. I was slowing down. At this rate, Mile 5 (maybe even Mile4) would definitely be over 9:00 minutes. I had to pick up the pace. And I did, a little. Mile 4 was at 8:27. Now, for the home stretch mile, I decided I wanted to make sure I kept the entire run in a pace under 8:30. I was thinking it would be close. I had 2 miles in the low 8:20's, 1 mile close to the middle, and 1 at about 8:40. If being tired from pushing the first 4 miles slowed Mile 5 to over 8:40, I probably wouldn't make the goal. So, as I did on Monday, I pushed Mile 5 like I was running against other people. And again, as on Monday, it was my fastest mile of the run. Are you ready for this? I was shocked! I hope my GPS didn't go haywire. Mile 5 was a blazing (for me) 7:58! That really made me think that I have not been putting forth much effort lately.

My overall time was 41:48, a pace of 8:22. My fastest 5 mile pace, beating my previous personal record of 8:32 set back on October 7, 2009.

My heart rates: 170 avg; 184 max; 56 resting. Recovery 181 to 140.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Saturday morning, I had a throbbing headache. I took an aspirin and thought I would wait awhile before I ran. Well, I never made it out the door. Instead, I ate and watched TV all day. I thought I would try to run off some of that junk food on Sunday. Another plan that bit the dust. I did not get up in time to run before church, and after church, I didn't want to run. Another day eating and watching TV.

On Monday, the temperature was 89 degrees when I headed out for a 5 mile run. The humidity was not as bad as it has been lately and there was a nice breeze. It felt (to me) 10 degrees cooler than the 89. My legs seemed quite tired not to have ran since Thursday. I did Mile 1 in 9:02, and Mile 2 in 8:52. My legs began to loosen up during Mile 3, so I was disappointed to find out that I ran it in 9:49. I managed 9:17 for Mile 4.

Then I decided to try to kill myself. I had skipped the weekend's long run; I was just "going through the motions" of running today - I mean, I felt like I wasn't accomplishing anything. I was sweating, had aches and pains, and it did hurt a little, but I needed to do more. I thought, "If I was at practice of some sport with other teammates, I would be running harder than this. I need to run like that." So, I ran Mile 5 to the best of my ability. My mouth was now completely dry and my breathing was more like wheezing. Mile 5 in 8:16!

8:16 tells me one thing: I'm not pushing hard enough during miles 1-4. I don't want to start too fast and not be able to complete a run. And, it does feel good when you have a little extra to sprint at the end of a run - makes you feel like you dug deep and gutted it out, although you've been saving up energy just for this reason. However, the difference between my slowest mile (9:49) and 8:16 is a little ridiculous. The average of the fastest and slowest is 9:02. My pace for the entire 5 mile run was 9:03. Comparing the averages, I did okay. The thing lacking is consistency in the time of each mile. Also, if I hadn't pushed the last mile, my overall pace would have been closer to 9:30.

My heart rates: avg. 166, max. 189, rest 74. Recover: 186 to 128. I thought my max would have been higher. The 58 points between recovery tied for my second highest difference, but, of course, this was due to the push at the end.

How Could I Have Forgotten? Belated Birthday

I forgot to mention that I started running 1 year ago on August 10th. Cousin Todd and brother Shane urged me into training to run a marathon. I wondered, "Why would I want to go through the torture of training for a marathon?" Sure, I wanted to run a marathon, if for nothing else, just to be able to say I did it. I thought about it for a week or two. For some reason, I got up early one morning and ran 1 mile in 10:07.

It has been a roller coaster. In November 2009, my knee began hurting during a run. According to everything I read. it was iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS). This sidelined me for about two months. Then in March 2010, after running 16 milers on consecutive Saturdays, I ran 17 miles the following Saturday. I was totally exhausted, so I took a month off, except for two 3 milers I ran during that time. It has been a year and I still have not ran a marathon. On the bright side, though, I have run a few 5K's, a 10K, and two Half Marathons. And, the best thing, I feel much better.

