Still chugging along

Hi all,

A couple of updates:

Last Wednesday - 4.4 miler in roughly 37 minutes
Last Friday - 4.4 miler in roughly 37 minutes
Last Saturday - 5.5 miler in roughly 46 minutes (this one done at 6:30 AM and I just don't feel as good at running as I do in the afternoon when the body is completely warm).

Monday - 3.7 miles on the treadmill at an 8:00 minute pace, went stretching and had a slight pull on my right hamstring as I did some split stretching (my foot slipped and I went a little too far).

Yesterday - 1 hour on a stationary bike and had the HR in the 140 to 160 range the entire way. Good way to keep the conditioning going without putting any more tension on a delicate hamstring. I am hoping to get out today and the next couple with a short one on Saturday in preparation for the CCM.

Looking forward to race day and everyone looks geared up for the event due to all the blog entries.

Maintaining

Easy couple of miles this morning in nasty weather. Just maintaining for Sunday's run. Same on tap for tomorrow.

Hockey night

Played hockey with my normal Monday night men's league crew last night. We convinced a buddy to join us, and it was his first time on the ice in any kind of organized way in 23 years. He had fun, and we were glad to have another guy join the team. Another example of bonding/community through sport.

Three short runs on tap for me this week. Got a pre-race massage today. One hour of work mainly on my legs. Felt great.

Run # 42

Nothing remarkable about it. 5k resevoir loop, 31 minutes. I sped up to stay with a very fit, well assembled woman for about 150 yards, but went to far, too fast and gave up up whatever time I gained when I slowed to a walk for about 50 yards a few minutes later. Slow and steady will mean a strong finish for me on this one, boys.

Slacking

Only managed one 2 mile run last week and didn't even post. Ran 2 this morning. Work and late night Sox games took their toll last week. Unfortunately, that excuse ended last night. I've been so caught up in work that I hadn't realized this Sunday is my local 5K (CCM for you all). I would have tried a little harder last week to get out. Alas that ship has sailed and all I can do is maintain this week.

The good news is that, 10 weeks in, no nagging injuries to report. The only thing that has surprised me is the lack of lung capacity. Seems when I'm trying to run hard, its a lack of oxygen that is holding me back rather than muscle fatigue or being winded. I have to focus on breathing deeply...and it seems to be a struggle. It feels as if I can't expand the lungs that final 10-15%. Never experienced that before.

A Great Adirondack Run, #41

It was a hard week and a late Friday and I had to prepare for an afternoon meeting and cook dinner and otherwise be ready for 10 overnight dinner guests so THE LAST THING I wanted to do on Saturday morning was get up and run. So I asked Ms. FA drop me off four miles away from the house at 7:45am. There was nowhere to go but home. And it was a beautiful fall day, crisp and breezy and the foliage was breathtaking and I was charged by a couple of dogs, which was a little scary but funny, too. I absolutely love the Adirondacks. I covered the 4 miles (mostly gradual downhill, with some rollers) in 37 minutes flat, and I felt great about that.

WIndy Sunday

Well, at least on thing that I said I wanted to do, I did: 10 K on Sunday. IT was windy and cool and a gorgeous fall day in that unsettled, variable weather way that only come in the fall. The sky was overcast, and sometimes hazy with an interesting, cold light and at times the sky was blue. The foliage is beautiful. I covered the distance in 48:06 and I felt good. I started reeling a guy in about four miles out and caught him around mile five out -- he'd been about a quarter to half mile ahead of me and just as I pulled up to him he started his homestretch kick. I was avoiding passing him outright because I wasn't sure how much I had in the tank and still had three hills to go. He out-kicked me but stopped at his house right at the base of my penultimate and largest hill. I told him "good run" and he said "Thanks buddy" and I think he said something else about next time we'll go together . . . I wasn't sure but it was a good running moment. Thia was one of those runs where I am so happy that I went and I feel great. I'm psyched, I feel fairly ready and I'm looking forward to next weekend, it should be a blast.

All over the place

I ran for 1:37 today. Not sure on the distance, but I figure it's somewhere around 11 miles. I was completely all over the place on the run. Felt at times tight, loose, distracted, locked in, ready, then fighting to get in the right state of mind. By the end, I was very tight, which reinforced the importance of staying hydrated and trying to stretch this week.

Run 40

I got out this morning along a track beside the Puget Sound, a bit less than 3 miles out and back from my hotel. It was 46 degrees, and I was NOT prepared. All I had was a pair of shorts and a technical short-sleeve, so I threw on an extra t-shirt I picked up at a client's office yesterday and wore a baseball cap, which for me is atypical. In fact, the cold wasn't so bad once I got going. My hands stayed cold throughout the run, but the rest of me warmed up with the activity. Lesson learned: wear gloves. I have a thin pair of polypro glove liners that will likely do the job.

I wish I could say that it was a great experiential run, with the natural beauty of the harbor, etc. In fact it was a tough run. I didn't feel good doing it. And the weather was kinda nasty as well as cold. It was very cloudy, which obscured the view. All well. Check the box. The CCMR is in 11 days.

Peace,

Better

I got out this AM at about 7:15 -- much later than usual but I got on a late train and rolled into the office at 10:15. I'm still on the beach . . . good times. Anyway, I was actually up at 6:10, but had to make peace between the children, get them set up with some juice and sustenance and then head out. There's not much to report except that my lung capacity was better and I shaved off about 2:40 from my previous time and finished today in 26:45 on my 3.3 mile course. Still not my fastest but closer and an improvement even if it was a bit painful. Oxygen is very important for running, amazingly, and I had some more today so I feel good about my plan of action over the next week-and-a-half and will hopefully be at some semblance of full-strength come the CCMR -- at least 80%. It was nice to run at 7:15, I can't get too used to that.

Hockey lessons

I skated today for the second week in a row with a lunch time adult hockey league. After sucking wind in week 1, I paced myself with very short shifts through the first have of the hour session. By the end, I was tired, but had way more energy than the prior week. I could actually compete on my last shift. Yet another lesson that it's all about pacing. So important for running and, as it turns out, hockey. I wish I would've figured that out two years ago! Would have saved me a lot of exhaustion on the ice over the past couple of seasons.

Oh, and I scored two goals. Can't beat that feeling.

Too tired? Run.

This from the Boston Globe today:

http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2008/10/13/way_too_tired/

"You're a runner now"

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was scheduled to do my second and last 20 miler on Sunday. It turns out, my body had something different in mind. I woke up in the middle of the night with a full, tight feeling in the old belly and thought I might hurl. That feeling got even better as night turned to early morning and things started going (and flowing) south. Yup, GI issues all through the night.

When I awoke around 7:00, things had pretty much stabilized, but I had this run to contend with. Had I not planned on running with a friend at 8:00AM, I would've rolled over and got back my few hours of lost sleep. Instead, I felt guilty about cancelling at the last minute. I also knew I wouldn't have time this week to get another long run in, but I still waffled. I worried about pulling a muscle because I was dehydrated. I took a shower to see if that would make me feel better. I ran up and down my driveway in a t-shirt, boxers and running shoes to see if I could pull off a run without a major GI catastrophy. Finally, I decided that I would feel lame if I didn't even try to do this run. Worse case, I thought, was that I would show up, run for a few miles and then quit, knowing that I did what my body would allow.

So, I filled my water bottle, packed my bottle-holder-pouch with TP, and went to meet my friend. We ended up running for somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 miles over 1:23. I really tightened up and walked the last quarter mile to avoid any type of injury. (My two calf pulls were pretty closely tied to dehydration.) During the walk, things kind of fell apart as cold set in and my body hit a wall.

I got home, showered long, and crawled into bed feeling like crap, but very pleased that I got a run in under less than ideal circumstances. Turns out I had a 101 fever.

Just before I dosed off, I mentioned to Mrs. VTR that I was happy I got the run in. She replied, "Only runners go out at crazy times like this. You're a runner now."

Reading through this blog lately (running on newborn-induced sleep-deprivation with a chest cold, or with shredded hammies, or even if you can believe it, in a blue sweatervest), I'd say we're all runners now.

Feels good, doesn't it.

Run 39

It was a bike ride, not a run. It was my second workout of the weekend. It was blissfully easy. I had practically no muscle fatique in the legs, even after a few climbs up the Great Hill. This is a powerful endorsement for running.

If you care about distance and speed, don't ride in the Park on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. The top half of the loop is manageable, lots of cyclists and runners, serious about what they are doing. The bottom half is a disaster of tourists and pedestrians. It's inhospitable for the cyclist. But I've complained about this before.

The result was 13.3 miles in 55 minutes. My average speed was 14.4 mph.

Atonement

Last week marked the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, the day of atonement and some of my neighbors were suffering through their fast. This week marks my week of atonement. Child Three's arrival disrupted things a bit but I was hopeful that I'd get out during the week -- what with paternity leave and all that. Fat chance, Child (or should I say Vector?) Two got a wicked cold that turned into a cough about the same time it took root in my lungs and I spent the week battling through that. Couple illness with totally broken sleep, and tons of bad treats around the house and my running is a mess.

