Run Log: Run: 4.08 mi, 45:27, 11:08/mi pace - Week: 7.1 mi - Total: 48.6 mi
I felt kind of sick the day before this run, but after waking up and feeling better, I decided to head out anyway. Unfortunately, it was rather hot and sunny, so after about 2 miles I was drenched and tired. Also, I tried doing 7 minutes of running to 1 minute of walking, but found it to be a little be too difficult. For now, the 5/1 seems to be optimal, as that 10K was a breeze compared to this run.
Run Log: Run: 3.01 mi, 32:19, 10:44/mi pace - Week: 3.0 mi - Total: 44.5 mi
Playing a bit of catch-up here. Carrie says that these posts are boring, so I'll try to figure out some way to spice them up a little bit. I did this run in Laumeier Sculpture park, which was a lot of fun, but the rising and falling trails made pacing somewhat difficult. Still, it was good to get in some hill work.
Run Log: Run: 6.3 mi, 1:08:41, 10:54/mi pace - Week: 18.9 mi - Total: 41.5 mi
This week's long run was awesome! I ran a 10K for the first time in a long time. I did include walk breaks this time, with 5 minutes of running and 1 minute of walking, and it really worked well. Looking at the graph of my pacing, I was able to keep my running pace quite consistent for each section. I didn't feel like I had to push until I got around the hour mark, and then it started getting tough. Still, compared to yesterday's run, I feel much better.
Run Log: Run: 3.11 mi, 28:43, 9:14/mi pace - Week: 12.6 mi - Total: 35.2 mi
Forgot to log my run from yesterday. I decided to try a quicker 5K to have an idea about my race a week from today. The run was pretty good, and I think I'll shoot for a sub-28:00 5K, but afterwards I could really feel it in my shins. I iced them down really well, but realized that I shouldn't have allowed my stride to get so long when I was pushing myself.
Run Log: Run: 3.50 mi, 34:59, 9:59/mi pace - Week: 9.5 mi - Total: 32.1 mi
I wasn't sure if I was going to run this morning or not, but decided to anyway as I wasn't feeling sore from yesterday's run. Just to be on the safe side, though, I thought I'd mix it up by running 5min and then walking 1min until I hit my goal of 3.5 miles. I pushed myself a little bit too hard on the running parts, I think, fluctuating between 8:30/mi and 9:30/mi pacing. Still, the run felt good and I was able to shave over 4 minutes off of yesterday's run of the same distance and feel better about it afterwards.
The only downside to this morning's run was the temperature. I had decided to sleep in and it was already 70° outside when I left for my run. I was so hot by the end that I jumped in the shower without doing my cool-down stretches. Oops. Hope that doesn't come back to bite me tomorrow.
Run Log: Run: 3.50 mi, 39:22, 11:15/mi pace - Week: 6.0 mi - Total: 28.6 mi
This morning's run was going to be a test. First, I was still feeling not 100% after yesterday's relatively easy run, so I didn't know if I would even make it. Second, my calves were feeling it almost from the start. I did make my 3.5 miles, though, albeit at a slower pace. I did have to take a 1-minute walk break around 2.5 miles, as my legs just felt like they wouldn't go any further. The break helped, but I can see why if I were to employ some Gallowalking (google it), I would have to be planned from the start and not 25+ minutes into the run.
Run Log: Run: 2.50 mi, 24:42, 9:52/mi pace - Week: 2.5 mi - Total: 25.1 mi
This morning I went out to the track for my run, mostly for the purposes of calibrating the Nike+iPod for a bit more accuracy. After a warm-up lap of walking and another of jogging, I was ready for my 2.5 mile run. As I was on the track I decided to try my workout music again, this time with a bit more success. During the cool-down I returned once again to NPR, but this time for "This American Life."
The new shirt I got worked quite well. I was surprised both at how cool I stayed during the run and at how easy and convenient it was to have the iPod holder built into my shirt. I didn't have to struggle with the chords nearly as much and navigation of the iPod was straightforward.