Hopefully, I will conquer a marathon in the near future.

Because I was tired of it!

I have been mad at myself for the poor performances the last few weeks. Today, I decided I would try to turn things around.

Even though the sun was shining, it was sprinkling. I thought the rain was coming and that would be another incentive to push it. However, at Mile 1, in which I ran in 8:38, it was all sunshine. There was also some heat relief - 84 degrees. With the agreeable weather, I continued to push. Mile 2 was a little faster - 8:31. The first half of Mile 3 was not too good, so I tried to make up for it on the second half. I pushed until my side hurt. My right arm was also hurting. When these pains arose, I tried to maintain that pace. I just did finish Mile 3 in under 9:00, at 8:56. I didn't look at my watch during Mile 4 - I just ran. I felt my pace slipping, but I was trying to maintain my "pain" pace. Unfortunately, it was over 9:00 at 9:12. My total time was 35:17, a pace of 8:49. Not blazing, but finally something under 9:00 again.

My heart rates: avg. 169; max. 185; rest 74. Recovery 182 to 129.

Still Going Backwards

Only a few weeks ago I was blogging that I felt as though I was flying during my short runs. I felt I was really making some progress. Not so much in the area of speed, but that I felt I could run 4 or 5 miles without it being a major struggle. I could find a comfortable pace and just run without really having to think about it. Lately, I have been wondering if I would even be able to complete 4 or 5 miles. It has really been a struggle to finish the short runs. I can't seem to find a comfortable pace; I am huffing and puffing like it is Day 1; I'm feeling soreness in places that should not be getting sore anymore; My times are getting slower.

I finished off a dreaded bottle of water (something I've been avoiding lately) about 3:00. I peed, as usual, before leaving work. I had been on the road for about an hour when the urge hit me again. And I wasn't sure if I was going to make it home! Well, I did and hurried to the bathroom. I'm sure I emptied the whole bottle of water and more. I began changing clothes for today's 5 miler. Before I could get completely dressed, I had to pee again. It seemed I peed more than the first time. I was thinking, "I didn't drink this much all day." I suddenly began to feel thirsty, so I drank about 16 oz of PowerAde. As I headed out the door, I felt a little sick at my stomach. I took my time lacing my shoes and syncing my gadgets. I was still feeling thirsty and sickly. The two did not feel to be related. Two strikes - maybe I shouldn't run today. Since I only had two strikes, I hit the road.

As I said before, my runs are getting worse. Mile 1 was my fastest mile at 9:30. On July 19, my pace was 9:28 for a 5 mile run; on July 20, my pace was 8:58! Today's pace was 10:32, as I ran 9:30, 10:21, 11:40, 11:11, and 9:56. Two miles were over 11:00! What is going on? Today, I wasn't feeling my best, but the previous two 5 mile runs were 10:09 and 10:37, which also happen to be the two 5 milers after July 19 and 20. I know it has been hot, too. It was 97 degrees when I left out today. I'm not sure what the heat index was at that time, but it was to reach between 103 and 109 during the day. Still, the times shouldn't be that much slower.

My hearts rates: avg. 166, max. 190, rest 70. Recovery 187 to 150.

Monday, August 9, 2010 (aka 8/9/10)

I usually take a day off after a long run, but I want to try to get back on schedule for this week. I really felt the effects of yesterday, though. My legs were tired, my knees a little sore, and my hips were beginning to feel some pain. This led me to run my slowest 4 miler since February - 38:21 (9:35 pace). The first mile was okay at 8:50, but then I had 9:21, 10:07, and 10:03. Two miles over 10:00 on just a 4 mile run! I sure hope this drop in performance was because of yesterday. If not, I am only getting slower and less out of shape. My heart rates: 166 avg, 185 max, rest 76 (not sure why so high). Recovery was from 185 (my max, so you know I only pushed at the end) to 136.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Well, I failed to run my long run on Saturday for the second week in a row. So, it was Sunday or never.