I went out yesterday with a neighbor for 3.3 and did it in a glacially slow 29+ minutes. Ten days off and much diminished lung capacity hurt me. I've been hacking and wheezing since Thursday (wicked tight in the lungs) but I couldn't let another beautiful day go by without a run. I got out again this morning on the same route and ran only about 30 seconds faster but I did stop to watch hawk that landed on a telephone pole and also stopped to work out a nasty little stitch in my ribs around the two mile mark. I'm bummed about the pace and I think it's more related to running sick than anything else right now, hopefully my lungs return and I can rebound nicely. My goal is to get out three more times this week at this distance and then go longer on Sunday and knock out a few more runs the week before the CCMR. It will be fun, see you all soon.

Run 38

I was totally out of gas yesterday afternoon, after a hard work week and an afternoon of chasing kids around the Botanical Gardens. I settled onto the couch around 5:00pm, but Ms. FreeArtist became super obnoxious about my slothfulness and drove me out onto the road. God bless her.

I extended my resevoir loop by a bit less than a mile for a 4 mile total. I stopped 2x, to stretch my hip. The piriformis pain is troubling me. It is moderate, but persistant, and has migrated from occurring only when I sit for a long time to mild occurences while I run. I've done some reading and this isn't a big deal, so I'm aiming to get through the CCM and then address it.

If you have been following my count, (this is run no. 38) I was hoping to make the CCM #50, but I can't get 11 runs in before then. I have a bike ride planned for this afternoon, and will be in Seattle Tuesday and Wednesday, where I am planning to run along the Puget Sound. More later.

Friday Morning

I got out before work on Friday and did a 30 minute out and back. Simply getting this one in the books.

20 miler tomorrow. Meeting a friend at 8:00AM. Should be a beaut.

Runs 36 and 37

Just checking the boxes so far this week. Ran an abridged resevoir loop on Monday night, not sure of the distance or the time, but I needed to get it in between a late arrival home and a still later conference call. Ran on the treadmil for 30 minutes tonight and put in a few sprints, which was new for me but good. Planning to run again after work Friday, with a long one on Sunday, hoping to get 5+ miles.

Here's a new one for the blog. I spent about 90 minutes on Sunday splitting logs. With a sledgehammer and wedges. I am sure it did nothing for the running, but afterwards, I felt like a Super Hero.

Later, boys.

Long run today

Hit the road with another friend who is running the CCM Relay and I went out kind of slow since I did something to my lower back (due to Yoga). The whole run felt slower than usual, but I knew I was pushing myself and that felt good. After 4.5 I was ready to walk the rest, but that is the great thing about having a running buddy to keep you moving. Plus, he is a little quicker than me so I had to work to stay ahead or slightly even with him. I didn't think we went over 5.5 miles and had finished in 45:40. But I went to Gmaps and found out that it was really 6. So I am pretty excited about the push through the wall when I thought that the run was not going very well. Anyways, it bodes well for the relay and I am looking forward to running with all of you.

Cheers and have a great night.

Leaf Peeper

I ran the Leaf Peeper half marathon on Sunday, and it was a beautiful day for a race. It was peak season for the leaves, blue sky and temps in the high-50s/low-60's. Perfect for running. It must've been because I ran faster for a longer distance than I ever have.

Here are the splits:
Mile 1 6:54
Mile 2 7:03
Mile 3 7:20
Mile 4 7:20
Mile 5 7:18
Mile 6 7:25
Mile 7 7:13
Mile 8 7:14
Mile 9 7:33
Mile 10 7:24
Mile 11 7:20
Mile 12 7:18
Mile 13.1 7:13
Total 1:35:27, 7:17 pace

I was fortunate in that I fell in behind three strong women separately at various points in the race. Two of them pulled me for parts of the first half, and one warrior pulled me in over the last 6 miles. This chick was strong. I never caught her, but also would not have performed as well without her consistent pace. Linking up with someone with a similar stride and pace worked well for me in the CCM last year, too. I guess there's something about slogging through it together with another runner that keeps me going.

My training schedule called for a 20 miler on Sunday, but I'll take my race experience workout as a step in the right direction. I have my second 20 miler scheduled for the weekend and a friend lined up to share most of the distance.

Between the race and today, I played hockey on Tuesday at lunch. (BTW, running does not get one in shape for hockey. Almost puked.) I got in a quick run of around 25 minutes at lunch today. I'm finding it harder to motivate to run with the darker mornings. As much as I am enjoying the training, I'm looking forward to a change of pace after CCM.

Slow and steady...

Having not run since last Friday (and that barely counts), it was good to hit the road again. Its been tough getting up in the mornings with the Sox playing late and hectic schedule at work. Slow and steady was the goal. Ran my 10K Castle Island loop again at 9:50 pace. Recovery time is definitely decreasing. First day I needed the jacket and pants...39 degrees at the start. Halfway through I wish I could have ditched the jacket. The only noteworthy item from the run was that I ditched the iPod at the 2 mile mark. All of a sudden I realized I wasn't even listening to it. Now that I'm over the hump with the training, I'll probably use it less. It still helps with the pace on hard runs though.

Congrats the to Agricola's as well. Are you going to upgrade to the triple jogger?

Late night run

Hit the road at 9:40 after catching some of the debate tonight. Thought I would try a faster run after getting out yesterday for a little over 4. The beginning felt great, although I really have to begin warming up a little more and I hit a quicker pace than I thought I could. I am just beginning to feel the old familiar stride and ease of running after having done a good four weeks of decent mileage. Completed the a little over 3 miles in a 8:13/mile pace and it felt good. I am getting excited and have changed a good many eating habits, so I am really looking forward to the CCM Relay. Congrat's Agricolas on the great news. Look forward to seeing photos.

30 minutes

Got in a quick run on Friday. 30 minutes during lunch. Nothing more on that front.

Congrat's Agricola's!

Run 35

Ran the ususal 5k route in 33:06 last night. Weird night. It was the coolest evening so far this year, and it was late (I didn't get out until 8:10pm) and it was the big debate night, so maybe these factors conspired to keep my fellow runners at home. The Park was empty. I encountered only four runners on the whole loop, which was slightly unsettling, especially around the Resevoir. I had my antannae up more so than usual. I think my four fellow runners felt similarly, because I exchanged nods and waves with each one of them, and that is better than usual NYC running etiquette, in my experience. I think we were all comforted by each other's appearance.

Everyone who stayed in missed a beautiful night for running. Cool, breezy, and clear. I picked up the pace a bit in the second half, inspired by the downtown skyline that comes into view as you round the top of the Resevoir track. I've mentioned the view from there before. It's become my favorite in the City.

Only 3 1/2 weeks until CCM weekend. Thinking about making slight improvements in speed, experiementing with stride, etc. Trying to have fun. Looking forward to running with all of you.

Treadmill

Scheduling and intestinal issues forced me onto the treadmill this morning instead of my 6 mile loop. I lasted a mile. Everything below the knee was aching to the point I thought I might injure myself. I'll have to get out tomorrow for a longer run at home. I may also incorporate some treadmill work into my non running days just to get acclimated to it again. My plan for the winter is to stay outdoors and only use the treadmill when footing conditions are a concern. I'll need to ease in to the treadmill if I want to get up to 5 miles on it.

34:34 for #35

I got out for about 34 minutes today after work. I ran on the route of the Leaf Peeper Half Marathon, which I'll be running on Sunday. It's very nearly peak leaf season, so the mountains are gorgeous -- they remind me of a painters pallet. Beautiful.

Anyway, I also want to take this spot to congratulate FA on his CCM training. I'm running the whole marathon, and I've only run 35 times for training, which puts me neck and neck with FA, who is running his second race ever. Way to stick with it, man. Congrat's! Can't wait for that weekend!

Another day, another run

Have not posted since last Friday which was a little over a 4 mile run. Nothing over the weekend, but another 4.11 mile run on the treadmill. I tried striking mostly my midfoot the entire run which left my calves aching. Won't soon try that again. But a good run for the treadmill.

No run on Tuesday and a 3.9 mile run on Wednesday. Went with a buddy and everything is feeling decent. I am looking forward to the CCM.

Hookey Run

So, I was sitting around work yesterday, doing nothing (should I be getting worried?) and decided to bail. I headed home and went for a run after fueling up on some pretzels and peanuts. I was starving for some reason. I definitely did not have it yesterday -- everything felt leaden and slow.

I took a brief turn to do my 5 mile route but decided against it. I opted for my 4 mile route instead. I worked hard on just running a moderate pace and felt pretty good in the last mile. Overall though, this was sort of a tough run physically and mentally but I'm glad that I got out. I also found an iPod shuffle that I need to see if it works. It seems to, but I'm a bit hesitant to plug it in for fear that it's holding nasty viruses to bring down the financial system by turning my machine into a zombie . . . oh, that's already happening, guess the iPod is not a messenger of ruin.

On another front I was toodling around Twitter last week and came across an interview in which the guy was talking about the 100 Push-ups program. I think I'm going to give it a go. Is anybody else interested? I'll probably start it within the next week or so -- depending on the arrival of Child Three, who is resisting entering our world as of this morning

A Slow #34

I rushed out to run my 5k out-and-around the resevoir loop loop loop last night; did it in 35 minutes. I had a fair bit of pain and fatigue in my right shin and ankle by the time I hit the mid-point. So I slowed to a walk for about 1/4 mile and then stretched it out for a good while, worried about splints. I need to treat myself delicately. Be more delliberate about stretching. Whenever I dash out, feeling confident and don't prepare, something bites me in the end. Hubris. We've discussed it on this blog. Be wary.

