Thanks to some crappy weather, and a busy couple of weeks I still haven't met with my trainer to set up a new strength training regiment, but hopefully Wednesday will be the day. For now though I really wanted to get in and workout the tightness and soreness after yesterday's long run. It was a good call.
Elliptical = 15 minutes on Fat Burning
JC Bands Lunges with rows, Grey Bands - 15 each side.
Wall sit:
2 sets bicep curls 20 lbs. = 75 seconds each (about 15 reps)
2 sets shoulder press 20 lbs. = 75 seconds each (about 15 reps)
Walking lunges = width of court/back doing lat raises with 15lb. wts.
Hip adductor = 2 sets/12 reps 105 lbs.
Hip abductor = 2 sets/12 reps 105 lbs.
Clamshell Crunches with 10 lb. ball = 2x25
Plank = 60 seconds
Plank with knee dips = 10 each side
Monday, February 26, 2007
2/24 - 2/25/2007 SRR & Long Run
2/24 Short Recovery Run
It was nothing short of a spectacularly awesome run today. Actually, it wasn't anything special. How many times can you really talk about a short recovery run? I caught another break in the weather and got out on my lunch break to do a nice run in the neighborhoods surrounding the hospital. It's very nice to be able to run on the pavement of the roads and sidewalks instead of ice and snow. Although I guess running on ice and snow would be good training for the trail runs I'd like to do this year. Still I'll take dry ground and less risk of twisting my ankle any day.
It was another 3.5 miles in 32:16. Pace was 9 something or something like that.
2/25 Long Run - The Perils of being Unprepared
I got out to do my long run on Sunday, and realized I had not planned out the 14 miles that I was supposed to run. oops. I decided to do a route that I frequently use for my short rides. It would give me a nice change of scenery as well as the distance I needed, or so I thought. Apparently I miscalculated my run and forgot to do the Meghan's Run loop that would have completed the 14 miles. Instead I ended up running 12.25 miles. I'm kind of pissed at myself for doing it. I've done this route dozens of times, but unfortunately my brain is kind like a strainer with important information dripping out while useless facts stick up there forever.
Despite my silly mistake on the run it was still a great run. It was one of those weird days where it is at its warmest in the morning. So when I got out on the road it was close to 50 degrees F and clear. From there the day sort of slid downhill as the clouds rolled in, but during my run it was awesome. I did the 12.25 miles in 1:47 at a pretty steady easy pace. I picked up the pace in the last few miles to see how it would feel. It wasn't too bad. I got a little stiff in my left hip and my right knee ached a bit, but that's not unusual. Good run.
It was nothing short of a spectacularly awesome run today. Actually, it wasn't anything special. How many times can you really talk about a short recovery run? I caught another break in the weather and got out on my lunch break to do a nice run in the neighborhoods surrounding the hospital. It's very nice to be able to run on the pavement of the roads and sidewalks instead of ice and snow. Although I guess running on ice and snow would be good training for the trail runs I'd like to do this year. Still I'll take dry ground and less risk of twisting my ankle any day.
It was another 3.5 miles in 32:16. Pace was 9 something or something like that.
2/25 Long Run - The Perils of being Unprepared
I got out to do my long run on Sunday, and realized I had not planned out the 14 miles that I was supposed to run. oops. I decided to do a route that I frequently use for my short rides. It would give me a nice change of scenery as well as the distance I needed, or so I thought. Apparently I miscalculated my run and forgot to do the Meghan's Run loop that would have completed the 14 miles. Instead I ended up running 12.25 miles. I'm kind of pissed at myself for doing it. I've done this route dozens of times, but unfortunately my brain is kind like a strainer with important information dripping out while useless facts stick up there forever.
Despite my silly mistake on the run it was still a great run. It was one of those weird days where it is at its warmest in the morning. So when I got out on the road it was close to 50 degrees F and clear. From there the day sort of slid downhill as the clouds rolled in, but during my run it was awesome. I did the 12.25 miles in 1:47 at a pretty steady easy pace. I picked up the pace in the last few miles to see how it would feel. It wasn't too bad. I got a little stiff in my left hip and my right knee ached a bit, but that's not unusual. Good run.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Signs of Spring and An Overbooked Race Schedule
As I walked out the door this morning I was greeted by a wonderful sight that I haven't seen at 6:30 am in a long time: the sun. That makes me really excited for a couple of reasons. First of all it is a sure sign that spring is near. Earlier sunrises also means I get to resume my early morning runs outside, and even better is that I'll get to start commuting on my bike again.
I am planning on starting as soon as I can. I don't need it to be warm, well maybe warm enough that it isn't snowing. What I really need is daylight, because I really respect those crazy enough to get out and commute regardless of the weather, but I am just not one of those people. Besides the roads and the drivers in this area are barely safe enough in daylight. I would truly be putting myself at risk by trying to commute in the dark on some of these roads. So here's to daylight!
Right now I'm facing some decisions that need to be made. There are too many races and too little time. I already know my "A" races for the year are going to be the races in the Wheelie Fun Series. That is not going to be a problem. Where I start to have some questions is in my secondary races. To my delight a trail running series has been added on this year. I've had a lot of fun doing the East Fork Backpack Trail Run the last couple of years. The idea of there being a "season" of trail running is so cool. Now I have to make a decision about what I'm going to do about Father's Day. I've got a Father's Day 5K that I like to do already. Do I want to ditch that race for the trail run? I think I might. There are lots of 5K races throughout the year. The idea of doing the Trail Series in its first year is more appealing....we'll see. The other possible problem I'm running into is the half marathon I have planned on April 14th as a warm up race for the Flying Pig Marathon. The first trail run falls on the 15th. Am I crazy enough to run a half marathon, and then turn and run the trail run the next day? probably. I'm sick like that.
