Thursday Three Three

Took a quick run today, did my short route. It was fine. This week is all about rhythm for me -- just get back to going, and then work on the mileage. I'm looking forward to each run a bit more each time -- I'm coming around! However, I stepped on a rock about two miles out and jammed my ankle -- yes the one I hurt in November. What are the odds, of stepping on a rock in the street, twice on the same ankle that you hurt already? In my case, it's at least the second time I've jammed it . . . I walked it off a bit, and it was OK. We're off to Florida tomorrow evening so it will be nice to run in some warm weather.

Quick Post

I didn't get out Monday but did get out Tuesday for a brisk three. I wanted to do five today but didn't get it in. Things should open up for me so I'll do 5 tomorrow and 3 Friday. We're heading to Florida Friday night so I hope to get a few runs in in warm weather -- we'll see how my winter thickened blood does in 80 F temps. I'm actually bummed about missing today, but am glad -- I want to run again and that's a good thing. I'm looking forward to running and while I may not be ready for the VT 'thon, I should at least give it a good training whirl and finish at least half of it.

Headwind!

I just ran 3.3 into a stiff headwind -- I was shooting for 4 but bailed and did my short loop. The first half of the run felt like running uphill even though it's fairly flat once you finish the first 1/2 mile. It's pretty wild how a headwind will slow you down -- I'm not the most aerodynamic person in the world, to be sure, but I can't believe how a stiff headwind makes me feel like the side of a house. It was a pretty evening with golden light and blue sky but quite chilly -- I bookended the week with pretty runs. I almost stepped on a little dead nuthatch -- that would have been gross.

Late Afternoon

I did 3.3 at about 5 PM today. It was cold. It was windy. The sky was cloudless and beautiful blue. The shadows were long. The light was golden. It was a nice run. I'll try and go again tomorrow morning, and do three more. The legs felt OK, today. The lungs were not where I'd like them, but I'll get my wind back.

So Much

So much for dropping the hammer on training . . . I got out for the first time in a week and did 5 misery racked miles. I'm about three days from bailing on this training thing. My goal, as limited as it is right now, is to do 5 tomorrow and something a bit longer on Sunday. We'll see, if I can do that then I'll take next week as it comes and work hard to get back on this horse. Miserable.

Crisp Spring Day

I got out for 4.7 today. It was a beautiful day -- clear and crisp, mid-40s. It's good running weather. I ran in shorts. My left quad was tight and funky the whole way, and I actually stopped around the three mile mark to stretch it out -- it felt lousy. I'm not sure why and am hoping that it's not related to the ankle injury . . . I wonder if I'm favoring that leg or running in some way that's altering the stride on that side and putting more stress on the quad . . . I don't know. Anyway, I got out.

Windy Four

I went out for a four miler today. It was windy but not too cold, low to mid-40s. I got a nice boost from a tailwind in a portion of the last mile, but turned the final corner and got a good blast of headwind in the final 200 yards. Nothing much to report. My legs were pretty sore after Sunday, and my ankle feels less than perfect -- Sunday night I walked up the stairs and something was grinding in the ankle -- like a tendon over bone, I don't know, I'm not an orthopedist -- it didn't really hurt, but it felt uncomfortable and sort of gross. It felt alright today, and OK right now. We'll see.

On The Road Again

I got out and did 6 miles yesterday. VTR called and left a message, and Mrs. A told me to get out there so I did. I was not inspired but I went out and ran pretty well. My legs are tired today, and I didn't feel great in the gut when it was over, but it was good to be out there because it was a beautiful day.

I was sick two weeks ago and totally in a running funk last week. The admission that I promised last week is this: I don't like training for marathons. Mrs. A says I'm over-thinking which I probably am -- it happens when between gigs. So, I'm back to it, more or less, we'll see how it goes and maybe I'll use VTRs two weeks overseas to really try and drop the hammer so that I can make some strides and get in better shape than he.

I stopped twice, briefly, on my run. My left quad was tightening up in one specific area, which is the sorest part of either leg today, so I stopped and stretched it out about 3/4-mile from home. The other stop occurred towards the middle of my run. Some folks have tapped the Sugar Maples on their property and I wanted to check out the setup. They are using these big blue bags that hang off of metal bars that hang off of a little spigot driven into the tree. The bags were quite full, slushy on top and liquid beneath and there was a good amount of sap dripping from the little spigots. There is a huge maple at the center of the property -- probably 10 feet in circumference -- and it had a bunch of very full bags on it. I know VTR has plenty of sugar stands around him, but they are a bit more rare in west-suburban-Boston. That was pretty cool.