Chicken run

So, I spent most of Sunday doing a minor construction project. Had to run back and forth from the work site to the garage a bunch of times, lifted heavy wood, etc. I guess you could call it exercise, but really that's just an excuse to post a picture of our chicken coop, which is finally done and inhabited by three chickens.

We got our first egg this morning. Thanks for indulging me. I'll keep to the real training next time...or maybe I need to start a homestead blog like 1/4 Acre.

On the running front, the plan is to do a moderately long one tomorrow morning. Leaf Peepers half marathon is on Saturday, and I'm contemplating doing 6.5 prior to the race to get in a 20 miler before the marathon. Big week, and I'm feeling the stress of under-preparation.

Check the box

Very sore and tired today after yesterdays hard (weather & pace) run. I had forgotten how much bad weather can take a toll on a run. Went out this morning for a short run (2 miles / 8:55 pace) to check the box off for today.

Workaday Run

Sometimes, sitting at work, unallocated, has its advantages. In a lull in my already lulling day, I stepped out for 40 minutes. I ran down Dartmouth, through Copley Square, to Storrow Drive and over a pedestrian bridge to the Charles River. I headed west along the Charles for 14 minutes or so. I made it past the BU sailing pavilion and turned around at a point where the scenery got sort of minimal -- close to Storrow, weedy trees to my right, just about across from the train yard under the Mass Pike.

The run was pretty uneventful until I decided to cross Storrow at the Kenmore on/off ramp area.
That was a little hairy, and I only caused one fender bender when somebody stopped short and the guy behind rammed him. Just kidding, I ran a straight out and back. The out was 20:11 and the back was 20:06, for a pretty even pace. The temp was nice, the pathways were quiet. One more meeting and homeward bound. My Body Glide is on its last legs, so I'll need to replace that.

The Weaker Sex

I realized this morning that, after running for almost 8 weeks, I had yet to run in anything but perfect weather. My morning routine has me go from garage to garage and the weather can vary greatly from my house to work. I stepped out of my building this morning and almost turned around. Windy, rainy, cool/cold. Fortunately, most of the wind was just around my office and not the rest of my route. The rain never stopped, but it wasn't too bad. I definitely had several moments of panic where I thought I was going to stop and walk, but managed to pull through. It was a weird feeling, I was fresh from not having run for several days, but tired from less than ideal sleep over the weekend. I ended up running 10K in 59:24 or about 9:25 pace. Goal was 9:30 without consideration for the weather; so I'm was happy with the outcome. Goal is 15 miles for the week.

Interesting side note. I usually see around 10-15 runners/walkers on this route. Mix is 60/40 women/men. Today I saw 8...all women.

Advice

I'm looking to gear up for the colder weather. I know what I want for pants. Any recommendations or thinkgs to look for in a jacket? I'd like something that I can wear over a long sleeve tech shirt that will keep me warm enough for the early morning run's November - March.

Home town run

Breezed into the home town for 15 hours over last weekend and managed to get in a 12.3 mile run (just gmapped it). Felt pretty good, but man was the air thick with humidity this morning. I was drenched with sweat by about 20 minutes in. The run took 1 hour 44 minutes for an 8:27 pace.

I'm dealing with one minor issue that I haven't faced before -- a blister on my big toe on the side/bottom where it rubs the next toe. The thing has been around for a week without popping, and it finally started to hurt half way through this run. It has spread a bit by the time I was done, so Mrs. VTR did some minor surgery to pop, drain, clean and cover it. I'm hoping that does the trick. It's more of a nuisance really, but I thought I'd share.

Looking to maybe do a shorter run tomorrow and then it's right back into the morning deal.

Later boys.

San Francisco, Run #33

I went into a Nike Town in San Francisco on Thursday. Now you have to give Nike props for its profound influence on how we view athleticism, and how its Just Do It campaign inspired lots of people. But in Nike Town I couldn't help but conclude that Nike has sacrificed its athleticism creds on the high altar of hip urban fashion. The same was true in the NorthFace store up the street.

Anyway, morning runs still seem much more difficult to me than evening runs. I got out before 5:45am Friday morning and struggled along for 32 minutes. I won't bother to measure the distance. I ran from my hotel to the end of a pier on San Francisco Bay, where I stopped to watch a cruise ship pass by, silently and swiftly and huge, and lit up like a beacon, or many beacons, in the early morning darkness. That was an unexpected treat. And I am pleased with my performance on the San Francisco hills. I didn't run up Lombard Street, but climbed some hills nonetheless. I am feeling the benefits of leaning forward, and leading with my head.

Back at home today, and taking the weekend off.

Night running & changing technique

Hi all,

Hit the weights on Monday for an hour and then hit the pavement Tuesday night for an 8:30 PM run. Not sure I wanted to do this, but I wore the safety gear and headed out. The night was very cool, almost cold and it felt good to be in some true fall air. At one point of the run, I hit a pocket of warm air and then it was gone. Very neat experience. The run felt okay, but my calves hurt due to changing a little of my running style. I read something the other day about folks trying to run barefoot or in a new type of shoe that simulates barefoot running and the article said you should try to strike the ground with the midfoot where there are more bones in your foot to displace the impact of striking the ground. (By the way the foot contains 25% of all bones in the human body.) According to the article, too many runners strike the heel at the end of the run causing a more jarring and slower running experience. Not enough research to prove the theory yet, but there are some very cool shoe options out there as you can see by the photo above.

Anyways 4.4 miles, just under 38 minutes....

Cheers....

San Francisco Run, #32

Hit the town tonight in San Francisco for a big run. I covered 4.4 miles in 45 minutes. It was a good 10 minutes and 1.5 miles longer than anything I've done so far. I took some Alleve, and am feelin' good.

I ran from my hotel near Union Square Park down Post to Market all the way to the Embarcadero, under the Oakland Bay Bridge, past AT&T Stadium (the Giants were playing...), then up 4th back to Market, and a zig-zag back to my hotel.

It was pretty cool to be out in a different place, with no real plan or route in mind. I just wanted to run for more than 30 minutes and headed off into the quadrant of the city I know best. Traffic forced me to stop and wait a bunch, but it forced me to look around more, too.

I'll be here through Friday afternoon. Resting tomorrow, and aiming to get out again Friday morning.

Enlightenment

Got out at 6AM for a 12 mile run today before work. It was dark on my drive downtown to meet the two folks that I ran with -- a beautiful time of day, but enlightening? Not really.

I ran with a friend of ours and her coach (also a woman). These two are extremely strong runners. One won a 30K race last weekend and the other is a personal trainer and, as I mentioned, a running coach. It was cool to be out with such accomplished striders, but that wasn't the enlightening part either.

The enlightenment came with the "girl talk" they launched into within 1 minute of starting the run. I'll just say that these two aren't big on inhibition, and boys aren't the only ones who can throw down the locker room talk. It was a trip. Refreshing. Enlightening even.

The run was tough but good. I got a kick out of ripping off 12 miles before work mid-week. Never done that before. Doing it with 2 new running partners made it even better as the community nature of running that we've all talked about here was palpable.

Afternoon, Again

I got out late afternoon again today for just about 34 minutes. I felt only so-so today but am glad that I got out. Yesterday's tightness was not present on the run but showed up afterward, definitely an allergic thing. I don't know how far today's route is but it's most likely somewhere in the neighborhood of 4.25-4.5 miles if I had to guess. I'll measure it one of these days. Terrific running weather. Again. That's it.

Castle Island 6

Despite a lack of sleep for the past 2 nights (premier week), I felt good this morning (relative at 5:30) and ran my Castle Island 6 mile loop in 57:35. The weather was perfect and watching the sun rise over Boston harbour is a great sight. This bests my distance PR by a mile and the pace was 30 seconds faster than my previous 5 mile run. Almost stopped to stretch the calves as they were tightening up around the 2 mile mark. I tried to think more about lifting my knees and less about pushing off my toes to adjust my stride. It worked. By mile 3, no more calf issues. Adding a mile to my route added a moderate hill at the 2/4 mile mark that went surprisingly well. I should be able to get in 3+ over the next couple of days to get back to my target weekly mileage post hammy. I'm also thinking about running a 5K in the home town in late October. I would be a good time to get a baseline. There's a 10k option as well, but that might be pushing it.

Run 31

I attended a seminar today, uptown, starting at 9:30, so with Mrs. FA taking the girls to school I had a rare morning of leisure, with a run and a long shower and a late start to the day. I was super sluggish. It felt VERY different from my evening runs. 5k took me 33 minutes, 3 minutes longer than my last two 5k runs. It was a beautiful morning, though, and totally worth spending three more minutes outside.

Pre-prandial

I got out today for a pre-prandial trot. I finished a little presentation I am working on for an internal project and shot it out to my team in an email at 5 PM that basically said of "check it out, feel free to comment/edit, we'll talk tomorrow, I'm going running. . . " I did my 5.2 mile route for the first time in a long time. I've had a mental block about going out for 5 for some reason and am glad that I got over it and got out today.  You'd think the 10K of a week ago would have helped, but there was something about running this route that was holding me back, not sure what, but I did it.

