Run Number Two

I got out again tonight and again I mostly walked, still being careful about not overdoing the run run run. I do want to keep this up at least through the goal.

I did run for a short distance along the Central Park Resevoir, which I've wanted to do since we started talking about the CCM. It was pretty neat, the skyline view is terrific and a storm was brewing further downtown, with low gray clouds collecting just above the building tops on 59th Street.

The shoes so far are holding up. They're fast, as I walk I lean forward and want to run. Interesting.

Some numbers:

Time: 31:28
Average HR: 137 bpm
Max HR: 183 bpm (!)
408 calories burned

Peace,

Mixed Drinkers

Below is a portion of the note I received from the CCM race directors. We're in the CCM relay on 10/26. Our team names is the same title as this post.

Agricola,

We received your entry for the 2008 New Balance Marathon Relay on 06/30/08, and your team is registered to run! The race will be held on Sunday, October 26, and we will be sending out more relay information and your team's number assignment in early October. As Team Captain, all materials and communication concerning your team will be sent or e-mailed to you and it is your responsibility to keep the rest of your team up to date.

11:45

That's the time that Little VTR Number 1 ran the first annual Green Mountain Mile on Saturday. It was in our hometown just prior to the town's 4th of July parade, so the streets were lined with cheering crowds. The race was awesome. It's rare that a 5 year old gets to have hundreds (thousands?) of people cheering for him. It was a bit overwhelming (in a good way) for me, and he just ate it up. What a great experience and the start of a fun community tradition.

The icing on the cake was that Little VTR1 won the 5 and under boy category and got a plaque. So cool.

Run Number One

Well, I put the new shoes to work for the first time last night. Following Agricola's good avice, I walked mostly, went about 27 minutes and probably ran about 1/3 of that time. Stopped to stretchthe calves a bit after 15 minutes, and had to run the smallest FA to the potty at some point, too.

Ms. FA and I ran together on the treadmills in my building's gym, but I have promised myself to avoid running treadmills as often as I can going forward. I kept hitting my hands on the console, and suffered other small indignities, not the least of which was a persistent cough, which appears to have descended on me in the last 36 hours. So, it was a wholly unsatisfying first outing, but I felt great afterwards and I want to do it again. The next run will be on the road.

I wore the HR monitor, but didn't start it on time, so my metrics aren't worth posting.

Great race if you're in the neighborhood

This is the race that I visualize on many of my tougher training runs.
4.6 miles on July 4 in Hingham, MA.
Just thought I'd put the info out there in case anyone's interested and in the area:
http://www.hingham-ma.com/recreation/RoadRace.html

Great Running Buddy

I went out this AM with one of my best and favorite running buddies. He chatters the whole time, sings, runs with friends who also talk to me, makes observations and is generally enthused about everything that he sees around him. Child Two came with me and we did our 40 minute out and back loop. It was a bit later than normal for us -- about 6:55 after set-up of the stroller etc. but we were done by 7:35.

One of the things that I really like about running and running at different times is the different traffic patterns, runners etc. It's interesting to see how much more traffic there is at 7:15 as opposed to 6:55; to see who is an early morning runner versus a later runner. I like to note the different patterns and it keeps things interesting.

Fast friend

A buddy of mine naturally runs right around a 7 minute mile pace and did a scorching 3 hour marathon a couple of years ago. He's getting back into it and we went for a run yesterday. My goal is to run 7:30 minute miles for the CCM, so he'll be a perfect training partner. We went for a fast-for-me 5.5 miles yesterday, and it felt good. No issues with the calf, although I'm taking it easy today. Good stuff.

Mmmmm....Gear....

S'up, boys.

Got new running shoes today.

Went to Jackrabbit's, on 14th Street. Had my gait analyzed.

Wearin' em now.

Cool.

Boston Lunch Run

I slipped out at mid-day with my work-running-friend for 36 minutes at lunch.
We went through Copley Sq. to the Charles and headed west along the river and back. Thankfully it was not too hot. The pace was slow, she's not in peak shape -- though she was a competitive rower before her first child. She kept saying, you can take off, etc. but it was good to run with a buddy and you stick with the folks you went out with, I say. Basically, no run is a bad run, and not every run needs to be a crushing workout. I'll go out tomorrow and go a bit quicker, as a tune-up for Thursday's race. I'll play the race by ear -- I think I'll go social rather than fast.