I am planning on starting as soon as I can. I don't need it to be warm, well maybe warm enough that it isn't snowing. What I really need is daylight, because I really respect those crazy enough to get out and commute regardless of the weather, but I am just not one of those people. Besides the roads and the drivers in this area are barely safe enough in daylight. I would truly be putting myself at risk by trying to commute in the dark on some of these roads. So here's to daylight!
Right now I'm facing some decisions that need to be made. There are too many races and too little time. I already know my "A" races for the year are going to be the races in the Wheelie Fun Series. That is not going to be a problem. Where I start to have some questions is in my secondary races. To my delight a trail running series has been added on this year. I've had a lot of fun doing the East Fork Backpack Trail Run the last couple of years. The idea of there being a "season" of trail running is so cool. Now I have to make a decision about what I'm going to do about Father's Day. I've got a Father's Day 5K that I like to do already. Do I want to ditch that race for the trail run? I think I might. There are lots of 5K races throughout the year. The idea of doing the Trail Series in its first year is more appealing....we'll see. The other possible problem I'm running into is the half marathon I have planned on April 14th as a warm up race for the Flying Pig Marathon. The first trail run falls on the 15th. Am I crazy enough to run a half marathon, and then turn and run the trail run the next day? probably. I'm sick like that.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
2/21/2007 Medium Recovery Run
So let's try to look at the bright side. What are good reasons to hit the hamster wheel at the gym rather than running on the roads? It was a hills day, so I was able to run exactly .25 mile hills at exactly a 6% grade at exactly the pace I wanted to run. I would have had to get out on the road at 6:30 this morning while it was dark and cold. I wasn't going to get hit by a car on the hamster wheel. There's no ice on the hamster wheel to fall and bust my ass on, or worse.
If I'm going to do any running on the hamster wheel I think I'd prefer to do hill repeats or speed work. At least there is something to break up the monotony of going nowhere fast. I started with a 1 mile warm up and then jumped into the 6 1/4 mile hill repeats with 1/4 mile flats in between. I maintained about an 8:34 pace throughout the hill repeats. Following that I finished off with a quick mile at an 8 minute pace and a 1/4 mile cool down for a total of 5 1/4 miles run that took 48 minutes.
If I'm going to do any running on the hamster wheel I think I'd prefer to do hill repeats or speed work. At least there is something to break up the monotony of going nowhere fast. I started with a 1 mile warm up and then jumped into the 6 1/4 mile hill repeats with 1/4 mile flats in between. I maintained about an 8:34 pace throughout the hill repeats. Following that I finished off with a quick mile at an 8 minute pace and a 1/4 mile cool down for a total of 5 1/4 miles run that took 48 minutes.
2/20/2007 Short Recovery Run & Cycling
Is it still considered a brick training session if you do the running first and the cycling second? I've never really considered it, and I'm not really sure. Anyone else no the answer to this question? It was such a nice day with the temperature actually reaching a scorching 44 degrees F! I really wanted to just spend some time outside and do a little running and a little cycling. Logistically it just worked better to do the run first. By doing the run first I was able to take my occasional bitch of a running partner, Gracie and I mean my dog, with me so she could burn off some energy she has been holding in over these weeks of crappy weather. I think if she saw me take off on my bike leaving her in the house first thing in the morning she would have probably had an aneurysm.
Dog Jog
We headed out for a leisurely 3.5 mile run/walk. I alternated between running a 1/2 mile and walking 1/4 mile. That gave her plenty of time to sniff around do her business in between runs. The run took about 38 minutes.
Cycling
I was in no particular hurry when I hit the bike, but then again I didn't have time to lolligag all day either. I did a fairly easy 14 mile loop that was mostly flat with the exception of one steep hill. The loop took about an hour, and I averaged around 14 mph for the ride. It was just awesome to feel the sun on my face and a wind that didn't make my cheeks hurt because of the cold.
Dog Jog
We headed out for a leisurely 3.5 mile run/walk. I alternated between running a 1/2 mile and walking 1/4 mile. That gave her plenty of time to sniff around do her business in between runs. The run took about 38 minutes.
Cycling
I was in no particular hurry when I hit the bike, but then again I didn't have time to lolligag all day either. I did a fairly easy 14 mile loop that was mostly flat with the exception of one steep hill. The loop took about an hour, and I averaged around 14 mph for the ride. It was just awesome to feel the sun on my face and a wind that didn't make my cheeks hurt because of the cold.
Monday, February 19, 2007
2/19/2007 A Long Run in Two Parts
The plan was to knock out a long run in the morning prior to work. I jetted out to the gym at what seemed an early enough time to get in the scheduled 10 mile run. Unfortunately by the time I got to the gym I was awake enough to realize that I had drastically underestimated the amount of time I would need to get to the gym, do the run, get showered and on to work. This was a problem. I started to think of ways to justify a shorter run. Well how much of a difference does 2 miles make? I'm not really feeling a 100% recovered yet, so maybe it's better that I go a little shorter today. Can I really justify being late to work because I needed to finish my long run? On and on I justified to myself as I ran the 8 miles in 1:08 at the mechanically set 8:34 pace.
All the justifications were negated as later in the day an opportunity presented itself to finish my run. The second half of the run came in the afternoon during a lunch break. The temperature had creeped up to the low 30's, which is practically tropical compared to the temperatures that we've been experiencing the last couple weeks. I cranked out an easy 3.5 miles in 30 min at a surprising and unplanned 8:34 pace. No kidding. I used the same course that I used on Saturday only there was a little less snow on the sidewalks which was nice.