It took about 3 miles to get comfortable and find my rhythm but once I did it was smooth sailing.  I was disociating a lot for the first half, thinking about work etc. and not focusing on what I was doing. Once I embraced the run it fell into place and I finished strong and felt quick -- 41:21.9. The weather was perfect for running, dry and cool and the late day sunlight was gorgeous. I'm having some allergy thing right now (pretty typical at this time of year) with lots of PND and my chest is a bit constricted but nothing to keep me off of the roads.

Get out of my head

I'm not perfect,
No I'm not.
I'm not perfect,
But I like what I've got.
I do my very best,
My very, very best,
But I'm not perfect
And I hope you like me a lot.

Laurie Berkner and I went for a 30 minute run at 6:30 AM Monday morning. She wasn't invited, but I just couldn't shake her. Realized that I really prefer running without music...even if it's all in my head.

Short Runs

I've been negligent in my posting. Last Friday went for 2 miles at 9 min pace. Had planned on running further but forgot about a dentist appointment at 7:30 AM. Worked for 8 hours in the yard on Sunday pushing an aerator and a power seeder. I was actually winded at times. It was probably the best workout I've had in years. Ran 2 miles again Monday morning. I was sore and tired but managed to drop the pace down to 8:30. Took today off as I'm even more stiff today. Plan to run 5 tomorrow. The good news is that the hammy handled everything in stride. Aside from sprinting/striding, I think I'm back to full strength.

Working, working...

Since last Wed. when I last wrote.

Wed. night - Yoga for 1.5 hours
Thursday - P90 X lifting (legs and back) - hurt like hell
Friday - 38 minute run, 4.4 miles HR average 170
Saturday - 36 minute run, 4.2 miles HR average 160
Sunday - rest and watch football. Sorry about them Pats, but go Bills...
Monday - 36 minute run, 4.2 miles HR average 165
Tuesday - up and coming........

Training is going well and you just need to keep moving and encouraging yourself to hit the road or workout. Keep it up everyone!

Saturday Stroller Run

One of the difficulties of Saturday running for me is leaving hearth and kin and heading out on the road after a week of getting up and going. Last night I prepped the kids to come with me -- it took minimal convincing -- and after lounging around a bit this AM we headed out together at around 8:40.

We took a very different route than normal for a stroller run and wound through neighborhoods rather than running through the middle of town.  The traffic was minimal in the neighborhoods and it was pretty chill. I nearly bailed around the 12 minute mark but sucked it up, focused on running and found my rhythm.  It was a total instance of mind over matter:  focus on the purpose, the breathing, the stride and spice it with some dissociation et voila, a nice run. Based on the data on the watch it wasn't a super strenuous run (AHR: 144 MHR: 159) but we ran for 37:27 and it felt good. The last mile might have knocked down my HR because I had to stop and correct some behavior issues in the passenger cabin but all in all it was really fun.  One of the best parts, and I don't mean this sarcastically, was a stretch of several minutes where no one said anything.  We just absorbed.  It was cool.

A three hour tour

Well, two hours fifty five minutes, actually.

It was quite an event this morning. I joined the early risers club, leaving the house at 6:17am, and it was gorgeous. The moon was still bright in the sky, air crisp with some low-lying fog that looked like...well...clouds (creativity escapes me -- I guess all the energy went to the legs). Whenever I get up that early, I think it should happen more often because of the serenity of early morning. Too bad the bed is so comfortable or it might actually happen more.

Anyway, the run was an event. I ran about an hour before meeting a friend for the final two. To say the route was hilly would be an understatement, and I threw in a couple of out and backs over the tough sections due to poor planning. I was toast at the end. Shuffling, not running. But I did it, and I feel really good for that. I iced down in a cold bath after, and now I'm ready to pop a bunch of ibuprofen to get me through some stiffness. No bad pain to report, which is always good.

Put this one into the books. Not sure of the distance, but it's the time on the road that counts for me (mental prep as much as anything). One month to go. I'm trusting that the work will pay dividends on the Cape.

Enjoy the weekend!

Run 30!

I threw on another ~5ker tonight after work, before the long drive north. Same Central Park Resevoir route, same time, almost on the nose, 31.10 minuntes, as Run 29. It was a fresh, crisp afternoon, great for being outside. (I love running without finishing drenched with sweat.)

Mrs. FA threw on a 45 minute run along the East River today, immediately before a Home/School Association meeting at the little artists' school.

Lovin' NYC.

Run 29 et al

Had a great one last night. Temps in the 60s, clear skies, beautiful skyline. I ran my usual loop, hills and all, and felt good and strong the whole way. Not much more to say. I did pay more attention to my time along different segments of the route, and now think it is a half-mile longer than I thought previously. That would make it ~3.5 miles, and I ran it in 31 minutes flat.

Happy happy happy to have some cooler weather, and some new gear to shop for, long pants, windbreakers, et al. Putting on a new pair of running socks last night, I felt like Homer Simpson with a crispy creme. (Mmmmm.....wigwams......)

Late Start

I  got out of the house late today -- 7:20.  I did my short route (3.3 miles) and ran it in 25:57 which I think might be a record for me for that loop.  It was a fairly uneventful run, I felt good and quick, the sun was up and the sky was crystal clear.  The temps were in the low-mid-40s.  I wore a long sleeve technical shirt, but shorts.  I did see my first jacketd, tighted, hatted runner -- though she had her jacket unzipped and was sweating pretty good.  Today is the type of day that makes you really appreciate the seasonal change -- it's can be so beautiful.

Inspired

I was between projects today (this being my last week before the new job starts, I have a lot of projects), thinking about what to do next, when I stole away for a quick peak at the blog. I came away inspired and just ran a fast 3 or so miles.

Now that's what this is all about. Thanks boys.

The Whole World

The moon was descending in the western sky when Child Two and I hit the road at 6:45 today.  He saw it and started asking a torrent of questions about the moon and the Earth and the globes and the whole world:

Is the moon ever the globe?  Where's the whole world?  Will you show me the whole world?  Hello trees.  Hello wall.  Hello leaves . . . .

It was great and we did our usual stroller-loop (4.78 miles) in just under 40, and did the back quicker than the out even with a stop to unfurl the sun visor for C2 -- we were heading directly into the rising sun.  The weather was crisp and at one point while putting down the visor with the sun was at my back I was steaming in the sunlight and he asked me if I had dust coming off of me.  I love running with my kids.

Still running...

Went out for my short 2 mile work loop at 5:30 this morning. I dropped over a minute from my pace compared to yesterday as I was feeling more confident in the hammy. Iced it once I got to my office. It was still stiff during the run. I'm going to try and stay on flat routes until it loosens up a bit. Taking tomorrow off and will try to run 4 on Friday if all is well. I'm fighting the urge to run hard as my legs are fresh. However, VT Runner's experience earlier this year with the ankle is helping to keep me in check.

Running in the morning might be too early....

Hi all,

Hit the road at 6:20 this morning for a 30 minute run. The problem is the route was too short, but I did get a 3 miler in at just over 26 minutes. Some of the P90 training definitely paid off, but you really need to consistently have cardio in your exercise routine, otherwise you are just not building capillaries for running. Also, the extra muscle needs to be fed oxygen and I think my body was still adapting to going back to running. Beautiful fog bank over the ocean this morning and I feel privilege to live in such a beautiful place in the world.

Have a great day boys and keep on trucking.

Training

Hi all,

Hope you are well. Have pushed through about 63 workouts from the P90x
system over roughly 100 days along with 6 days of running. Feeling pretty good, but I have not stuck to the diet as well. I hope to be in pretty good shape for the CCM and help the team out with some decent miles. Once I let
my shoulder heal a little bit, I will start the P90 program over again, probably in November, so let me know if any of you would like to get in on
it. Good for everyone staying motivated. Keep it up.

Look forward to seeing all of you soon.

Cheers!

Tuesday Trot

I was feeling groggy today and almost bailed, but I got up and out and went for a run.  The blog motivated me.  I did my 4 mile loop, and was saying to myself "go slow, take it easy, ease into the week." I went out and did another 32 minute 4 miles (32:09).  Then I chatted for about ten minutes with my neighbor on my cool down. It was a classic suburban moment, and this guy is one of my favorite neighbors. The weather was perfect -- cool and a bit overcast, but dry and comfortable.

I'm a bit achey and sore right now which seems sort of natural as the season seems to be winding down (even though I'm adding in more activities). I'll monitor it all and keep working to the CCM Relay and assess where I am after that. Part of me thinks I might scale back for the end of October and first half of November, but the cool decent weather of those months is good for building up the base before embarking on training for the Vermnot City Marathon which I want to tackle again (and whch will start in late January, which is not that far off, amazingly!).

Back in the saddle...

Its been two weeks and a day since the brain cramp/hamstring injury. I have had no pain in the hamstring since last Wednesday. On Saturday I walked 18 with a caddie (~4.5 miles) with no ill affects. So I targeted today to run 2 miles. Other than feeling tight, it went well. I ran at exactly 10 min pace, forcing myself to slow down at times. I'm struggling with this injury as I've never pulled a hammy before. I can't tell if its tight because I haven't used it much in the last 2 weeks or if its still on the mend. I'll probably know more tomorrow morning.