I headed out around 12:30. Our thermometer had 100 on it, but it was actually 96 degrees with lots of sunshine. After last week's breakthrough of running the whole 10 miles, I failed on this 10 miler. I had to walk most of the last 3 miles. I think I could have jogged them, but didn't feel the "urge" to do so. My desire to keep running vanishes after I reach my pit stop. The pit stop is usually just over the halfway point, but today it was at around mile 6. A quick towel-off and the pickup of a cool beverage has me refueled and feeling good for the next mile. After that, though, the feeling goes away, and I'm struggling to keep up the jog. I know it's all in my mind, so I should be able to overcome it and keep running. Right?

My time slipped back to over 2 hours at 2:05:11, a pace of 12:31. My average heart rate was 155 (Since I've been keeping up with these numbers, this is the lowest avg HR and I did it once before on a 3 miler - proves I wasn't doing much), max 188, rest 62. Recovery was 170 to 123 (these 2 numbers also prove I wasn't getting much out of the run. The 123 is another record low).

I also have to admit that I think the run got the best of me. Even though I didn't push at any time and had to walk most of the last 3 miles, I paid a little price later. I was tired, of course, but later on I got a terrible headache. I took aspirin and Tylenol without any relief. After I went to bed, I woke up a few times with the pounding still in my head. Finally, I awoke covered in sweat, but without the headache - kind of like breaking a fever.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Well, after days (maybe weeks) of 90 degree temperatures and the hottest day of the year yesterday, I finally got to run when it was a "cool" 86 degrees. I'm afraid the coolness won't last long. The forecast is for Tuesday to be at 100.

Usually, Mile 1 is my fastest mile. Today, however, it was my slowest at 9:07. Each mile got a little faster - 8:52, 8:49, and 8:34, for the final 3 miles of my 4 miler. A total time of 35:22, an 8:51 pace. It seems I am on a running roller coaster. Yesterday's 5 in 10:37, today's 4 in 8:51. It's almost a 2 minute difference in time for just 1 more mile.

Heart Rates: avg. 162, max 186, rest 58. Recovery from 186 to 133.

Good news! Our neighbor has leased-to-own his house. The tenants have until January to buy, so it is probably at least rented until then. So, no mowing! We only had to mow it 4 or 5 times.

Hot! - Wednesday, August 4, 2010

According to news stations, today is to be the hottest day of the year. And the hottest day since 2007. The official temperature hit 101 degrees. There was also an "excessive heat warning" alert. I'm not sure what the heat index reached in our area, but I'm sure it was over 110. Yesterday, the heat index hit 121 in Memphis and 116 in Jackson. I saw the weatherman just before I headed out the door at about 6:30 pm. He said it was 98 degrees with a 107 heat index, at the moment.

Since I did not do my 10 mile long run until Sunday, I did not run my 4 miler on Monday. I also took my regular Tuesday rest day. So, extreme heat or not, I had to run today's 5 miler. However, the heat was not the thing that was making me most uncomfortable during this run. It was ALL the JUNK I've eaten the last couple of days. Monday, a CPA was at the office checking out the books. The owner's wife fried some chicken and cooked some other things for the occasion. Although I didn't any of "that" food, I did eat more than I usually do for lunch, especially the Cheetos. That same night, I ate 7 biscuits, ice cream, and some other stuff. On Tuesday, the CPA and I went to O'Charley's. That night I had pizza, ice cream, and Cheetos. I'm used to a a few peanut butter and crackers or cereal for lunch. I usually eat more than I should (and later than I should) for supper, but I'm usually not already stuffed. This eating binge weighed heavy (no pun intended) on my run.