All the justifications were negated as later in the day an opportunity presented itself to finish my run. The second half of the run came in the afternoon during a lunch break. The temperature had creeped up to the low 30's, which is practically tropical compared to the temperatures that we've been experiencing the last couple weeks. I cranked out an easy 3.5 miles in 30 min at a surprising and unplanned 8:34 pace. No kidding. I used the same course that I used on Saturday only there was a little less snow on the sidewalks which was nice.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
2/17/2007 Short Recovery Run
I eased back into a short recovery run on Saturday with a little reservation. After several days of a fairly nasty virus that wiped me out I still wondered if I should be out running on the road. A relapse would be a bad situation. I took it easy and ran a familiar route during lunch time. Everything went smoothly, and I felt pretty good throughout the run. It was definitely encouraging. The 32:08 run was 3.5 miles at a 9:10 pace.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
2/14/2007 Medium Recovery Run with a side of Hills
It was more like a main course of hills with a side of freezing cold. Apparently my Valentine's gift to myself was a painfully cold run up and down a hill where I had to jump off the road into ankle deep snow frequently due to passing vehicles. It was not so much fun at all, but it will pay off later right? It will won't it?
I ran the same 4.25 mile route that I ran on Sunday, except instead of going on home once I got to the top of 132 hill I turned around and ran back down. I then ran the .5 mile back up and repeated this, so I ended up with 4 hill repeats. The hardest one was the second ascent. The entire way up I just kept repeating to myself, only two more times. The third and fourth seemed a little easier, maybe because I knew I was that much closer to being done. I also was thinking more about the fact that my cheeks were freezing and painful on those last two, so the leg pain was pushed aside. The entire run was 7.25 miles in 1:10.35 / 9:44 pace including the hill repeats.
I'm pushing back my goal pace run to Friday due to a scheduling conflict. I'll still be doing the core class and spinning on Thursday evening.
I ran the same 4.25 mile route that I ran on Sunday, except instead of going on home once I got to the top of 132 hill I turned around and ran back down. I then ran the .5 mile back up and repeated this, so I ended up with 4 hill repeats. The hardest one was the second ascent. The entire way up I just kept repeating to myself, only two more times. The third and fourth seemed a little easier, maybe because I knew I was that much closer to being done. I also was thinking more about the fact that my cheeks were freezing and painful on those last two, so the leg pain was pushed aside. The entire run was 7.25 miles in 1:10.35 / 9:44 pace including the hill repeats.
I'm pushing back my goal pace run to Friday due to a scheduling conflict. I'll still be doing the core class and spinning on Thursday evening.
2/13/2007 Short Recovery Run in the South Garage
It snowed, with some freezing rain, which turned into normal rain, which reverted back to freezing rain. It was bad enough that most businesses were shutting down including my gym. You'd think that would be enough for me to say; "hey today is a good day for an extra rest day." But I have a confession to make: "My name is Adam and I'm a running addict."
Instead of skipping a day of running I decided to take my lunch break and run in the garage. I ran up and down the ramps for 25 minutes. I have no real way of knowing how far I went as I was running up and down the ramps and crossing over the flat sections to avoid cars entering and exiting the garage. I'd say I did at least 2.5 miles as the incline isn't terribly steep and I kept at and easy but steady pace.
As I was running I began to wonder how smart this tactic really was for my health. I'm running in an enclosed space. Well there are openings along all the sides, but more enclosed than running open road. So, I'm running in this enclosed space with a bunch of cars that have recently left or recently entered the garage to park. Carbon monoxide anyone? At what point do the health risks outweigh the health benefits of running?
Instead of skipping a day of running I decided to take my lunch break and run in the garage. I ran up and down the ramps for 25 minutes. I have no real way of knowing how far I went as I was running up and down the ramps and crossing over the flat sections to avoid cars entering and exiting the garage. I'd say I did at least 2.5 miles as the incline isn't terribly steep and I kept at and easy but steady pace.
As I was running I began to wonder how smart this tactic really was for my health. I'm running in an enclosed space. Well there are openings along all the sides, but more enclosed than running open road. So, I'm running in this enclosed space with a bunch of cars that have recently left or recently entered the garage to park. Carbon monoxide anyone? At what point do the health risks outweigh the health benefits of running?
Monday, February 12, 2007
2/12/2006 Strength Training
This will probably be the last time I do this particular workout since I'm meeting with a trainer on Wednesday for a long overdue update of my strength training regiment. Who knows, maybe I'll revisit this workout from time to time to mix things up. It definitely has served me well over the last year.
Elliptical = 15 minutes on Fat Burning
JC Bands Lunges with rows, Grey Bands - 15 each side.
Wall sit:
2 sets bicep curls 20 lbs. = 75 seconds each (about 15 reps)
2 sets shoulder press 20 lbs. = 75 seconds each (about 15 reps)
Walking lunges = width of court/back doing lat raises with 15lb. wts.
Hip adductor = 2 sets/12 reps 105 lbs.
Hip abductor = 2 sets/12 reps 105 lbs.
Clamshell Crunches with 10 lb. ball = 2x25
Elliptical = 15 minutes on Fat Burning
JC Bands Lunges with rows, Grey Bands - 15 each side.
Wall sit:
2 sets bicep curls 20 lbs. = 75 seconds each (about 15 reps)
2 sets shoulder press 20 lbs. = 75 seconds each (about 15 reps)
Walking lunges = width of court/back doing lat raises with 15lb. wts.
Hip adductor = 2 sets/12 reps 105 lbs.
Hip abductor = 2 sets/12 reps 105 lbs.
Clamshell Crunches with 10 lb. ball = 2x25
2/11/2007 Abbreviated Long Run & Labor of Love
I'm such a freak that I feel like I need to justify cutting my long run day short....for a race! I'm so anal retentive when it comes to trying to stick to my training schedule. It definitely has its advantages at times to be like this, but then again I can cause myself stress for no reason. So before I get into the race I did get out and do some running at home before the race. I was really hoping to get in all 12 miles on the schedule, just broken up into segments. It didn't quite work out that way, but it's all good for a couple of reasons.