1:45

3 Shot blocks (Margarita with salt)
1/2 Cliff Bar, Blueberry (not bad)
2 water bottles -- refilled at playing fields' bubbler (Yes, bubbler. You can take the kid out of MA, but you can't...)
1 hour 45 minute run
12 or so miles, haven't mapped it yet
1 ice cold bath to soothe my sore legs.

No injuries, but this one hurt.

Ten and Ten

I had a good weekend.  I was thinking about FA and his (and Mrs. FA's) Komen Run quite frequently and that motivated me to get out and be active.  FA wrote a a great post and it sounds like he and theMrs. had a nice first step into the world of road-race running.  I take the fact that FA was a bit disappointed in his time as a good thing -- it's fodder now for further improvement and motivation to keep going.  Congrats!

Saturday I had hoped to get in a trail ride but instead went for a ten mile road ride into a neighboring town towing Child One in the Chariot (w/bike atachment).  C1 enjoyed the ride despite the sand in her face (even through the screen) which we remedied at the turnaround by using the rain shield.  It was a little hectic through the center of town on a Saturday afternoon but it just inspired me to ride more quickly and get to "safer" roads.  I used my regular shoes on the clipless pedals -- I didn't need anymore complications with such precious cargo -- and it was totaly fine.  I put on a pair of workout shorts, but rode in a cotton tee and didn't have on my watch.  I covered the ten miles in under an hour.  Cardiovascularly speaking it was not overly challenging but I have some sore muscles that I'd forgotten about -- the right glute!

On Sunday I did a 10K loop from my house and covered it in 49:37.  All in all it was a good run though my lunch was sitting like a stone in my stomach and I threw up once in my mouth -- more a chunky burp really -- which was pretty nasty.  My ankle was pretty sore last night and I flash froze it (and my foot) in a bucket of ice and water.  It feels fine today and I'll hit the road again tomorrow -- I thought it best to rest it today rather than push it for another run though everything else felt good enough to go today as well.

Komen 5k

So Mrs. FA and I ran the Komen for the Cure 5k this morning.

Temps were in the mid-80s, and the humidity exceeded 80%. There were 25,000+ people at the event, between runners, walkers, volunteers, etc. Central Park West was a veritable sea of pink and white t-shirts.

The course started at 77th Street and headed uptown on CPW, turned onto the Park Drive at 90th Street, followed the Park Drive down the West Side past the Great Lawn, 'round the bottom, and then up the East Side to finish at the 72nd Street Crossover.

I ran the first mile in 10:24, but it felt like 3 minutes. Adrenaline? The crowd? Don't know, but the first mile flew by. At about 1.5 miles we hit the first of two steady inclines, just before the Great Lawn. The other was on the East Side, and to my chagrin I walked both, which of course slowed me down. (Lessons learned: 1. Hills. I haven't trained on hills. At all. I need to do that, starting tomorrow. 2. Hydration. It was super humid, and I was sweating like a fiend before we even started running. Should have tanked up better before the run.) I pushed hard 1/2 mile before the finish. My time was 34:27 minutes.

I am slightly disappointed by my time, but it's tempered by how much this one experience taught me about participating in big running events. It is going to pay dividends for the CCM. And Mrs. FA and I had a great time doing it together. There was spectacle...celebrities, politicians, tons of organization, and a huge crowd. We will do this again.

Another One

I'd planned on taking today off but mid-way through my workday yesterday I got the urge to go out and run on Friday, so I did.  I was on the road by 6:45 AM or so with Child Two in the stroller and we went out for our usual route.  I'd planned on 45 minutes but was feeling slow and only did 40.  I've got a little mental block against longer runs right now and hope to break out of that this weekend.  I'm not running tomorrow -- 5 runs including Sunday's tri-run is a nice total and I'm up around 18 miles for the week.  I'm going to try and do a trail ride tomorrow morning, we'll see how motivated I am to leave the the hearth and kin folk on a Saturday morning.

I'm actually a bit excited about the inspiration because I'm getting to a point where I want to go out and do something active, and actually feel the need to be active so this is a good thing.  I hope that I can perpetuate this inspiration to be physical.

In Memoriam

Mrs. Agricola looked at me at breakfast today, after my run, and said:

"You had to run today . . . "

To which I responded:

"I did."

Run 26

Run 26 was a very poor effort. Lots on my mind tonight, and my heart wasn't there. Very disappointed, but not concerned about Sunday's race, for which I feel fairly well prepared.

The NYC skyline this week features the twin beams shining into the dark sky where the World Trade Center still stood, seven years ago today.

Peace, fellas.

Quick Run

I went out this morning at about 6:50 AM.  I did my 4.021 (I love the thousandths) route and did it in 32:01.6 which puts me right around an 8 minute mile.  This run was one of those weird ones where I felt really slow, but I wasn't, and didn't realize it until the end when I looked at my watch.  I try not to look at my watch while I run.  One god thing was that this run wasn't an easy run but it wasn't crazy painful either -- it was a good solid, hard run and a a good workout on a gorgeous day.

Off-Road Triathlon Report

WAVE 1 BIB 71 

WAVE TIME 1:03:56 

OVERALL PLC 49 

DIVISION PLC/TOT   6/17   

SWIM 

 RANK SPLIT

 55   8:19   

T1

RANK SPLIT

65   1:40 

BIKE 

RANK SPLIT   

59   35:28 

T2

RANK SPLIT 

123  1:11

RUN  

RANK SPLIT

31   17:18
 

The above is the tale of the tape from my first-ever triathlon. It was super fun and I had a blast. I'm sort of bummed that the tri season is winding down but training for this completely energized my training. Here's my breakdown.

Swim -- 400 yards
My split time above was pretty close to what I did Tuesday night thought it was not at all as smooth as my first go-round with group, open-water swimming. My flight was Men 44 and under -- it was a big group, much bigger than Tuesday night and much more hectic. A bunch of us hit the water and started trashing. People were bumping me and swimming over me. The water was murky as I mentioned, I was swimming with my head out of the water a bit (a la water polo) to see in front of me and there was a bit of chop on the pond and I drank more than a little water . . . I ended up breast stroking my way around and never got a good freestyle rhythm going. The crowd got my adrenaline up and while adrenaline can be your friend on dry land it made me feel a bit panicky and thrash-y in the water. All in all though I was happy with my time.

Bike -- 5.5 miles
This was the part where I figured I'd get most smoked but I think that I held my own on the course which got sort of crowded as I headed into the second phase of the ride (two concentric circles). I felt much more comfortable on the bike again and made up a bunch of time in the last third -- a good climb and descent on paved/semi paved road. I dumped twice within about 25 seconds of each other. I came around a corner into a hill and got going too slow because of traffic. I went over pretty easily to my right into some mossy ground. I picked myself up got one my bike missed my pedal and went over to my left, bounced off a guy who was struggling by and scuffed my back on his bike. No biggie, just what happens in a race. A little girl caused a big tie up in another part and she was really cute and flustered and apologetic. Again, it's what happens. There were lots of flats and dropped chains and some snapped chains and some dudes with serious road rash from some dumps. It was fun and I think my time was respectable.

Run -- 2.3 miles
Overall I'm happiest with my run though there was one section where I walked for about 60 seconds and I wish I hadn't. I reeled in like 5 guys who were ahead of me -- all but one my age or younger. I reeled in another 37 year old guy in the final 200 yards whom I'd been tracking for a while. I think I was a bit gassed after my bike ride and I caught all of the guys I caught heading uphills or just over the tops of hills. The section I walked was two steep little ups on wood chips and they happened just after I passed a couple who was walking along the trail we were running on. For some reason their idyllic stroll broke my concentration . . . I'm annoyed about the walk part but I still caught the guy I'd targeted even with it. I saved some energy (I rationalize) and made it happen. I didn't feel like the flailing geek kid for long on this run though the uphills were painful. Speaking of painful,I tweaked my ankle just after passing a Clydesdale but kept going. It's all fine now and it seems as if rubber ankle will be with me for years to come.

Overall
I really enjoyed this experience, I'm psyched that I did it and I want to do it again. I'm really into the idea of more off-road tris and want to find some more to do. I met two goals (do a tri, do some trail running), added some other workouts into my regimen (I'm considering joining the Y to keep swimming and looking forward to getting in a trail ride this weekend just because -- I hope I have the time). I made it onto the first page of results of a race for the first time, finished in the top third, or so of the entire field, the top half of my gender/age-group and was really only 4 minutes out of placing. I see some potential with more practice but also don't want to get hung up on numbers and stats because it was just super-fun to compete in the three disciplines, get dirty and spend some time in the woods. It rocked.

Finally, I also felt good enough that I went out and took both kids on a 34 minute run Monday morning. I rested today but am psyched to get back to it tomorrow.

Run 25

I got out last Thursday (run 24) and again tonight for run 25. I ran 5k in 30 minutes and 26 seconds. I ran the first 1.5 miles feeling strong, dragged a bit for the middle mile, and pushed on the last half mile. Two laps around the resevoir is 5k, almost on the nut. I did the first lap in 14.26, the last lap in an even 16 minutes. I feel pretty good about the time.

The Komen 5k is Sunday. Please render your opinion on the plan: Wednesday I aim to run 4+ miles. I'm not going to focus on time, but want to know how it feels to run past the race distance. If I can leave the office early enough, I'll run the course on Friday. If I can't, I'll get in 5k closer to home. No running on Saturday. The race is 9:ooam Sunday. Planning to spend some time next week on the bike for a change of pace, then focus on the CCM.