I took it easy - easier than I should have. I let the combination of heat and extra weight convince my mind that I should be struggling. So I struggled. When, in fact, I could have been running faster. I finally overcame the feeling of "this is the last 5 miles of 100 miles through the Sahara" with about 1/4 miles to go. Mile 1 was fine - 9:26. Then 10:28, which I thought I could live with considering the heat index, and I didn't want to suffer heat exhaustion. Miles 3 and 4 were really slower than I should have done - 11:07 and 11:19. As I said, I picked up toward the end of the run, but the damage was already done, and Mile 5 was at 10:43. Overall, it took me 53:03, for a pace of 10:37.

I did keep my average heart rate down - 161. I didn't want to have a heat stroke. My max heart rate hit 186, but that was only because I tried to "run" some during the last quarter-mile. My resting heart rate was a LOW 50, but I'm not sure if that is right. I need to watch the heart rate numbers; the battery may be dying. My recovery went from 184 to 130. Again, the first number is because of the push at the end. Still, it dropped 54.

No Walking! Sunday, August 1, 2010

This 10 mile run was supposed to be ran on Saturday. I've been so tired lately that I didn't get up until 9:30. It was already 86 degrees and getting hotter. I just kept putting it off all day. I thought about calling Shane to see if he was running, so I could go run with him - that would more likely "force" me to run. Later on that evening, I was totally out of the mood to run and was glad that I didn't call him. Sunday, though, I had to run...

I pushed myself out the door about 3:30. It was sunny and 91 degrees, but didn't feel all that bad. The first 5 miles I carried a bottle with less than 8 ounces of PowerAde. Last week I only used up about 8 oz during the first 5 miles and the liquid was already sloshing in my belly. If sloshing was to occur, I wanted to be be after I was half way through.

About Mile 6.2, I reached my vehicle for my pit stop. I toweled off my face and head, but didn't change shirts as I had planned. I had tied up the sleeves on the shirt I started off with, but not the replacement shirt. I had already decided before I got there that I wasn't changing shirts, because I didn't want to fight with trying to keep the sleeves on my shoulders for 5 miles. I picked up a 32 oz bottle of PowerAde and continued on my way. I only lost about 30 seconds at the pit stop.

I carried the PowerAde bottle like it was a football. I had frozen half a bottle and filled the rest before I left home. It had already melted some before I picked it up, but there was still a chunk of ice. I occasionally swapped it from side to side to help keep me cool. It wasn't long before it was completely melted, though.

My times gradually increased the first 7 miles (9:28, 10:10, 10:14, 10:21, 10:39, 11:07, 12:08). Miles 9 and 10 went down from Mile 7 at 11:18 and 11:00. I was ready to be finished, so my pace picked up a little. My total time was 1:47:03 for a pace of 10:42. The time was 20 minutes faster than last week's 2:07:33 (12:45). It was also faster than 2 other attempts in July - 1:55:57 (11:36) and 1:52:45 (11:17). The reason for a better time: "No Walking!" I kept up a slow jog for the entire run, except for the pit stop and to take a few swigs of PowerAde when the bottle was mostly full, so I wouldn't spill it all over me - and those were just a few steps.

Heart rates: 166 avg; 187 max; 62 resting. Recovery from 187 to 151.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

It was cloudy and 88 degrees when I walked out the door. Just as I was about to hit the "start" button on my watch, there was a rumble of thunder in the distance. I thought that I needed to hurry or get wet, but even if I hurried I would probably get wet any way.

I completed the first mile of my 4 mile run in 8:34. I tried to push Mile 2, but the pace of Mile 1 was catching up to me, and I finished it in 8:48. Not too bad, for me.

The nagging question of "Why are the 4 and 5 mile runs becoming more difficult?", came to mind in Mile 3. I feel so tired this week for some reason, but still I've ran 4 and 5's for weeks now. I was comfortable running them, even a little cocky, I guess. As I would be heading out the door, my wife would ask, "How many are you running today?" I would say, "Five", like it was a walk in the park. Maybe the karma of cockiness is teaching me a lesson.