Here is my justification just for my own piece of mind. Saturday after I got off work, and after I'd done my short recovery run I talked about in the previous post, we went sledding. I didn't really tell my family what I'm about to write when we were out sledding, but I'm sure my wife wouldn't be surprised. I turned it into a training exercise. I would sled down with my daughter, or alone, and then run back up the hill. If I wasn't running I'd throw my daughter over my shoulder and quickly walk up the hill. Sometimes I'd walk down the hill just so I could help my daughter up the hill and get in another "set". I'm not sure how many times I did it over the 90 or so minutes we were out there (I'm not quite that bad) but I'm sure I did the steep incline over a dozen times. Woo Hoo! Nice hill workout.
Sunday morning I woke up wondering how I'd feel after my hill "sets". I was expecting back pain, hamstring pain, and/or stiff calves. I felt surprisingly good, and after a nice leisurely hour or so to wake up I was out on the road for a 35 min warm up run. I managed to get in 4.25 miles at a 8:14 pace before getting a call from a buddy of mine that competed in the 2 mile Labor of Love race. A banana and an orange later and I was out the door again on my way to NKU campus.
Shortly before race time it was still cold at 20 F with thankfully very little wind. The campus sits on an exposed hill which gets pounded by cold hard winds during the winters. I spent several frigid cursing those winds going from class to class while doing my undergraduate work. We did a 2 mile warm-up run on the course. This was my third time running this race but Rick's first. It's a course that has virtually no flat space with the exception of a couple hundred yards at the the mile turn around point. It's an out and back course that starts on a downhill. This, of course, means it finishes on an uphill. It's not a steep incline, but the race is so short and fast that the last incline seems to grow as your making that last push to the finish line.
My PR for the course was 13:55 set last year. All I wanted to do was beat that time. I told Rick that I was going to shoot for a 7 minute first mile one and then open it up after that. That plan lasted all of about 0 seconds into the race. As soon as the starter went off I let it rip down the first hill and never slowed down. If this would've been a longer race I would have been doomed by the end, but knowing this was only 2 miles I felt confident that I could keep up a quick pace. The multiple warm ups really paid off in more ways than I had expected. I felt loose and my muscles were warm. The best part was that the usual burning of the chest when I exert myself in the cold weather was minimal. The multiple warm ups had me well acclimatized to the cold air.
With everything seeming in my favor I blew through the first mile with a split of 5:47. Wow, I'm tempted to put that in my PR list as my fastest mile within a race. That was the "easy" part as it started down hill with a couple of minor inclines and went around the flat turn around. How would I hold out for the second mile with a couple of small inclines and the final push up to the finish. It wasn't an easy mile, but it wasn't even close to the hardest mile I've ever done. Chalk that up to making hills a regular part of my training regiment. They maybe good for training but hills still suck! The second mile split was a 6:21. I am thrilled with my 12:08 time / 6:04 pace for the race! It was impressive 1:48 improvement on my previous PR.
This race is a perfect beginning to the season. Next up is the Mercy Heart Mini-Marathon. Before that race I might find a 5K to run. I've been itching to break 20 minutes on my 5K time, and after this outing I think I might be there.
Here is my justification just for my own piece of mind. Saturday after I got off work, and after I'd done my short recovery run I talked about in the previous post, we went sledding. I didn't really tell my family what I'm about to write when we were out sledding, but I'm sure my wife wouldn't be surprised. I turned it into a training exercise. I would sled down with my daughter, or alone, and then run back up the hill. If I wasn't running I'd throw my daughter over my shoulder and quickly walk up the hill. Sometimes I'd walk down the hill just so I could help my daughter up the hill and get in another "set". I'm not sure how many times I did it over the 90 or so minutes we were out there (I'm not quite that bad) but I'm sure I did the steep incline over a dozen times. Woo Hoo! Nice hill workout.
Sunday morning I woke up wondering how I'd feel after my hill "sets". I was expecting back pain, hamstring pain, and/or stiff calves. I felt surprisingly good, and after a nice leisurely hour or so to wake up I was out on the road for a 35 min warm up run. I managed to get in 4.25 miles at a 8:14 pace before getting a call from a buddy of mine that competed in the 2 mile Labor of Love race. A banana and an orange later and I was out the door again on my way to NKU campus.
Shortly before race time it was still cold at 20 F with thankfully very little wind. The campus sits on an exposed hill which gets pounded by cold hard winds during the winters. I spent several frigid cursing those winds going from class to class while doing my undergraduate work. We did a 2 mile warm-up run on the course. This was my third time running this race but Rick's first. It's a course that has virtually no flat space with the exception of a couple hundred yards at the the mile turn around point. It's an out and back course that starts on a downhill. This, of course, means it finishes on an uphill. It's not a steep incline, but the race is so short and fast that the last incline seems to grow as your making that last push to the finish line.
My PR for the course was 13:55 set last year. All I wanted to do was beat that time. I told Rick that I was going to shoot for a 7 minute first mile one and then open it up after that. That plan lasted all of about 0 seconds into the race. As soon as the starter went off I let it rip down the first hill and never slowed down. If this would've been a longer race I would have been doomed by the end, but knowing this was only 2 miles I felt confident that I could keep up a quick pace. The multiple warm ups really paid off in more ways than I had expected. I felt loose and my muscles were warm. The best part was that the usual burning of the chest when I exert myself in the cold weather was minimal. The multiple warm ups had me well acclimatized to the cold air.