Houston, TX Run

We headed down to Houston this past weekend to visit my brother and his family. They have a new baby and a new house, and given that we're entering the final trimester of #3, the time was right. We arrived late Thursday, and just hung out Friday. I got out for a jaunt on Saturday (but not Sunday).

I was prepared to be the only runner on the road and was going to call this post "Not a Local." I met a runner from Houston when I was in Atlanta and he had told me that nobody goes out in the summer to run. Well, there were a bunch of us on Saturday, running. I ran from my brother's place, through a neighborhood over to the campus of Rice University. I did a complete circuit of the campus on a nice, gravel path, in the shade of some really nice trees. It was an approximately 4.5 mile loop and a nice run. I did it pretty quickly, 37 minutes, and enjoyed the spectacle. It was hot and humid however, and by the end, I have to admit I was a bit sapped. I can now add Houston to the list of cities in which I've run, and I got the best sweat I've gotten in a while.

I had a bad running week last week -- traveling, really busy, Celtics -- and a bad diet weekend -- travelling, family gathering. I'll get back on both tracks this week. I'm doing the Chase Corporate Challenge this Thursday, so that will be fun.

Post it

I ran my 30 minute hill loop this morning. Felt foggy, but solid on the way out and stong and light on the way back, even in a steady rain that started with about 15 minutes to go. My "back" beat my "out" by a solid 3 minutes, which was an added bonus.

Random thoughts

Just returned from a 40 minute run. It's the first time in a long time that I've run two days in a row. Feels good.

I had a few random thoughts/observations while out on the roads...

- We don't run because we feel good, we run because we want to feel good. It's an important distinction because motivation in the moments before heading out the door is almost always an issue. It occured to me that if we all waited until we felt like it, we might never run. In that sense, running is kind of a means to an end, luckily the journey to that end is usually fun, too (at least after the first 10 to 15 minutes).
- Saw a full water bottle on a stump on the side of the road today. This was a very low traffic dirt road through the woods. I didn't see any other runners out there today, but it was cool to know that somewhere nearby, someone was in the middle of a long run and would be striding by soon, releived to have made it to their next water stop. It's all about community, you know?
- Running clears the head. I'm in the midst of a job search and things can get muddled as I figure out the next step. The run always brings at least one, discrete action item or goal to the fore. Very glad that I'm back at it.

That's all from here. Later boys.

Good Read

Despite missing my window this morning I'm still going to post. This is a good blog post from Dean Karnaze's blog about a run he's done across the Gobi Desert . . .

It's about the experiential nature of running and just being in the moment, embracing the run and the setting. It's a good read.

Notes From The Edge

Hills

I ran directly from my house this afternoon, which means I had to tackle a steep quarter-mile hill. Definitely a test. The run went well, and it felt good to be back on my old route again. Not much else to report.

Fast friends

On Sunday, I did a 4.5 mile loop with an old friend, and I felt great. Again, I was apprehensive about the old injury, but everything felt fine. Nothing else to report, just progress. Today I plan on a solid 5 miler. More on that later.

Yoga! Yoga! (To Belushi's chant)

Yoga is by far one of the greatest low impact exercise routines I have done. How is it possible to raise your heart rate to 140 simply through breathing and some poses? My HR stayed in that range for close to 45 minutes by posing this way and that. When I first began, I could hardly hold any of the poses, let alone get into any of them. Now I am actually able to hold my balance for close to 30 seconds and not fall over. Focusing on your breathing and trying to clear your head for an hour and a half is completely worth it and has increased my concentration immensely. At points, I am actually moving and stretching my body in ways I did not think were conceivable. If you have the opportunity, I would highly recommend yoga. Be prepared to sweat!

Jimmy "The Squirrel" Kennedy Memorial Run for ALS

Saturday morning, 14 June, I headed to Quincy to do The Squirrel Run. It's a memorial run and fund raiser sponsored by the Angel Fund to support ALS research. It was a small, well organized race. The course was 5 miles long and fast. It wound through the Wollaston section of Quincy and had a long stretch along Wollaston Beach. The weather was hot and sunny. There was a small hill in the first mile and then the rest of the course was fairly flat. Mile 4-5 repeated a portion of the course between miles 1 and 2 and that small hill was climbed again. The run started and finished in a big park, with a small uphill to the finish line.