Another Snowy Run

Time: 44:19
avg HR: 154
Peak HR: 172
5 miles
8:49 AM start
Training Effect: 5.0
Temp: 33 F

I went out today for about 5 miles. It felt good and it got me over a mental hump -- I was starting to think I was destined to run the 5 K forever. I felt good and carried a pretty decent pace throughout -- onward and upward.

Last night's snow was melting pretty fast and along parts of the run it felt like running in a shower with melt-water coming out of the trees. Spring!

Just A Run

Time: 27:56
avg HR: 156
Peak HR: 172
3.3 miles
6:50 AM start
Training Effect: 4.3
Temp: 40 F

Not much to report today, no deep thoughts, not even shallow thoughts. Just a 3.3 mile run . . . well, actually, that post I made about my HR monitor got me thinking about the training effect.

TE over 4 is supposedly a hard workout, with big cardio benefits that will yield dramatic improvement, but requires rest periods interspersed with recovery workouts. I feel fine after them and don't need any big recovery period. I also tend to drop about 40 beats/minute within 1 minute of finishing so my post-run recovery is pretty good. However, I'm over 4 TE on 3.3 mile runs. Am I in shape or out of it? Maybe a HR monitor is not such a great thing after all!

Anyway, I tried to go out slower today but it felt worse. I feel better going quicker and I actually start to feel better after the 30 minute mark -- which I've not been hitting in these workouts so I definitely need to increase the distance. Does anybody else feel better after a certain period in their run? Is anybody else even running right now, or I am just shouting into the wind here like I do on my other blog?

Vernal Equinox

Time: 29:51
avg HR: 158
Peak HR: 176
3.5 miles
6:49 AM start
Training Effect: 4.5
Temp: 11 F

Six hours and forty three minutes after the commencement of Spring I hit the road. I ran my longer route today and realized that the extra two-tenths doesn't really impact the duration of the run that much. I need to start stretching it out more to break the 30 minute mark and increase the effectiveness of the run.

I saw this fat little Scotty dog out for a walk with its owner. I passed them going up a short incline and the little dog started to run to try and catch me. Granted the beast was on a leash -- though it was one of those extendo leashes -- but the little fatty petered out fairly quickly. It was mildly motivating, actually, because I definitely don't want to end up a fat pup on a leash with little get-up-and-go.

One final thing, please note the temperature: eleven degrees Fahrenheit! One good thing about running in the cold though is the side-shot. It's somehow more acceptable, and definitely necessary, in the winter to clear the nasal passages via this method. Long live the side-shot!

The Rebound

Time: 28:15
avg HR: 157
Peak HR: 177
3.315 miles
6:50 AM start
Training Effect: 4.3
Temp: 18 F

The new rule this spring is use the inhaler before leaving. I did today and rebounded nicely from my Saturday debacle. I started out a bit more mellow, and covered the route in about 17 seconds more than I did last Thursday. A Monday run is a bit different for me, but it felt good. There were a lot of smells today -- maybe my respiratory issues made me more aware of the odors on my run:

Sometimes I bump into a guy who walks in the AM and smokes a large cigar. I smelled it before I saw him. They are nice cigars, and smell pretty good.

My route takes me over the commuter rail line (twice). The second time is near a station and I could smell the brake pad-burn from a recently departed train. It smells like an electrical fire.

There's a bakery on my route, it always smell good!

Even as frozen as the world is right now (the Vernal Equinox is tomorrow, hello!), I could smell the snow in places that were in the sun and began to melt.

Wild Weekend

It was a wild weekend. I got a couple of good old fashioned cross training workouts and one shortened "run." I shoveled heavy wet snow for 35 minutes on Friday night, and again on Saturday morning. Shovelling is a gasser, it's amazing. During my morning shovel session I saw a bunch of bikers go buy the end of the street and I knew I had to run that day. I set out at about 5:20 PM and less than a mile into my route I was wheezing like a madman and had to stop. It was about 30 F and very damp -- not a great combo for me. Ever since the fall of 2001 I've had trouble in this kind of weather, and gotten wheezy, though Saturday was the first time I've ever had to stop. A doctor told me it's an allergic thing, and as I've mentioned in previous posts it's been a tough week for running with this allergy induced trouble . . . I did manage to run and walk a mile or so after I first stopped and probably covered about 2 miles in toto, but man it was tough. See above though for my rebound workout.

Eh . . .

Time: 27:58
avg HR: N/A
Peak HR: N/A
3.1 miles
7:00 AM start
Training Effect: N/A
Temp: 40 F

Firstly: HAPPY BIRTHDAY VT RUNNER!
Secondly: Welcome back Ligaments!