With everything seeming in my favor I blew through the first mile with a split of 5:47. Wow, I'm tempted to put that in my PR list as my fastest mile within a race. That was the "easy" part as it started down hill with a couple of minor inclines and went around the flat turn around. How would I hold out for the second mile with a couple of small inclines and the final push up to the finish. It wasn't an easy mile, but it wasn't even close to the hardest mile I've ever done. Chalk that up to making hills a regular part of my training regiment. They maybe good for training but hills still suck! The second mile split was a 6:21. I am thrilled with my 12:08 time / 6:04 pace for the race! It was impressive 1:48 improvement on my previous PR.
This race is a perfect beginning to the season. Next up is the Mercy Heart Mini-Marathon. Before that race I might find a 5K to run. I've been itching to break 20 minutes on my 5K time, and after this outing I think I might be there.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
2/10/2007 Short Recovery Run
After two days off I went out for a short run today to loosen up and get ready for the race tomorrow. I decided to do a lunchtime run at work to save some time, and also it's been a lot of fun running downtown. I layered up a bit as it is still frigid here at about 15 F on Saturday morning around 11 am, but on the bright side it was sunny.
I kept the 2.6 miles at a nice leisurely pace mostly trying not to sweat too much, so when I changed back into my street clothes I wouldn't have that nice grungy sweaty feeling. The 2.6 miles took 22:51 for a 8:50 pace.
I kept the 2.6 miles at a nice leisurely pace mostly trying not to sweat too much, so when I changed back into my street clothes I wouldn't have that nice grungy sweaty feeling. The 2.6 miles took 22:51 for a 8:50 pace.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
2/07/2007 Medium Recovery Run in the snow! & new blog stuff
It has been an exhausting couple of days. Yesterday started with a call from work at 7 am after a couple of people called in sick forcing me to go in early. I wasn't due in until 3:30 pm. It got worse as we got socked with a huge snowstorm in the middle of the afternoon causing the city of Cincinnati to decide to leave work early creating huge traffic jams which caused our second shift employees to be late. The day ended with me crashing out at midnight in an empty room...still at work. The roads were atrocious, and I had to be back at work first thing in the morning. So, I could either take a couple of hours to get home, take a nap, and spend over an hour getting back, or suck it up and camp out at work.
It was uncomfortable, and I got little sleep, but on the bright side I had some running clothes still with me from the previous day! So, at 5 am I groggily put on my shorts and t-shirt that I wore to the gym the previous day. I then put on the hoody sweat-shirt and nylon warm-up pants to keep warm in the frigid dark morning and took off. Ridiculous work hours weren't going to keep me down!
It was such a cool run. I had the streets of Clifton and Gaslight District all to myself in the early morning pre-dawn dark. There were plenty of street lamps to light my way as I had to be careful as I was running mostly on the hard packed snow of the sidewalks. I ran from the hospital across Clifton and through the Gaslight District to Mt. Storm Park. Running through Gaslight District by all the nice houses under only the light of the gas lamps lighting the way is just so amazing. In the dark with the snow completely covering the road and on the lights of the gas lamps it's easy to imagine what the neighborhood would've been like a hundred years ago.
I wasn't completely alone out on the roads on my way back. I saw a few people out cleaning off their cars to leave for work, and one other runner crazy enough to brave the dark, cold, snowy and icy sidewalks. I traded a simple "good morning" with her and moved on. I can't speak for her, but if I were to meet her I'd have instant respect for the fellow crazy runner.
The schedule called for 4 hill repeats. I didn't do any hill repeats, but Clifton is all hills. I am fairly certain that I got in a sufficient amount of hill work. Add to the hills the snow that was slippery at some points and deep at others I feel really good about the amount of work I put in. 1:04 MRR (6.5m / 9:50 pace)
I've been playing with a couple of new gadgets and buttons for the blog. On the top I put a link to my Mercy Heart Mini-Marathon fund raising page. I don't really expect to attract a lot of attention or donations with it, but I am proud to support the American Heart Association. The link is just my way of showing it.
The countdown gadget might have to come down or be replaced. It's a shame, because I think it looks super-cool, but it's wrong. It should say 2 months, 26 days... I'll play around with it to see if I can get it right. Gadgets are fun!
It was uncomfortable, and I got little sleep, but on the bright side I had some running clothes still with me from the previous day! So, at 5 am I groggily put on my shorts and t-shirt that I wore to the gym the previous day. I then put on the hoody sweat-shirt and nylon warm-up pants to keep warm in the frigid dark morning and took off. Ridiculous work hours weren't going to keep me down!
It was such a cool run. I had the streets of Clifton and Gaslight District all to myself in the early morning pre-dawn dark. There were plenty of street lamps to light my way as I had to be careful as I was running mostly on the hard packed snow of the sidewalks. I ran from the hospital across Clifton and through the Gaslight District to Mt. Storm Park. Running through Gaslight District by all the nice houses under only the light of the gas lamps lighting the way is just so amazing. In the dark with the snow completely covering the road and on the lights of the gas lamps it's easy to imagine what the neighborhood would've been like a hundred years ago.
I wasn't completely alone out on the roads on my way back. I saw a few people out cleaning off their cars to leave for work, and one other runner crazy enough to brave the dark, cold, snowy and icy sidewalks. I traded a simple "good morning" with her and moved on. I can't speak for her, but if I were to meet her I'd have instant respect for the fellow crazy runner.
The schedule called for 4 hill repeats. I didn't do any hill repeats, but Clifton is all hills. I am fairly certain that I got in a sufficient amount of hill work. Add to the hills the snow that was slippery at some points and deep at others I feel really good about the amount of work I put in. 1:04 MRR (6.5m / 9:50 pace)
I've been playing with a couple of new gadgets and buttons for the blog. On the top I put a link to my Mercy Heart Mini-Marathon fund raising page. I don't really expect to attract a lot of attention or donations with it, but I am proud to support the American Heart Association. The link is just my way of showing it.