I had no idea how to pace this race, there were no starting area markers and I knew only one other person in the field and knew that I was going to be faster than he. I passed the first mile marker under 8, but I didn't mark a lap until the mile 2 marker. This is where I'm going to let my splits tell the story:

Miles 1-2: 15:19
Mile 3: 6:44 (22:03)
Mile 4: 8:15 (30:18)
Mile 5: 6:51 (37:09)

I came into the finish behind a relative of the guy for whom the race is run -- I ratcheted it back a bit so as not to pass him - he was a guy in his 50s, and a good runner and the crowd was going wild for him. A woman I'd passed in between 3 & 4 out kicked me at the end and beat me by a step . . . that was the only downer of the run for me but she had a nice kick and I congratulated her on her kick. It was a good time and it's got me thinking about how to run Falmouth (which I think I'm in) and what might be possible -- perhaps 52 . . .

I got a 4 mile run in on Cape Cod yesterday. I saw an elderly couple and the guy was funny, saying, "hey you're cheating, I can't do that!" I responded, "Full speed ahead." I couldn't think of anything else to say . . . it was lighthearted interaction on my trot.

Back on the circuit with P90x

Hi all,

Long time no write. Ever since the sprain in the ankle and then a follow up one on the other ankle during the winter, I have been out of the loop feeling sorry for myself. An occasional workout here helped me get going, but then coaching began and my workouts fell to the side. So for several months I have debated purchasing the workout program P90X and finally bit the bullet and did it. Started approximately 17 days ago and as Agricola can attest, I was hurting at reunion. OUCH! The workouts are incredible though and I have been very motivated to stick with it. Each last approximately 1:15 with the yoga going 1:35. I have not worked this hard since crew season in college and the first five days were brutal since I pushed too hard. But now, I am feeling well and growing stronger. The weight is not coming off yet (just two pounds), but I can push my body further now and I am doing 99% of the workouts correct now. If you are looking for something different and want to push yourself I would recommend this series of 12 DVDs. If I can just get the diet down, I have no doubt the results you see online and the infomercial can totally happen.

Anyways, I will post as I workout. The lifting days I am my HR is 120 to 140. Plyometrics 180-190 for 45 minutes. Yoga is actually 130 to 140. Very cool stuff. Highly recommend it and I am back on track.

Keep on trucking.

Beautiful Day

I got out for a short run this morning -- 3.3 in 26:58. It was a gorgeous, cool, cloudless day -- just a perfect summer morning. I eased back just a bit on the pace (~8:12/mile) and it was a really nice run. Things were flowing, almost from the moment I got out the door at 6:15 AM. It was just one of those runs where I know I had a great one and it was a joy to be out and moving.

I kept it short because I'm running a 5 mile race tomorrow to support ALS research. It's Squirrel Run in Quincy. The husband of a woman with whom I work is an ALS researcher at Harvard Med. Mike Timlin -- relief pitcher for the Red Sox, FA -- came into his lab one day and said "Hey, do this run." So he is and so am I. Supposedly Timlin will be in the field. I'll write it up tomorrow.

Strides

Got in a morning run today and worked a bit on "speed" (it's all relative, you know). I was able to take a solid 3 minutes off my 3 mile time with negative splits for the out and back. It was a tough run, but it felt good to test myself a bit. The next test will be to up the distance more consistantly.

Wildlife update -- saw a deer cross the road behind the car today. It bounded effortlessly over 3 foot high grass. So graceful....Now that I think of it, it's like nature was saying, "This is how we do speed in this 'hood. Watch and learn, sucka."

Later, boys.

Go Figure

I got out for 30 minutes this AM. I set up my sprinkler today and had it going by 6:30 and then set off. It was in the low-60s, but humid and there is more pine pollen around than I've ever seen. The humidity made breathing a bit hard and I was working on keeping the pace down -- though ended up covering the 3.7 miles in 30:16 . . . which is a solid low-eights pace (too fast for a mid-week run, honestly!).