After the run it looked like I had ran about 10 laps plus maybe another 150m, and when converting that 4.15 km to miles one gets about 2.58 miles. This puts the iPod at about 97% accuracy which is much better than it was out of the box.
The only problem with today's run was that afterwards I felt like I had a groin pull. It doesn't seem too bad at the moment, but I'll definitely be icing it to try speed recovery. Hopefully this won't prevent a run tomorrow, but I don't want to take any chances.
Run Log: Run: 4.34 mi, 43:22, 10:00/mi pace - Week: 12.5 mi - Total: 22.6 mi
Well, today was the long run, and I set my iPod for a run of 4.5 miles. According to the iPod, I ran 4.75, but according to the gmap-pedometer, I ran 4.34. Not knowing which to believe, I decided to use the online pedometer to test the distance around UMKC's track. The result - 401m. Pretty darn accurate given how it was tricky trying to stay in one lane given that I was using satellite imagery.
So, I'm going to have to calibrate the iPod before my next run. It isn't a big deal, really. All I have to do is go to the track and run a lap to get everything calibrated. Then I'll have some more accurate results. I was wondering how I managed to knock about 45 seconds off of my normal training pace on my longest run so far.
As far as listening goes, I went with a bit of NPR's "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me." Ok, not a bit. With the warm-up and cool-down I listened to the entire program. Still, it was very enjoyable and wasn't quite as distracting as the music. Though at various points I was saying aloud the answers to their news quiz portion, which could prove interested for passers-by.
Run Log: Run: 1.80 mi, 16:27, 9:08/mi pace - Week: 8.4 mi - Total: 18.4 mi
Today's run was the first I tried with the new, first gen. iPod nano that the UPS man was so kind as to drop off today. As I am planning on a 4.5 mi run tomorrow, I thought I'd take it easier today and just run a couple of miles. Of course, the addition of music did get me a little bit excited, and I wasn't paying so much attention to the running so much as the nifty voice that would let me know how things were going. Still, it was nice to run two miles at a decent clip. It makes me a bit more optimistic for my 5K race coming up in two weeks.
So, how do I like the Nike+iPod setup? Well, I love having that information on runs and the ability to graph and log the runs automatically. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the music, though. Yes, it did make the time go by rather quickly (which will be good as I work up to marathon distance), but it was distracting. I dunno, I felt like I was missing something. That isn't to say that I have to have music on the run. I could try silence with just the audio feedback, but I think I might also try... npr podcasts.
No, I don't really think that I'll be less distracted, it just seemed a good balance of things. I always want to listen to more of them, but don't get the time, so why not when I'm running? Just a thought. We'll see how tomorrow goes.
Update: I updated the distance and pacing info to reflect a more accurate distance as provided by gmap-pedometer. 6/12/07
Run Log: Run: 3.45 mi - Weekly Total: 6.4 mi - Overall Total - 16.4 mi
At this point I've kind of left the C-to-5K program behind a bit. The time on today's run was 34:27, giving me a 9:59/mi pace. So far, this 10 minute pace seems to be quite comfortable, and I always feel like I could run more at the end, but I'm trying to keep things slow (anxious though I am to increase mileage before the marathon program kicks in). To give you an idea of where I'll need to be in three weeks, the first week of the marathon program is (starting on Sunday) - off, 3mi, 4mi, 4mi, off, 3mi, 6mi.
To get myself to that level, I've added an extra day of running to the current program, and starting next week I'll shoot for five days of running a week. Likewise, I'll shoot for 4.5 miles as a long run this Sat., and 5.0-5.5 miles as a long run on the 26th. I might have shot for the 6 the following week, but I'll be doing a 5K on June 2nd, which will be a great way for me to see how I've been progressing as well as give me some additional information about how I should be pacing my runs.