Miles 3 and 4 also dropped - 9:31 and 10:14. A total time 37:07 for a 9:17 pace. I have had 4 miles over 10:00 minutes in my last 2 runs. Three of Wednesday's 5 miles (10:00, 10:35, and 11:00) and today's 4 miler had one (10:14). My runs are not only getting tougher, but slower. I don't know what is going on.

Even though I ran an 8:34 mile 1 and struggled most of the rest of the way, my max heart rate only reached 182. I guess maybe I could have pushed harder, but whole body felt tired, especially my legs. My average HR was 166. My recovery was only 170 to 160.

My worry of the threat of rain was mute. It did thunder a few more times, but about half way through the run, the sun came out! I think this was one of the muggiest and sweatiest runs I've ever done!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

After about an hour-and-a-half of mowing and weedeating, I hit the road for a 5 mile run. I was already sweating like crazy as I changed into my running clothes. I drank a little PowerAde and was still quite thirsty, but was too nasty to go inside.

I planned on this being an easy (slow) run, and it was - a 10:09 pace. I was wondering if I was going to be able to finish the whole 5 miles. After several weeks of running 4 to 5 milers, one would think the runs would be getting easier. However, it seems to be getting harder for me.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Another day for flying?

On the way home from work, we stopped at Foodlion for Sherri to run in and pick up a few things, so we were a little late getting home. Sherri said she was hungry, so I decided I wouldn't run, since I was to grill some hamburgers. She told me she had to do some other things first anyway and to go ahead and run.

I had decided after Saturday's "failure" that I would run 5 miles on M,W,T and 10 on Saturday until I got it right. Since Sherri would be waiting on me and we didn't need to be eating supper after 8:00, I decided on 4 miles. Before I finished Mile 2, I was thinking, "Maybe just 3 miles today!" It wasn't easy, but I forced that thought out of my head and ran 4 miles. I even almost stopped somewhere in the middle of mile 4 and was going to call it a 3.x run. But I pushed on. I really struggled that last mile. I guess I was still feeling Saturday's 10 and the previous 2 weeks of not running as scheduled. (I've got to get back on track). I was also feeling the effects of trying to "fly" through this run. The thought of Sherri waiting had me run Mile 1 in 8:25 and Mile 2 in 8:24. Instead of turning around and heading toward home, I ran a little further, so I wouldn't be as tempted to stop after 3 miles. Mile 3 came in a 8:52.

Now, I wanted Mile 4 to be under 9:00, too. I was already on the verge of slowing to a walking during Mile 3, but I ran as hard as I could. I was gasping for breath and just wanted to fall over in someone's yard. When it was over, another 8:52 mile!

This 4 mile run in 34:33, an 8:38 pace, is the fasted I have ran 4 miles. My previous best was 8:51 in February. I was kind of consistent: 8:25 and 8:24, then 8:52 and 8:52. My heart rates: 173 avg, 189 max - I thought both would be higher, especially the max with the way I was struggling. Recovery was from 189 to 148. It was 90 degrees and totally cloudy. The urine was bloody. I kind of expected it, though.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

I meant to be on the road between 8:00 and 8:30 am, since today was to be a scorcher. Well, I didn't quite make it - it was 9:30 before I hit the pavement and a cool 86 degrees.

Although I knew this 10 miler was going to be difficult, I was excited about running it. I'm not sure why, except that "double digits" makes me feel like I've accomplished something. I did not run a long run last weekend and had not ran since Tuesday, that, plus the heat, was why I knew this was not going to be an easy run. I've also failed at my last few attempts of completing 10 milers without walking.

I started off slowly. Mile 1 was 9:43, Miles 2-4 over 10:00, Mile 5 at 11:01. I ran the first half with a 16.9 oz bottle of PowerAde. I still had half when I returned to my vehicle. About half of the half I used, I just rinsed and spit. At my truck, I changed shirts, toweled off a little, peed, and exchanged my 16.9 oz bottle for a 32 oz bottle. I guess I had to pee, because I tried to hydrate some before I left home. I lost about 2 minutes at the pit stop.