The go figure part of this post is that the weather was sticky and sort of gross for my run but when I headed out to work it was really nice. A new air mass made it's way in while I ate breakfast and it's a perfect summer day.

Hot

I did 30 minutes at about 6:45AM today, and it was already hot and humid. I'm all for the heat, so I won't complain too much, but I will note that having 100% humidity before 7AM is tough. Still, glad I got in the minutes. No wildlife sightings today. They were probably all keeping cool somewhere up higher.

Heat Wave

I did 38 minutes on Saturday. I had trouble with my pace and it was not exactly comfortable. I did the route that I was taking with C2 in the stroller before Burlington and that was taking me about 40 . . . I went out in 19 and change and back in 18 and change -- about a minute faster.

I didn't run on Sunday -- too hot, but I did spend a sweaty couple of hours bulling ACs around the house and putting them in place. I'm planing on going early tomorrow to beat the heat -- something very moderate and mellow.

Wild 40

After a hiatus of a few days, I got back out on the roads on early Sunday morning. I almost went mountain biking with a few friends, but worried that I'd reinjure the leg so I bailed. There's a group of guys that ride for 3 hours every Sunday at 5:45AM (hardcore), and we were talking sh*t all night Saturday over beers. I ended up greeting them at the end of the driveway to show that I could in fact get up, but went for a run instead.

So, I took the route at the end of my road (flat, sparsely populated, nice views) and decided to tack an extra 10 minutes onto my usual 30 minute run. Near the turnaround point, I thought to myself that it would be cool to see a moose. I looked over at the beaver pond off the road and saw two big ears twitching. The calf that I saw in February was chest deep in the pond with no sign of mom (thank goodness). It loped around, snacking in the weeds for a while before finally heading back into the woods. At that point, I realized that his path would probably cross my running route, so I got a little spooked. I started my return by hooting, hollering and clapping like some crazed tourrette's syndrome runner. Cracked myself up. Needless to say, I did not cross paths with the moose, and I was releived when I hit a more "residential" area again.

The leg felt fine with the added distance. Hoping to do a few more 5 milers this week.

Paranoid

I did a 30 minute run on Friday morning and a 2 hour hike with LittleVTR on my back later that day. Rested on Saturday, played some tennis on Sunday and did another 30 minutes on Monday. Tuesday I woke up with general tightness in the calf, so I've shut things down for a couple of days.

I am completely paranoid about the calf. Running is the priority, so I'm thinking about shutting out other activities until I'm confident with it. There's a hockey group on Tuesdays that I'm passing on, hikes will be very minimal and short, and I'm not sure about more tennis. It's a strange thing to force myself to rest when all I want to do is be active.

Not much else to say. I guess the lesson is this: when you can, run.

Syked!

Gents, I am getting completely revved up, thinking about the CCM relay. As I told Agricola, son of the mountain, beast on the hills, I've never run anything before, so I'll consider this an accomplishment! Will look to the blog for guidance on spooling up for this. Knowing me, momentum is important, so I am thinking I'll start after I'm back from scout camp, the week of Jun 23. I then have two months of fairly steady routine before a week away in Aug, and then two more months of routine before the event. I am not overly concerned about work travel, which is murder on a steady cycling regimen, running being considerably easier to maintain on the road than biking, but I'll stop being obvious boy, 'til later. Peace.

Drizzle

I got a 33 minute run in this AM in a light drizzle. Now it's pouring out so I'm psyched that I got one in prior to the deluge.

Monday In June

I got out yesterday for 27 minutes -- I did my short loop, 3.3 miles. Everything felt good one week after Vermont City. I'll go again tomorrow for a short one, maybe with C2. I had to catch an early train so it was a little dicey to get out today (and also on Thursday).

I'm psyched that people want to run the CCM Relay! That will be cool. I've got the form on my desk, 85% filled out. I've got another form for a run next week in Quincy, MA, a 5 miler benefiting ALS research -- The Squirrel Run. I'm also running the Chase Corporate Challenge at the end of the month, in Boston. It should be a good month!

30...

...minutes.

I got out for another 30 minute run today. Feeling good and just trying to keep from pushing too hard.

Good seeing folks at the cross this weekend.