Thus, the schedule as I see it for the rest of this week will be Fri-2.0mi, Sat-4.5mi
The next week (5/20-5/26), I'll try: off, 2.5mi, 3.5mi, 3.5mi, off, 2.5mi, 5.0-5.5mi.
The final week (5/27-6/2), will be: off, 3mi, 4mi, off, off, 2mi, 5K race!
So far, everything is going well, and I haven't had any pain or even much soreness to speak of. For the most part, my legs just feel tired the next day, so I'm optimistic about being able to get myself into shape rather quickly, but I'm also trying to realize that I should probably have shot for, say, the St. Louis marathon in April of next year to give myself enough time to build a base.
I guess that's just how I roll.
Run Log: Run: 2.93 mi - Weekly Total: 2.93 mi - Overall Total - 13.0 mi
Went out to run around three miles today. The time was 29:36, putting me at a 10:06/mile pace.
I took a new route that started west of my house rather than going north. What I didn't realize, is that this meant a lot more hills and, moreover, the biggest hill would come late in the run. The anticipation of this hill definitely made me feel very tired early in the run, but once I got to it I was surprised by my ability to maintain a good pace up and then take advantage of the downhill to the finish.
Something I noticed during this run was that my legs wanted to quit much sooner than my breathing. That is to say that I never felt winded at any point, but my legs felt like lead. I'm not entirely sure what that means.
I still feel frustrated by the pace of this run. I know that my main goal is to build miles and let the pace come, but I'm so far off what I know I can do that it's frustrating. I suppose this journey will be a good exercise in patience, eh?
Run Log: Run: 1.91 mi - Weekly Total: 8.0 mi - Overall Total - 10.0 mi
Decided that I'd put in an extra run today as the run from yesterday didn't leave me sore. The only real mistake that I made was in waiting until 11:30 this morning to go running. The 83° weather didn't seem to hot at the beginning, but by the end I was really feeling the heat.
The run itself was shorter, only 1.9 miles, and the time was certainly better than yesterday. I ran it in 18:04 giving me a 9:27/mi pace.
Tomorrow will definitely be a rest day, though, I can already feel that.
Run Log: Run: 2.63 mi - Weekly Total: 6.1 mi - Overall Total - 8.1 mi
Well, today's run was to be for 25 minutes. I decided that since I was going for time and not for distance, I'd give running on the street a shot.
I immediately noticed the difference from running on a track to running on the asphalt. More than that, though, the route I ran starts with about an 80ft rise over the first half mile. Doesn't seem like much when I type it, but boy did I feel it. After that hill, though, I got into a pretty good groove. I ended up running for 27:22. I knew I'd be pretty close to home and could just walk the rest of the way once I hit 25 minutes, but I was still feeling good so I decided to finish it out.
The total distance, according to Gmaps Pedometer, was 2.63 miles, giving me a staggeringly fast past of 10:24/mile. I guess those hills really got to me. At least I was able to keep going at a steady pace, though. I just need to remind myself that as of last week, I hadn't run more than a mile in about 7-8 years.
On the plus side, I will be receiving an iPod Nano for my birthday (it's in the mail), so I can start using the Nike Sport kit to really get an accurate measurement of pace and distance.
Run: 2.0 mi - Weekly Total: 3.5 mi - Overall Total - 5.5 mi
Run Log
As I mentioned before, I've jumped into the sixth week of Cool Running's Couch-to-5K program. This morning's workout consisted of a two mile run, with a quarter mile walk between each mile.
I brought out the stopwatch for the first time, and probably shouldn't have. I tried to pace myself slowly on the first mile, and ended up with an 8:20 time. After my walk, I wanted to see if I could do the second mile in under 8 minutes. Not a bad goal, but one that probably pushed me a bit hard. I was under pace for the first half mile, but the second half was much more difficult. I did manage to pull a 7:55 time, but I made most of that up in the last 200m or so. I need to remember that I'm shooting for a marathon in five months, not a good 5K or something like that.