Instead of running the same out and back for the last half, I decided to run in the opposite direction. I was hoping a change of scenery would be more expiring. Other than the pit stop at about 5.1 miles, I kept up a jog through 6 miles. I had to do some walking during the final 4 miles. Miles 7 and 8, not too much with times of 13:20 and 13:30. Miles 9 and 10 were quite different - 17:47 and 18:01. I also drank the whole 32 oz bottle of PowerAde before finishing.

I was disappointed that I wasn't able to keep up the run. Another failed attempt - maybe I'll have better luck next time. My total time was 2:07:33, 12:45 pace. The first time that it has taken me more than 2 hours to complete 10 miles. I'm getting worse!

My heart rates: 161 avg, 190 max, 70 resting. Recovery from 152 to 147 - Wow! A big difference. There wasn't much difference, because I was moving quite slowly during that last mile and I was still huffing and puffing when I stopped.

As I said, it was 86 "cool" degrees when I headed out; the thermometer had 100 when I got back. There was a heat advisory, because the heat index was 109, according to one TV station. Still, after 10 miles in such heat, and although it was about 3 hours after the run before I peed, it was blood free!

Flying

Tuesday is usually a rest day from running. We usually mow, but after keeping Lainey most of the day, Sherri wanted to put mowing off. I decided I should better run, because I won't run tomorrow if we mow. Plus, I don't remember if I've mentioned it or not, but we are mowing our neighbor's yard until his house sells - that may take another whole evening.

It was 90 degrees (same as yesterday) when I headed out. However, even with the sun beaming down on me, it didn't seem as hot as yesterday. Thankfully, I got some cloud-cover just over halfway through this 5 mile run. There was also a nice breeze blowing for the second half.

I believed I started off slower than yesterday's pace, but when I looked at my watch at Mile 1, it said 8:59. I thought to myself, "Man, under 9:00." I continued on, feeling my pace declining. Then I hit Mile 2 and my pace hadn't declined - 8:45. "8:45? What's going on?" The first 2 miles both under 9:00, but I knew I couldn't keep that pace. It was true; Mile 3 was at 9:17, which happened to be my fastest time yesterday at both Mile 1 and Mile 5. I must have gotten my second wind for mile 4 as I ran it in 8:48. Then the race was on! I wanted to finish with a pace better than 9:00. I didn't do any calculating on what pace Mile 5 needed to be. I just ran. I ran hard. Well, as hard as I could with what I had left. Mile 5 came in at 9:03. I wish I could have cut 4 seconds off of that, but I was happy I was able to just keep my feet. My total time was 44:52 - a pace of 8:58!

Okay, so I wasn't really flying. Cutting 30 seconds off my pace from yesterday sure made it seem like it, though. Except for the pain afterwards - a crash landing I guess you could say. My average heart rate was 172, max 193, resting 60. Recovery was from 189 to 133. I was trying to finish Mile 5 as fast as I could (max heart rate), but I was already slowing down.

CAUTION: I knew there would be blood in my urine the first time I peed after this run. While I was running, I could taste blood in the back of my throat. I guess that's what it was. The stream wasn't as constant red as I expected, but portions were quite thicker than they have been. It was like 3 ingredients that didn't mix. The first was the water of my urine that blended with the water in the commode. The second was the thick, dark yellow that was very slowly easing its way to the bottom. The third was the thick blood that made a mad dash to the bottom.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Well, I missed a 4 miler and my Saturday long run of 11 miles last week. No excuses, just lazy. It seems I spent most of my weekend eating.

I ran 5 miles today in 47:22 (9:28 pace). I should have ran 4 to stay with the 4,5,4,11 schedule that I didn't complete last week. I decided to run the extra mile as punishment and to help burn off some of the weight I put on over the weekend. The sun stayed behind the clouds, but it was 90 degrees and humid - "extremely humid", according to one weatherman. My heart rates: 166 avg. 186 max. 60 resting, with recovery from 179 to 139.