The countdown gadget might have to come down or be replaced. It's a shame, because I think it looks super-cool, but it's wrong. It should say 2 months, 26 days... I'll play around with it to see if I can get it right. Gadgets are fun!
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
2/6/2007 Short Recovery Run
Yesterday I decided to take a rest day instead of doing some strength training. I'm making sure to listen to my body, and my body said rest. Actually, I'm going to just do my running this week. I've scheduled an appointment with a trainer on Thursday to workout out a new strength training regiment. The timing seems right for a little break from the hardcore training that I feel like I've been doing. I'm a month in to my marathon training, and it's less than a week until my first race on Sunday. It' s a perfect time to gear back just a notch and rock that first race. That could be the perfect bit of motivation to carry me through the next stage of training.
I had a very easy run today on the hamster wheel at the gym. I started out with a 1/2 mile warm up and then 3 miles starting at a 10 min pace and going up to a 9:30 pace. I followed that up with a 1/2 mile cool down The whol run was 38:43 (4m /9:40 pace).
I had a very easy run today on the hamster wheel at the gym. I started out with a 1/2 mile warm up and then 3 miles starting at a 10 min pace and going up to a 9:30 pace. I followed that up with a 1/2 mile cool down The whol run was 38:43 (4m /9:40 pace).
Sunday, February 04, 2007
2/04/2007 Long Run & 30 Seconds of Blog Fame
It was frackin' freezing outside this morning. I mean that in every sense of the word. The thermometer outside the house said 10 F at 8:30 am, but I know on the windier parts of my run it was below zero. My face was just hurting on those windy stretch. I was going to put this run off until tomorrow after yesterday's spill off the bike and the resulting achiness. When I woke up this morning I felt good though with no more than the normal amount of soreness in my lower back and I had full range of movement. Between that and the sight of the actual sun coming up over the horizon there was no way I was missing this run. Any sunny day during an Ohio winter is a good day regardless of temperature.
I did a variation on the usual long run route that I've used since December, so there was not much to report there. As I was running and listening to Phedippidations, which has become my standard to kick off Sunday long runs, my mind was wandering from one subject to the next. Steve was talking about the impact of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs on sports and the human body, and I my mind wandered from the topic at hand to thinking about whether there are any amateur age group athletes taking performance enhancers, to what if I took performance enhancers? Wouldn't that freak my friends out?, to I should write the show and let him know how much I appreciate it, for giving me a laugh, some things to think about, and some much needed inspiration, especially on days like these when I wonder why the hell I'm out on the road instead of back in the nice warm comfortable bed. On and on my mind goes flipping from one subject to the next when I'm snapped back into the moment by these words: "This week's Phedippidations blog of the week is titled abiker..." What? oh crap someone else is using my blog's name..."It's hosted by Adam Iker from..." Hey wait? What? That's me!
I was caught by total surprise by this, and it brought a big smile to my face. I didn't feel much cold for the rest of the run...well until I got out of the valley that Batavia sits in and back on the highland roads where the winds never ceases. No amount of appreciation for blog recognition was going to keep me from feeling that kind of cold. Anyway, I have no idea how he chooses the blog of the week, but if I was recommended by someone out there in blogland I appreciate it very much. It really made my day.
Here are the stats for my run:
Avg HR: 153
Peak HR: 173
Min HR: 109
Total Cal: 1454
Rcl 1: 1:00.00
Rcl 2: 32.54 (I had a reason for splitting at one hour, but I just don't remember what it is right now. Maybe it will come back to me.)
Total: 1:32.54 (8:27 pace)
The pace was a little quicker than I would have liked. I am making an effort to keep my long runs at a slower pace, but like I said at the beginning, it was so cold! On those windy flats I really pushed the pace up a little to get out of the face burning coldness as soon as possible.
P.S. I am now one week away from my first race of 2007, and my first race since Thanksgiving Day! I'm very excited about the race, and in preparation for the season I posted all my pr's over on the side bar. I want to see how many of those I can update with a 2007 date.
I did a variation on the usual long run route that I've used since December, so there was not much to report there. As I was running and listening to Phedippidations, which has become my standard to kick off Sunday long runs, my mind was wandering from one subject to the next. Steve was talking about the impact of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs on sports and the human body, and I my mind wandered from the topic at hand to thinking about whether there are any amateur age group athletes taking performance enhancers, to what if I took performance enhancers? Wouldn't that freak my friends out?, to I should write the show and let him know how much I appreciate it, for giving me a laugh, some things to think about, and some much needed inspiration, especially on days like these when I wonder why the hell I'm out on the road instead of back in the nice warm comfortable bed. On and on my mind goes flipping from one subject to the next when I'm snapped back into the moment by these words: "This week's Phedippidations blog of the week is titled abiker..." What? oh crap someone else is using my blog's name..."It's hosted by Adam Iker from..." Hey wait? What? That's me!
I was caught by total surprise by this, and it brought a big smile to my face. I didn't feel much cold for the rest of the run...well until I got out of the valley that Batavia sits in and back on the highland roads where the winds never ceases. No amount of appreciation for blog recognition was going to keep me from feeling that kind of cold. Anyway, I have no idea how he chooses the blog of the week, but if I was recommended by someone out there in blogland I appreciate it very much. It really made my day.
Here are the stats for my run:
Avg HR: 153
Peak HR: 173
Min HR: 109
Total Cal: 1454
Rcl 1: 1:00.00
Rcl 2: 32.54 (I had a reason for splitting at one hour, but I just don't remember what it is right now. Maybe it will come back to me.)
Total: 1:32.54 (8:27 pace)
The pace was a little quicker than I would have liked. I am making an effort to keep my long runs at a slower pace, but like I said at the beginning, it was so cold! On those windy flats I really pushed the pace up a little to get out of the face burning coldness as soon as possible.