Since the CCM requires that I get up to 10k in about five weeks, I'll look to the blog for advice, and inspiration.

VTRunner...still

I came within 5 minutes of changing my name to MA Runner last Friday, but things worked out on the job front. I am still a (transplanted) Vermonter and plan to be for a long time. I'd be happy to share details off-line, but I'll leave you with this -- if you ever need coffee from the Green Mountain state, give me a ring.


So, today I refocused on the running and got in a great 11 miles in about 1:40, minus a few minutes in the port-o-let (lifesaver). Not sure I've ever appreciated my loop more. Saw about a half dozen turkeys on the way and three cars along the way. I really do love this state.

Later boys.

Ice, Ice, Baby...

4x a day, I've been icing the hammy. Both ways on the commute, in bed, and at least one other time as convenient. I was able to walk yesterday with out a limp for the first time. I can also apply pressure to it without too much pain. It feels different now, almost as if its tight from lack of use rather than injury. I went to the golf range yesterday for an hour and played a few holes (in a cart) to see how it would hold up. This morning it felt better. I'm thinking the stretching and light activity helped. I think next week I'll hit the gym for stretching and upper body during my usual running window. If all goes well, I hope to hit the road again in a week. These are dangerous times. I feel better and need to stretch, but don't won't to overdue it and re-injure. I was talking to a guy at the course who has done multiple marathons (including a 3:10 at age 60!) He lost three years due to a hamstring injury a few years back. I was sufficiently frightened.

Foul

I intended to go running yesterday but I woke and everything huhrt -- my whole body ached.  It was like a delayed reaction from Tuesday night's endeavor.  It was a good ache and sort of cool though.

I got out this morning and the air was foul.  It wasn't too hot but it was super humid -- around 90%..  I had a weird dream about not being able to breathe and woke up feeling sort of congested, but I ran anyway.  I did my short route and kept off on the pace becuse of the humidity.  I didn't have my HR monitor on today.  I felt strong through the short distance -- sometimes you need short runs for confidence, I think --.I finished well and am glad that I got out.  I was making breakfast post-run and was leaving footprints all over the clean kitchen floor -- that's how much I was sweating. 

35.54

Got out for a quick run of 35.54 minutes. Strong pace and no injuries, aches or pains. Supposed to do a long run with an accomplished runner friend tomorrow, but had to bail due to other commitments. Bummer. Still hoping for (and looking forward to) a long one over the weekend.

Dress Rehearsal

I did the dress rehearsal for my tri last night.  It was a blast and I thoroughly enjoyed it -- I was totally amped when it was over.


Swim -- 400 yards
I'm not sure if the swim was really 400 yards or not because my workout swims were tougher.  There about 35 people in all and I came out of the water in the top 10.  I covered the distance in 8:17.00.  I had one small moment of panic when I thought "I'm swimming into the middle of a pond . . . "  I quickly put those thoughts aside and kept on going.  The pond water is a bit murky and it was hard to see people around me.  I knew I was gaining on someone because I could feel the turbulence of their wake as I approached from behind.  I was really happy with the swim, and more than a little surprised.

Transition 1
I learned a lot on this transition.  First, have your socks & shirt right side out.  Second, have Gatorade or whatever in a squirt bottle.  Third, use the box that I bought (and that I saw more experienced triathloners using) to keep my stuff in to actually hold water to facilitate de-sanding my feet.  Fourth, definitely bring the old floor-mat that I'd considered bringing to sit on to put on socks and shoes.  My time was an unimpressive  3:19.70.

Ride -- 5.3 miles
I came into the ride with little confidence, to be honest and figured that I'd get smoked.  I headed out with about 5 other folks and two blew away from us and another guy dropped off.  I then proceeded to follow a woman in the group for the majority of the loop.  She offered to let me pass and I said no worries, this is only my fifth time on a bike in 10 years and my third with toe clips . . . She and I caught some guy on a nice bike who was struggling and we eventually picked up another guy with a nasty pedal gash puncture wound on his calf.  I had trouble through one section -- a really rocky old road -- and I hit a rock head-on that shot me over my handle bars that I somehow managed to clear and land basically unscathed.  I caught back up to my partners and proceeded on.  I dumped one other time when I got stuck in a sand pit near a beach but that fall was pretty minor and on sand -- better than landing on a boulder . . . The woman in the group was riding a hybrid with narrow tires, running shoes and no clips baskets or anything.  She was very quiet and still on the bike and I told that I was trying to absorb her Zen style.  She laughed.  It was funny, the three guys in the group, including me, were sort of all over the place and grinding gears etc.  She just trundled along.  It was a good lesson and my confidence and comfort grew and grew.  I eventually passed her and dropped my group on a paved road section of the course about a mile out. The guy on the nice bike was saying to me "there's a reason this bike is 12 years old, and my road bike is a year old . . . "  He was not comfortable on the bike last night.  I covered the distance in 37:49.4 -- this includes transition to the run as well.

Run -- 2.3 miles
The run was fun and fairly uneventful.  I entered the trail alone and saw nobody until the second half.  No one caught me either.  This was my first ever bike-run brick and it took nearly the first mile to feel like I knew how to run.  I felt as if I were that kid on the grammar school playground (there was one in each school) who ran all knock-kneed with his elbows locked at the waist and his forearms and wrists flapping at his sides . . . anyway, I just kept focusing on my stride and let myself breathe hard -- my HR went up very quickly and I was winded pretty quickly which I think is related to the transition from one discipline to the next and using new muscles.  I got myself together, saw a guy a few hundred yards ahead and then reeled him in.  I tweaked my ankle a bit but kept going.  I passed him in the final 200 yards, and asked him how he was doing as I passed.  I covered the distance in 17:15.9.

Total Time: 1:06:42

I had a great time in all three phases and am looking forward to Sunday!  I'll probably just take some light runs the rest of this week and maybe a light bike ride as well just to keep in form.

Final Leg for Komen

So the Komen to the Cure 5k is a week from Sunday. I ran last night for the first time since Mrs. FA and I ran in Jasper. That was nine days ago. Last night was tougher than I had hoped.

Still, I think this is going to be very doable. Last night I went out on my regular loop from the apartment, around the CP Resevoir, and back to the apartment. I ran the 1.58 mile lap around the resevoir track in 15.20 minutes. After a short walk I ran the half mile before arriving at home in 4.38 minutes.

So, I am aiming to put on a bunch of miles between now and next week, and am aiming to run the course before the race. On race day, Mrs. FA and I are going to subway to 86th Street, then warm-up run to the starting line at 77th.

I'm amending my goal of a sub-30 minute 5k to sub 32 minutes.

30 minutes

I had my August lull, so now I'm trying to get back on track. Did a "fast" 30 minutes today. 10 miles on tap tomorrow, and I have a plan for somewhere in the neighborhood of 17 miles set up on Friday.

Time to get to business.

Board Shorts

I got out to the pond for an end of summer swim and did my customary 450 yards.  It had been about a week since I last swam so I don't know whether or not to attribute the labor involved in this 15 minute swim to that or to the fact that I was wearing board shorts.  I'm going to go with the latter and make a note to myself no to wear board shorts this coming Sunday.

I'm going to a workout this evening in which we string all three disciplines together . . . wish I'd done that bike- run brick this weekend so I know what to expect . . . oh well, let it fly!

Done

I'm done for a while. 48 hours later I still have significant pain, not to be confused with soreness, in the hamstring. I've been icing it 3-4 times a day and taking Naprosyn (prescription Alleve, technically for my wrist). What I find strange is that nothing else is sore. If I was pushing too hard, I would have thought I'd be sore in other places. I figure I'll give it a week and then evaluate whether I should get the referral for PT.

Labor Day Weekend '08

So my plans to get in two rides, a swim and a run have devolved into a good run on Friday, a good run yesterday and a decent ride in the afternoon.  I didn't get my swim in yesterday even though I was at the pond.  flying solo with even one kid negates the ability to swim for even 15 minutes.

I went out Sunday morning and ripped a 26:02 for 3.3 miles.  I think that's my best at that distance by about a second and I felt pretty good.  It was a good run because I didn't give to fatigue and I didn't get lazy -- I kept pounding it out and just let myself run and breathe. I've had this weird head thing where I keep telling myself you shouldn't be winded, you shouldn't be tired and that's been impinging on my running. Just run and breathe, baby.

I went out in the late afternoon on my bike and went to a pond and trail near my house.  I did a loop around the pond, saw some sick hills into which other mtn. bikers have carved some gnarly, steep tracks.  Needless to say, Mr. Timid here didn't tackle those.  I did tackle some interesting single track along the Charles river and through some interesting marsh land.  There were some parts of the trail that were very challenging due to rocks and some really intense root systems that made the going tricky.  I passed between 8-10 fot marsh grasses on wooden boardwalks and even through a creepy tunnel under a Commuter Rail track. It was cool and I started to feel more comfortable on the bike but not completely yet.  I kept repeating the mantra keep you feet moving, keep pedaling, keep moving.  Much of the single track was fairly rock/root free.   There is one sort of steep section that was covered in roots that now that I've seen it once and walked my bike up it I think I'll try and tackle another day.  I did fall once, into some bushes, no biggy. One final thing about the ride -- I was on the bike for about 50 minutes and it did not add that much to my workout score on my HRM -- if I'd run it it would have been an out of control workout.  Bikes are different.