Although I didn't do much over the weekend, I felt quite thirsty and my legs were tired. I drank quite a bit - none of it was water - but never actually quenched my thirst. I guess this led to having blood in my urine again after today's run.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Tuesday, an off-day for running, Sherri and I mowed the neighbors yard. (They have moved to Florida. I got a riding mower and a canvas shed for agreeing to mow until their house sells.) We got done around 8:00. Since we usually mow ours on Tuesday and did not get to, I had to mow on Wednesday. Sherri went to babysit Lainey while Corey and Crissy went to the funeral home - Corey's mother had passed away. I had planned on running after mowing, but it was just after 8:30 by the time I finished. Now, I'm a day behind on running.

I heard on the radio this morning that a heat advisory was out until 7:00 pm. I began my run just 15 minutes before the advisory expired. It was 91 degrees, and I spent most of the run searching for oxygen. I think I ran the 5 miles pretty well considering the weather conditions. I don't know what the heat index was, but I was sweating like crazy.

I began getting that "thirsty feeling" at about 3.5 miles. I had also experienced a few minor chills after mile 3. About mile 4.75, a cold chill ran through me - so much so that my entire body was covered with goosebumps. This was one of those times I wish I had my phone to call Sherri to come get me. I had about a mile walk home after completing the run. I was tired, thirsty, and soaking wet. Sweat was pouring off my head and I had no where to wipe it. I could feel drops of sweat from my shorts hitting the backs of my legs; my shoes were making a "squishing" sound. It was like I had just climbed out of a swimming pool.

Still, considering my overheating, I think I ran the 5 miles in pretty good time. I did it in 47:49, a 9:34 pace. My heart rate average was 173, max 192, rest 66. Recovery was 191 to 154.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Even though I didn't complete the 10 mile run on Saturday as I would have liked, I decided to move on to the next week's schedule. As Will Rogers said, "Even if you are on the right track, you will get ran over if you just sit there."

Although it was 82 degrees and cloudy with a very slight breeze, the weather was not that "cool", because of the humidity. This was a very sweaty run. When I had finished, my shirt and shorts were SOAKED. They were hanging on me like someone had hung them on a clothes line, without wringing them out.

I finished the 4 miles in 37:52, a 9:29 pace. I was still feeling the effects of the 10 mile run. My legs were tired with the shins being somewhat sore. I was also feeling quite thirsty, a feeling I usually do not get. I was afraid that this would lead to blood in the urine again, but it did not - third straight run of blood free pee.

My heart rates were 166 avg, 188 max, 62 rest. Recovery was from 182 to 133. The 182 is a little high to start the recovery, because I was pushing toward the last half to last quarter mile. I'm sure I hit the max somewhere in this part, and when I could no longer hold the pace, I dropped to 182 as I crossed the finish line. This was the only point in which I pushed - my average was only 166.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Not a success, but not a complete failure.

I finally did the 10 mile run without walking the last few miles. Unlike last Saturday, when I started off with a 9:00 mile, I started off with a 10:00 mile. I tried to start slowly, so I could finish with a descent pace. The only walking I did was just after mile 5 when I returned to my truck to quickly towel off, change shirts, and grab a drink to carry for the final 5 miles. I lost 53 seconds at this pit stop. For the rest of the run, I slowed to a walk, which really wasn't much slower than I was "running", for a sip of PowerAde. I took a drink at about every half mile, instead of every mile. I meant to be running before 8:30, but didn't get started until 10:30. It was 82 degrees when I headed out, but seemed much hotter. The temperature had reached 92 by the time I was finished. Today was "supposed" to be the coolest day between the last 7 and the next 7 days. I don't know what the heat index was, but it seemed hotter today than when the temps were at 97 - maybe it was just me.

I finished the 10 in 1:52:45, an 11:17 pace. I am disappointed in the pace, but glad I was able to complete it. My heart rates were 166 avg, 182 max, with recovery from 177 to 142.