P.S. I am now one week away from my first race of 2007, and my first race since Thanksgiving Day! I'm very excited about the race, and in preparation for the season I posted all my pr's over on the side bar. I want to see how many of those I can update with a 2007 date.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
2/03/2007 Brickin' - Cycling & Short Recovery Run
Cycling - or How to end your training with one stupid decision!
It was extremely freezing (that's freezing only to the extreme for the kids) at 10 F this morning when I headed out on my bike. With the windchill it was probably more like 1. It was layering time as I put on a layer of skiing tights under my cycling tights, two pairs of socks, a tight wicking shirt covered by a zip up up pullover covered by a wind breaker. I had a pair of thin cotton gloves under my lobster claw riding gloves for my hands. The head was covered by a balaclava type of head covering probably made for skiing that I got from my in-laws. I was a bit skeptical about using it at first because I wasn't sure that it would fit under my helmet, but it has turned out to be one of the best pieces of winter riding equipment second only to the lobster gloves.
I took it pretty easy on the ride, as I just wanted to get some mileage in with no real emphasis on speed. Toward the end of the ride I was cruising through a neighboring subdivision and edging toward the 20 mile mark. I thought that would be a nice round number on which to end the ride, but I'm probably going to be about a mile short if I continued on my current route. I needed to find a side road here in the subdivision so I wouldn't have to go down the hill near our house and backup just to get in the last mile. Okay, maybe an extra hill would be good for me, but on a day when the temp is hovering just above single digits and my toes and face are approaching numb going down hill seemed even less appealing than coming back up the hill.
As I was dreading a windy downhill I came upon a road that looked about a 1/2 mile long which would be perfect. Maybe the frost had seeped into my brain, or maybe the cold air wasn't supplying enough oxygen to my brain, but even though the distance was perfect it was snow covered. It was not only snow covered, but probably ice covered underneath. Instead of avoiding the snow and ice covered road at all costs one side of my brain said "this looks fun" while the other side of my brain was having visions of broken limbs and a broken bike. The "this looks fun" side won out as I plowed on to the snowy road on my road bike. I made it all the way down and 3/4 of the way back. It was on that last 1/4 that I hit a patch of exposed ice and my bike suddenly became a two wheeled bobsled. My brain immediately cleared, and I realized just how dumb this was. It was too late though as my bike ditched one way as I jumped the opposite direction out of my clipless pedals.
Thankfully I came out of the incident mostly unscathed, and my bike was fine. I was mostly unscathed, but I did strain my back a little bit on the left side. Fortunately it was nothing that some couch time with some ice and heat with a dose of ibuprofen couldn't take care of, but this is a lesson for me. One of my worst fears when it comes to all the work I'm putting in for the marathon is that I'll get 2 months or 3 months in and get injured making all the work for nothing.
Dist: 20.11 miles
Time: 1:25.12
Avg: 14.1 mph
Max: 31.1 mph
Short Recovery Run
At the beginning of the run my feet were freezing. It was as if someone had secretly replaced my actual feet with wooden blocks. It was kind of hard to get my shoes on my feet as my feet were numb, and the thick socks didn't help so much. For the first 1/2 mile my feet felt like two wood blocks tied to my ankles. After that they warmed up and loosened up, and they got on back to feeling like feet again. It was a solid 3.3 miles that took 30:25 for a 9:13 pace.
It was extremely freezing (that's freezing only to the extreme for the kids) at 10 F this morning when I headed out on my bike. With the windchill it was probably more like 1. It was layering time as I put on a layer of skiing tights under my cycling tights, two pairs of socks, a tight wicking shirt covered by a zip up up pullover covered by a wind breaker. I had a pair of thin cotton gloves under my lobster claw riding gloves for my hands. The head was covered by a balaclava type of head covering probably made for skiing that I got from my in-laws. I was a bit skeptical about using it at first because I wasn't sure that it would fit under my helmet, but it has turned out to be one of the best pieces of winter riding equipment second only to the lobster gloves.
I took it pretty easy on the ride, as I just wanted to get some mileage in with no real emphasis on speed. Toward the end of the ride I was cruising through a neighboring subdivision and edging toward the 20 mile mark. I thought that would be a nice round number on which to end the ride, but I'm probably going to be about a mile short if I continued on my current route. I needed to find a side road here in the subdivision so I wouldn't have to go down the hill near our house and backup just to get in the last mile. Okay, maybe an extra hill would be good for me, but on a day when the temp is hovering just above single digits and my toes and face are approaching numb going down hill seemed even less appealing than coming back up the hill.
As I was dreading a windy downhill I came upon a road that looked about a 1/2 mile long which would be perfect. Maybe the frost had seeped into my brain, or maybe the cold air wasn't supplying enough oxygen to my brain, but even though the distance was perfect it was snow covered. It was not only snow covered, but probably ice covered underneath. Instead of avoiding the snow and ice covered road at all costs one side of my brain said "this looks fun" while the other side of my brain was having visions of broken limbs and a broken bike. The "this looks fun" side won out as I plowed on to the snowy road on my road bike. I made it all the way down and 3/4 of the way back. It was on that last 1/4 that I hit a patch of exposed ice and my bike suddenly became a two wheeled bobsled. My brain immediately cleared, and I realized just how dumb this was. It was too late though as my bike ditched one way as I jumped the opposite direction out of my clipless pedals.
Thankfully I came out of the incident mostly unscathed, and my bike was fine. I was mostly unscathed, but I did strain my back a little bit on the left side. Fortunately it was nothing that some couch time with some ice and heat with a dose of ibuprofen couldn't take care of, but this is a lesson for me. One of my worst fears when it comes to all the work I'm putting in for the marathon is that I'll get 2 months or 3 months in and get injured making all the work for nothing.