Did it

I got in my long run this morning. 2 hours 21 minutes. It had the normal ups and downs, but it was pain free (very important) and relatively uneventful. Good brain space on this run, which I enjoy. Also, lots of "team in training" runners on the route. It was good to see so many into the sport. Passed a cyclist (albeit an old one) at about 40 minutes in, and he didn't pass me back. That always feels good.

Enjoy the day.

Hammy!!!

So works been cutting into my running time for the past week. I needed to run 3 today to keep up my 10 miles for the week. I went to the local H.S. track to calibrate the HRM for distance, get the miles in and get in some speed (relative) work. All was going to plan until my 4th 100m stride. I was starting to feel real good on the speed as I loosened up. Unfortunately, with 20m to go, I popped my hamstring...badly. I was able to walk, with a significant limp, back to my car and get home within 15 minutes. Iced it for 30 minutes. It still hurts. I'm supposed to play in a 9 hole golf tournament in 3 hours with Bee. Its not looking good. Tomorrow morning should be interesting. Injuries suck.

Run Ready?

I went out for 31.14 on Friday. Felt good. Nothing else to report on that one, just posting to keep up to date.

Gearing up for a longish run this morning. Halfway through my coffee and contemplating eggs. Will that help me run or is it just procrastination? Jury's still out. Back's a little tight, but I think the run will help there. Somehow got a dab of poison ivy on the top of my foot. Hope it doesn't itch during the run. (OK, now I'm procrastinating.)

Have a great Labor Day Weekend boys.

Two for One

I set my alarm this morning and rolled out of bed around 6:25 AM.  Both kids were up and starting to goof around so I joined in as well for a few minutes then rousted them outside and threw them in the stroller.
We went out for my usual stroller-run out and back through the center of town covering about 4.5 miles.  It was fun and both kids were chattering and singing with only minimal violence directed towards one another.  I came back faster than I went out and covered the distance in 39:26.  It was a lot of fun.

I've got to go swimming this wekeend and plan on taking my bike into the woods for a couple fo rides to get more comfortable on the new pedals.  One thing that I was thinking about my last ride was that with the exception of one decent sized climb I was never gassed on the ride.  My CV fitness is good right now and even after that climb I recuperated quickly.  I was mainly slow because I was tentative.  My crash tri-training has broght some fun and variety into my regimen and it's much appreciated.

Necessary

I went out for 1:09 today. It was necessary because I've been slacking on the running lately and, more importantly today, I have some important decisions of the life/career variety to make over the next two weeks.

The run was an out and back at a reasonable pace. After some time off, my legs felt rested and great. I had no set distance in mind when I started out, which was cool. Just ran until I felt like turning back. A luxury given my injury-riddled spring/early summer.

Evening Session

SO, I went out and did my evening session.  I feel pretty good from a workout perspective but got pretty banged up on the ride . . .

I swam 450 yards -- over-distancing again -- and then got on my bike.  I went with a group that was going quicker because they were covering more of the race course.  I was not terribly comfortable on the bike and should have gone with the slow-pokes.  The leader of my group circled back and was giving me some advice, some of which was to bail on the last mile or so of the ride (chagrin, kind of).  I went down hard in one spot, landed square on a boulder got a beautiful abrasion and charlie horse on my left upper thigh, tweaked my ankle and because of the wierd wrenching motion of the fall got a horrible cramp in my calf.

The ankle is sort of swollen -- an hour of icing between 3 AM and 4 AM helped -- in an area near the where the leg joins the ankle, so it's just on one connector, but it doesn't really hurt, just sort of feels aggravated; the thigh and calf are sore.  I'm not terribly hobbled, though a bit humbled, however I must say that I did OK for not having ridden off-road for nearly a decade.  Mrs. Agricola and I are both wondering about the wisdom of adopting toe clips at this time and I'm wondering if maybe I should I have started my tri-life with a road-tri rather than an off-road-tri.  A bit of practice this weekend should help me get more comfortable on the bike though I predict getting smoked on the bike, and none of my bumps and bruises are so bad as to keep me off the road tomorrow, I don't think, though I'll play it be ear.

Morning Session

Today is a cool day for working out -- literally and figuratively.  I actually wore a long sleeve running shirt today to fight the chill a bit.  Of course, I was the only runner in long sleeves but I was happy for them as there was a little bit of that late summer chill in the air.  I had told Child One & Two that I would take them both with me but Child One was sleeping so soundly that I didn't have the heart to wake her up.  Child Two and I headed out and he chattered and sang the whole way.  He asked to have the sun roof unfurled on the Chariot and I complied even though I find it a huge impediment to conversation.  We saw a neighbor on a constitutional and other runners, one with a stroller and child that was in front of us and elicited many questions about the age, gender and name of the child -- all of which were impossible to answer because the we saw them from a distance, and only from behind.

We only went out for 30 minutes this morning, and not our usual 40 and this is where the figurative coolness of the day comes in.  I'm bailing from work on the 4:40 PM train and then heading to the pond for a swim and trail ride workout.  I got new tires and toe clips/biking shoes for my ancient mountain bike.  I'm really looking forward to the swim/bike brick and will attempt a ride/run brick sometime this week as well.  Next Tuesday we put all three disciplines together at the workout so I want to do some practice this week and weekend.  I practiced on the toe clips last night and only fell once, on the pavement.  I think I've got them down and am pumped for the workout -- I'll post about it tonight.

Lube

Forgot about this necessary step prior to longer runs. Hit the 1.5 mile mark today when I realized yesterdays run did leave a mark. Cut the run off at 2 miles before I did significant damage. Ouch. On a positive note, I felt pretty good muscle wise today. I thought I'd be a little sore having run more yesterday than in 2005-7 combined.

Runs 21, 22

Ms. FA and I got out to Banff and Jasper National Parks for about eights days, just back last night. We left the little FAs home with grandparents, so had the time and the space to run together, which we did last Sunday (Aug 17) in Banff, about 3.5 miles along the Bow River from downtown Banff towards the Banff Springs Hotel. This included some moderate trail running, which was a thrill and I'd like to do it again. We got out again on Friday (Aug 22) in Jasper, which was worthwhile but poorly executed as we selected a trail used frequently by groups on horseback and, well, as you might expect the trail itself was sub-optimal for running.

We spent the intervening days in the backcountry and put on several 10+ mile hikes with some significant elevation change, and so had some great cross training with the benefit of truly extraordinary scenery. We also ate and drank as befit a 10th anniversary getaway, so we're feeling strong, but rounder than we'd like.

Peace,

Staycation Week

I'm psyched to see so much activity on the blog in my off-week.  I completely unplugged starting on 8/15 and didn't log-in again/open a computer until this morning with the exception of 15 mintes to pay some bills last Wednesday.  That said, I had a pretty good week of exercise.  I'm doing a mini-tri (400 yard swim, 5.3 mile mountain bike trail ride and a 2.3 mile trail run) on 9/7 so you'll notice some more activities creeping into my regimen.

Sunday 8/17
This day marked a big shift for me -- I left New Balance and purchased a pair of Mizuno running shoes.  I'd not been psyched with my NB 1222s (they've been replaced in the NB lineup by the 1223s) but I ran on them a long time and ran them into the ground.  I'd loved the 1221 but felt it was time a for a change so I didn't just make the jump to the 1223.  I purchased the Wave Inspire 4 They are light and fit great and offer moderate support.  My older sneakers had been giving more support but my visit to Marathon Sports and a gait assessment revealed that the mechanics of my footfall are solid.  My over-pronation is only moderate and the fact that my shins are slightly bowed outward helps to  minimize the pronation.  I'm happy with the shoes.

I did a short swim of about 110 yards to test out the muscles and see how it would feel to swim a bunch.  Cardio-vascularly speaking it was fine, but my muscles -- esp. the deltoids -- were screaming.

Monday 8/18
I tested out my new shoes and took a 36 minute run.  The shoes felt good and I felt good.

Tuesday 8/19
We belong to a pond about 15 minutes from home and there is a triathlon training group meeting there prior to the tri which will take place on the pond and in the reserve.  We started with a 400 hundred yard swim (the tri distance) and then transitioned to a 30 minute trail run.  The swim was hard on the muscles but I never felt in danger of drowning.  I threw in a couple laps of breast stroke to rest the afflicted freestyle muscles.

I thoroughly enjoyed the run.  I went with a group of folks who were going for 3+ miles and we kept a nice pace.  I was near the front of my group and loving the trail run -- it's so much more vivid than the roads because you've got to be really aware of the ground etc.  It was fun and I felt good.

Wednesday  8/20
Rest Day

Thursday 8/21
I ran by myself for 31 minutes on the trails.  My pace was problematic and my HR monitor wasn't working great -- it wasn't recording my date for nearly half the run, though it was on.  Anyway, the run, alone in the woods, was cool but I was lucky to make it back and not get lost.  I'm not actually sure how I actually navigated my way back to the return trail but I did.  I mention my pace because on the group run I felt good and felt like I was back to my old self.  This run made me question my fitness level again and I'm not sure what's up.