The next run, which is just a 2.25 mi jog, should be better. These last couple of runs have been done on an indoor track as I had to have an accurate measure of shorter distances. For the rest of my runs, though, I'll be doing in our neighborhood (when it isn't raining really hard). I spent a lot of time the other day mapping out several distances, from 2 miles to 15 miles, on Gmaps Pedometer. I'll still be taking the stopwatch along for these runs, but without knowing exactly where the splits are, I won't be pushing myself too hard on time.
I've found the way to link to my running log. So here's the link:
It'll also be in the about me section as well. Tomorrow morning is a new run. I can't wait!
So, when I went to the running store to get some nice, but expensive running shoes, I hadn't realized that the pair I got were Nike+ compatible. In case you are unaware of this wonderful little creation, there is a small sensor that goes in your shoe, which then communicates with your iPod your time, distance, pace, and calories. This then can all be automatically uploaded to your computer and then tracked on Nike's website via some spiffy looking graphs.
Here's the problem. Carrie and I have a sweet 30GB Video iPod, but the Nike+iPod Sport Kit only works with the nano. (Which kind of makes sense. One wouldn't want to use their hard-drive-based ipod on lots of runs.) I thought that perhaps I should sell the video ipod, but then I remembered that we had it engraved. Blast. So, I'm currently scouring the internet and ebay for the first generation nanos, but so far I think they're a bit out of my price range. :(
Hey... my birthday is Thursday. Feel free to send a donation to the "Andy wants to run a marathon and he'll need all the help he can get which includes an iPod Nano Fund."
Cheers!
Run: 1.5 mi - Weekly Total: 1.5 mi - Overall Total - 3.5 mi
This morning I woke up at 5:30 am, after 7 hours of sleep, for no apparent reason. Perhaps it was because I was excited to go running. ("Your honor, I present exhibit #482 towards the insanity case against one Mr. Lee.")
I'm going to start doing this right. I've signed up with a site called Cool Running (no, not Cool Runnings) that will be keeping a nice log of my workouts. Moreover, they also have nice built-in training programs that I'll start having to use. Based on my ability to go and run 1.5 miles without exerting too much effort (save the soreness I'll feel tomorrow), I figure I'm on about week 6 of their 9 week "Couch-to-5K" program. That'll give me the appropriate 20-weeks to complete their marathon training program as well.
I've also begun a search of area 5K and 10K races that I might want to enter. I didn't really enjoy the racing part of cross country, just the workouts, but I think it might be good to do a few this summer just to have something to push for a bit. So far, the 10K Sunflower State Games on July 14th is looking good.
I've got to go get ready for my landlord to come over, now. Our basement is starting to get a wee bit wet.
Consider this my official declaration that it is my goal to run the Kansas City marathon this coming October. To that end, I went to a local running store yesterday and bought some nice running shoes and went out later that afternoon for a 2-mile run. (I'm a bit sore today.)
Now, for the question I'm sure that is on your mind (or at least I'm guessing because Carrie has asked me that question about 18 times already), "Why?"
A couple of reasons, really. First, I did compete in cross country in high school and enjoyed it, and this gives me a reason to get back into running. Second, it's just one of those things I've always wanted to do. Third, my theory professor, who is at about 5'2" and advancing in years, does this, so I figured that if she could, so could I. And finally, I'm getting bored.
My semester ended on Friday, the kind of semester I wouldn't wish on anyone, and now I don't know what to do with myself. When I get bored, I tend to give myself huge projects. Already this weekend, I've updated my photo and music pages and am working on fixing our church's podcast. So you see, I need help... (Also on the to-do-list for this summer, writing a collection of children's poetry, doctoral research into post-minimalist piano music, et. al.)
But I digress. I'm going to try to log my attempts at this marathon thing here so that I might have some public accountability. Wish me luck!