After this run, my pee was blood free! I hope I have this issue under control now.

Thursday, July 8, 2010 - No Blood!

This was the 3rd day in-a-row to run. The lower half of my legs were sore everywhere, except where I expected - the shins and calves. Since this was the 3rd day in-a-row and I will once again attempt the 10 miler this weekend, I knew I had to take this 3-miler easy. I was once again running late and didn't head out until 7:00 pm. Still, it was 86 degrees and sunny.

I kept a consistent pace with times of 9:20, 9:15, and 9:17, for a total time of 27:52, a 9:17 pace. My average heart was 166 and max at 183. Recovery didn't go down much, 173 to 155.

The best thing is that there was no blood when I peed after the run! The first time that I didn't do so in just over 2 weeks. I don't want to get too excited. I did prepare a little more. Instead of my usual one bottle a day of water, I drank another 48 ounces. Plus, I drank about 16 oz of PowerAde before hitting the road.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Ran an easy 5 miler. I tried to keep a steady pace and succeeded. Mile 1 was 9:32, Mile 2 was 9:20, and then 9:56, 9:56, 9:56. 3 in-a-row! My total time was 48:41 for a 9:44 pace. HR avg 170, max 186, rest 70. Recovery 184 to 156.

During the day, I drank 32 oz more of water than my usual one 16.9 oz bottle. I also drank about 28 oz of PowerAde before the run. The first time I peed after the run, it was still a consistent clearish red.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

This was supposed to be Monday's run. I got a late start (ran at 7:15 pm), so most of my route was in the shade. It was 83 degrees and felt great.

Believe it or not, mile 1 was my slowest mile! I have been trying to start slower to maintain a consistent pace and/or to complete long runs. Since this was only a 3 mile run, I wish I had ran mile 1 faster than 8:46, because mile 2 was at 8:06. Then maybe I would have had a reason to push mile 3 - to get closer to breaking 8:00. In October, I had an 8:04 and 8:08, and last week an 8:12, but nothing close in-between. I guess because I was trying to increase mileage, was injured in November and December, and took some time off from about the middle of March through the middle of April.

My total time was 25:18, an 8:26 pace. Heart rates: 172 avg; 189 max; 60 resting. Recovery was 184 to 150. I tried to drink a little more before, but had to pee 3 times before I got to run, so there was blood again.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

The first half of today's 10 miles went pretty good; the second half not so good.

For the first 5 miles, I averaged 9:24 per mile. The overall average dropped to 11:32. I know it was the "starting too fast" thing I always do. I want to improve my time each time I run a certain distance, so I have the tendency to start out too fast. My first mile was my fastest at 9:02. My 2 half marathon times average less than this, but I still need to slow down for training. My slowest time was 15:39 for mile 9, (mile 10 was 15:18).

Miles 1-5: 9:02, 9:24, 9:31, 9:13, 9:49. Miles 6-10: 11:33, 11:33, 14:56, 15:39, 15:18. Total time: 1:55:57. I knew mile 6 would be longer, since that would be when I returned to my truck. I toweled off somewhat, took my first drink of the run, and carried a 12 oz bottle with me for the last 5 miles. The pit stop took me about 40 seconds, so the 11:33 is longer than I expected. As I headed into mile 7, slowed for a sip and kept going. At mile 8, I slowed for a drink, but I walked for a 1/4 mile before I could catch my breath long enough to take a sip. I ended up walking most of the last 3 miles, with a jog every now and then.

I started this run at 8:30 am, so it wasn't as hot as when I've tried other Saturday long runs. The sun was shining and there was a nice, strong breeze at times, but I still couldn't complete it running/jogging. I've done 2 half marathons, ran 16 miles twice, and seventeen once, but cannot get this 10 completed - I've been trying for about a month.

HR avg 168, max 189, rest 70. Recovery 183 to 155. Blood in urine again.