The run was eh today . . . and started off poorly. One of my cherubs, or perhaps I did, though I don't think so, misplaced my HR belt, so, no data beyond time today. My run starts with the sun rising to my left. Today the rising sun was behind some pretty significant cloud cover, and to the west the sky was very dark. In my addled state I thought "damn, it's still dark in the west . . . I hate the time change . . ." Nah, the sky to the west was saturated with moisture because at about the one mile point, it started pouring. Good times. I hung tough, did my shorter route and finished strong, but whatever is going on with the chest -- cold or allergies, not sure -- is making it tough, or maybe I'm going out harder and not in good enough shape yet to do so. It's a process, one must embrace the process.

God Awful!

Time: 27:33
avg HR: 156
Peak HR: 171
3.0 miles
6:55 AM start
Training Effect: 4.3
Temp: 30 F

Today was one of the worst runs since I've resumed running -- maybe ever. I'm battling some kind of chest infection/allergy thing -- I was working in my basement over the weekend and ever since I've been wheezy and been having trouble taking a good breath, it's from the dust -- and I hate the time change . . . Miserable run, I persevered, but it wasn't fun. Though my chest actually feels better after the run than it did before . . . Maybe the run permitted me to sweat out the toxins

Almost Here

Time: 30:27
avg HR: 159
Peak HR: 180
3.5 miles
6:57 AM start
Training Effect: 4.7
Temp: 19 F

Along the sunny parts of the run today you could smell the earth. A Mockingbird sang its heart out from atop a chimney, and every Cardinal in town seemed to be singing and calling -- looking for mates, a sure sign that spring is almost here!

For some reason I went out a bit harder than I usually do and it sort of hurt. I was out early for a weekend, because I woke up at my normal time (~6:20 AM)and decided to get on the run.

Break On Through

Time: 28:37
avg HR: 157
Peak HR: 178
3.1 miles
6:46 AM start
Training Effect: 4.5
Temp: 6 F

Despite the temp of 6 F, I broke through my personal psychological barrier, sucked it up and hit the road. Once my fingers stopped hurting -- even in gloves the fingers stung -- it was a pretty good run. Beautiful, cloudless sky, rising sun and funky temperature fluctuations -- sunny stretches were pleasant, shady were c-o-l-d. One thing about running for me is that it not only improves physical strength, it's a good mental toughness builder. The modern life is pretty cushy, and it's easy to be lazy with our HD TVs, ice makers and comfortable homes. Running, for me at least, helps me break out of that, get outside, encounter a bit of pain and transcend the comfortable bonds of my suburban existence. Check out Dean Karnazes for more on that idea -- it's pretty cool.

Out & Back (In Shorts!)

Time: 29:57
avg HR: 154
Peak HR: 176
3.2 miles
4:39 PM start
Training Effect: 4.4
Temp: 43 F!

I did a 3.2 mile out and back this afternoon -- you run out to some point and turn around and run the reverse course trying to get back in less time than it took to go out. The 1.6 miles is nothing specific just a logical and defined point on my run that I've noticed as I clock distance. I achieved the negative split -- first leg a leisurely 15:26, the return leg a little quicker 14:31. It was a little rough. There's a large hill in the first half mile that's nice to run down on the way out, but pretty miserable on the way back. It was a good run though to see where I stand. Oh yeah, and it was warm!

FINALLY

So, I finally got out today and can join the fun on the blog. I've been meaning to get out all week because it has been gorgeous up here in VT. 25 - 35 degrees, which feels like spring, blue sky, no wind. Perfect running weather.

I managed to cram in about 3.5 miles between meetings and felt pretty good. Not going to set any speed records, but no pain to report.

The back story on my running is that I signed up for the Burlington Marathon about 6 weeks ago (weak moment), downloaded a complex training schedule and have managed to run 4 times, including today. I'll be traveling in China next week, but I'll be back out running the following week. Looking forward to having a virtual crew to keep the motivation high.

Nice Trot

Time: 29:27
avg HR: 157
Peak HR: 177
~3.1 miles
6:35 AM start
Training Effect: 4.4
Temp: 17 F

It was a nice little run today, not as slippery and the legs felt better. I managed to start the watch and have some data. I dialed it back a bit on the distance -- early client meeting (that's about to start), late night at a networking thing last night, and calibrating a bit to adjust to more frequency. I probably shouldn't have upped distance and frequency in the same week, but oh well. Today felt good, I'll up distance on Saturday.