Dist: 20.11 miles
Time: 1:25.12
Avg: 14.1 mph
Max: 31.1 mph
Short Recovery Run
At the beginning of the run my feet were freezing. It was as if someone had secretly replaced my actual feet with wooden blocks. It was kind of hard to get my shoes on my feet as my feet were numb, and the thick socks didn't help so much. For the first 1/2 mile my feet felt like two wood blocks tied to my ankles. After that they warmed up and loosened up, and they got on back to feeling like feet again. It was a solid 3.3 miles that took 30:25 for a 9:13 pace.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
2/01/2007 Goal Pace Run, Core & Spinning
Goal Pace Run - 6 A.M.
It's just another early morning treadmill run. The schedule called for a 6 mile today at my goal pace. So after a .5 mile warm up I set myself at a 7:13 pace and let it roll for the next 5 miles. I was very curious on what my heart rate would do over the course of the 6 miles, so I hit the lap button at every mile mark. It's a nice steady climb from mile to mile. I never felt like I was pushing too hard during the run. I was definitely pushing, but felt within my range for the run. I felt so good in fact that at mile 5 I kicked it up to about a 6:45 pace and crushed that last mile. It felt really, really good. The hamster wheel can be so boring that any change in pace is welcome. After blowing threw the 6 miles I had a nice easy walking .5 mile cool down.
Avg HR: 158
Peak HR: 176
Min HR: 103
Total Cal: 764
Mile 1: 7:14 Avg HR: 150
Mile 2: 7:11 Avg HR: 156
Mile 3: 7:09 Avg HR: 159
Mile 4: 7:11 Avg HR: 161
Mile 5: 7:11 Avg HR: 164
Mile 6: 6:45 Avg HR: 170
I'm trying not to over analyze every little workout, but at this point holding a 7:15 pace for 3+ hours seems highly unlikely. Does that mean I'm giving up on my goal of a 3:15 marathon? Not really, but it might mean working out a good strategy to achieve it. It's not realistic to think that I can go out there and run full speed for that amount of time. I need to work on starting at a slower pace and working up. I want to be strong at the end.
Core Training - 6 P.M.
Core training feels so good some days after a long day of desk jockeying and driving. After a good 8 or 9 ours behind the computer I feel...compacted. So to get those back muscles, core muscles, arm muscles and everything else engaged and stretched out is a godsend. Don't get me wrong it still hurts like a mother, but in a good way.
Spinning - 6:30 P.M.
I'm not sure what this class would be labeled: endurance, intervals? It was a lot of fun, so certainly it couldn't be endurance right? During the 60 minute session we went around the class and each person that wanted to "took the lead" in the pace line for a minute, and then later in the class it dropped to 45 seconds and 30 seconds. Instead of being in my own head the entire time I was more aware of the people around me that I was riding with much like you would be riding in a group or paceline on the road. It made the time move along a little more quickly and gave a little extra incentive to work harder. It was much needed since this was my third and final workout of the day. At the 30 minute mark I was feeling pretty wasted, and decided to lighten up on the resistance a bit. During the last 15 minutes I got a nice recovery kick though and was right back into it as we pulled the paceline to the finish.
I think this would be more of an interval class.
It's just another early morning treadmill run. The schedule called for a 6 mile today at my goal pace. So after a .5 mile warm up I set myself at a 7:13 pace and let it roll for the next 5 miles. I was very curious on what my heart rate would do over the course of the 6 miles, so I hit the lap button at every mile mark. It's a nice steady climb from mile to mile. I never felt like I was pushing too hard during the run. I was definitely pushing, but felt within my range for the run. I felt so good in fact that at mile 5 I kicked it up to about a 6:45 pace and crushed that last mile. It felt really, really good. The hamster wheel can be so boring that any change in pace is welcome. After blowing threw the 6 miles I had a nice easy walking .5 mile cool down.
Avg HR: 158
Peak HR: 176
Min HR: 103
Total Cal: 764
Mile 1: 7:14 Avg HR: 150
Mile 2: 7:11 Avg HR: 156
Mile 3: 7:09 Avg HR: 159
Mile 4: 7:11 Avg HR: 161
Mile 5: 7:11 Avg HR: 164
Mile 6: 6:45 Avg HR: 170
I'm trying not to over analyze every little workout, but at this point holding a 7:15 pace for 3+ hours seems highly unlikely. Does that mean I'm giving up on my goal of a 3:15 marathon? Not really, but it might mean working out a good strategy to achieve it. It's not realistic to think that I can go out there and run full speed for that amount of time. I need to work on starting at a slower pace and working up. I want to be strong at the end.
Core Training - 6 P.M.
Core training feels so good some days after a long day of desk jockeying and driving. After a good 8 or 9 ours behind the computer I feel...compacted. So to get those back muscles, core muscles, arm muscles and everything else engaged and stretched out is a godsend. Don't get me wrong it still hurts like a mother, but in a good way.
Spinning - 6:30 P.M.
I'm not sure what this class would be labeled: endurance, intervals? It was a lot of fun, so certainly it couldn't be endurance right? During the 60 minute session we went around the class and each person that wanted to "took the lead" in the pace line for a minute, and then later in the class it dropped to 45 seconds and 30 seconds. Instead of being in my own head the entire time I was more aware of the people around me that I was riding with much like you would be riding in a group or paceline on the road. It made the time move along a little more quickly and gave a little extra incentive to work harder. It was much needed since this was my third and final workout of the day. At the 30 minute mark I was feeling pretty wasted, and decided to lighten up on the resistance a bit. During the last 15 minutes I got a nice recovery kick though and was right back into it as we pulled the paceline to the finish.
I think this would be more of an interval class.
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