After returning from my run I did a 450 yard swim.  I did only two lengths of of breat stroke and 8 of freestlye.  I felt stronger and tighter in the shoulders and chest and feel good about the swimming.  I added in an extra length for good measure -- just to over-distance a bit so on the day of the tri I won't be crying at 375 yards . . .

Friday 8/22
Museum of Science butterfly room and dinner with friends.  I managed to undo some of my good work during the week with Dark and Stormies and a cigar!

Saturday 8/23
I did a 450 yard swim again.  I felt even stronger and more confident after this one -- it took about 17 minutes.  I'll not be setting any world records but I'm enjoying the swimming.

Sunday 8/24
I headed out Sunday AM and did a 40:47 minute road run.  I'm not sure of the distance, it's somewhere in the range of 5 miles.  I did my out and back on which I usually take Child Two but I ended up going further.  I got to my normal turning point at 18:50 and so went a bit further out.  I went out in 20:43 and back in 20:04.  This is where the pacing thing got weird.  In the middle of the out-leg I focused on my stride and my push-off.  I felt as if I were gliding.  On the way back I felt slow and gassed.  I don't know what's up.  I feel as if I'm trying to bite off more than I can chew right now and putting pressure on each run to get back in better form even though I know that I can't do that.  It's odd, running is sort of up and down for me right now and that may be why I'm enjoying the swimming so much. 

Tomorrow, 8/26 I'm doing a swim bike workout at the pond and am psyched -- I got new off-road tires and invested in toe clips.  I'll be outside tonight and practicing on those.

5 @ 10

Started a little earlier today (still very dark) and set out to run 4 or 5 today depending on how I felt. Tried a new route from my office out to Castle Island through South Boston. Its basically a 4 mi out and back run with a 1 mile loop around Fort Independence. I almost bailed out at the 2 mi mark as I was getting tired and didn't want to start cramping at the furthest point in the run. After a brief conversation with myself, I continued on. At one point, I could see my office across the bay. It looked VERY far away. So I stayed focused on the path ahead and tried to zone out for a mile. Once I reached the 4 mile mark, the anxiety was gone and I cruised in the last mile (9:42). Covered the 5.0 in exactly 50 minutes. No aches or pains either. Good start to the week.

(I run at the office to beat the traffic and to utilize safer routes. I'm questioning the latter as I passed my second active murder scene this morning on consecutive runs. Not good.)

10 miles...

..for the week. This is actually an accomplishment for me as I haven't run 10 in a week since I last ran Falmouth ('00?). Ran three miles yesterday. While the run felt good and the pace was decent, I felt like crap in the afternoon. Legs sore, lower back sore and very low energy. Probably has more to do with the 4 hours of sleep I've been averaging this week than the run. (I love the Olympics but can't wait for them to be over.) I would have skipped today's 2 miles if it were not for the 10 mile week goal, new shoes and a new HRM. (I also had 6 hours of sleep.) I feel much better today. I suspect/hope the back problems are partially do to the old shoes. Next week I'm going to focus more on distance (12-15) than pace. I have a busy work week but I'm starting to get used to the 5:30 AM runs.

Question for you all. Do you keep training logs? If so, what information do you record?

40 minutes, clear head

Damn, I just lost this post as I was about to hit publish. Here's the brief version:
- Crisp, clear day, perfect for running
- Had trouble motivating, but glad I got out for 40 minutes
- Still love how the creative, productive thinking kicks in after about 20 minutes on the road
- Need to kick up the pace, but I figure my body needs the rest for now, so I'm taking it. The mileage will come.

Later boys.

Still going...

Yesterday's run was the first I didn't time. I needed to get out for an easy run as I planned on running longer today. Its was great to just run and not focus on time at all. Finally ran 3 miles today at around 10 minute pace. Lungs felt great at the end, legs were a bit tired (probably has something to do with the 20 lbs I need to lose). I was also passed, for the first time, by a woman who looked in no better shape than I. With my new zen attitude, it didn't bother me at all. I've come to grips with the fact that until I can run under 8 min. pace, I've got no business being competitive. Tomorrow is day off.

Stress Fracture

We've been feeling a bit of stress up here due to job searching stuff and the usual end of the summer exhale. We always need some downtime to regroup after a summer of charging around trying to take advantage of the good weather. As a result, I've taken a break from the running this week. Really, this is when I should be running more to help deal with the stress, but it's easier said than done.

I got in a 30 minute run on Saturday, but skipped both long runs that were scheduled for the weekend. Looking to get back on track this week, maybe even today since temps are in the 60's. Still feeling healthy, so it's just a matter of doing it. We'll see how that goes....

Run 20

Run 20 was Wednesday night and well, was not what I'd hoped. I was tired and still trying to kick my head cold, and despite great weather just not into the run at all. I slogged through my loop and walked more that I have since Runs 1 - 6. I'm not feeling like the retropsective post I had planned. You'll see me drop off the blog for about eight days, while Mrs. FA and I get away for a while. We'll be running during that time, so I'm aiming to get my groove back, such as it was. 'Till then, peace.

Climbing The Hill, Again

Rolled out of bed at 6:10 this AM, tok my stuff downstairs and got dressed in the kitchen.  I headed out for about 36 minutes and really focused on just staying within myself and enjoying the run.  My quads and hammes were tight today -- a sure sign of decline.  I've given back much of my hard work during the spring and am feeling in less than excellent shape.  It happens.  Something has to give sometimes in my life and family time and work are non-negotiable.  I'm going to go tomorrow for a short run, and see what happens on Saturday.  I'm taking a vacation at home next week and totally looking forward to it.

The Piriformis

So I think I've been having trouble with my left piriformis muscle. It bugs me only a little while running, but becomes uncomfortable when i sit for a long time. So I am fairly certain it is not sciatica. I've been doing a lot of hip streteches, which help. Anyone know more than I do about this one?

Run 19 and Rest

Run 19 was last Friday afternoon, and it was what now is a fairly typical 3 miler for me, from the aprtment, around the central park resevoir and back again, taking around 35 minutes. I dislike Friday afternoon runs. With an after-work run on Friday I can squeeze in my miles all during the work week and skip the weekends, which is convenient when the FreeArtists are upstate and the agenda is focused on other things. But by Fri afternoon I'm pooped out, and would rather lie on the couch and watch the news than run. The impulse to lie on the couch is what I'm fighting, of course, and so I run on Fridays.

I came down with a nasty head cold over the weekend and had to fly on Mon, Tues, and so haven't run since then. I feel good for the rest.

Mrs. FA and I are running the Susan G. Komen for the Cure 5K in September. As I'm running the distance now in ~35 minutes, I'm aiming to run it sub-30.

Starting over

So I promised myself that I wouldn't post again to the blog until I was "over the hump" and running consistently again. After three weeks of running at least 3 times per week, I hope I'm there. There were many factors in my desire to start running again. Stress at work, stress at home, low energy, low motivation... While I'll probably take some ribbing for this, my declining golf game was also a significant factor. When the one outlet you have to relax and get some exercise turns into something that causes more frustration, stress and injuries, things are not well. Perhaps more notable is what is not on the list...losing weight, "keeping up with the Jones" (i.e. you all) or training for a specific event.

So I started running at lunch at work. I used to like running in the heat. The first day was 90+ but I figured running a couple of miles along the waterfront wouldn't be so bad. I can't ever remember being so hot my life. It wasn't so much from the air or sun, but the pavement. I ran for 20 minutes. After 15 minutes of walking, a shower, 15 minutes in front of an industrial A/C unit, 10 minutes to get lunch, and another 15 minutes in front of the A/C unit (helps to run the data center), I finally stopped sweating. My second run, while not as hot, took almost as long to cool down from. My next three runs were on the same route at work but at 5:30 in the morning. Considerably cooler and faster. Interestingly, even though I was up early and exercising, I felt like I had more energy at the end of the day. Encouraging.

The only goals I have are to run 3x per week and increase the mileage gradually. So far so good.

Embarrassing Disappointment

I "ran" Falmouth yesteday.  I broke an hour, but it was ugly.  If you want to see my time check out the race website.  I'll not recount anything here because it was a total disaster of a run and personally embarrassing.  I basically broke down at 5K and struggled the rest of the way.  I didn't train properly and if you want to do well you've got to train.  I didn't hydrate or eat right.  I completely misjudged the heat.  It was a total disaster.  I only ran about two minutes slower this year than last year and it's amazing how awful those two minutes feel.  My pace was a mess, my heart rate was sky high and my breathing was all over the place.

I heard some fat woman on the last hill say, "he's dying" as I ran by . . . I heard the same thing two years ago, same place, same person no doubt, and it steamed me then and it's steaming me now.  If you get on the last big hill as a spectator, only to call out others' pain don't camp out there, you useless piece of crap.  Put down your ciggy, put down your mimosa, and try it.

Oh well, there's always next year, and tomorrow, to get better.  Tomorrow I'm going to go to a tri-training thing at our pond.  Ever onward.

Weekend exploits

I'm into the brief posts these days. Here's another:

Saturday - 29 minutes
Sunday 1:59, 14 miles. 1:00 out and 59 minutes back. Felt strong for most of it. Started to bonk at 1 hour in, but was saved by a Cliff Bar (peanut butter, yum) and some Gatorade. Was back on track by 1:20 and finished strong. Reeled in a woman ahead of me over the last 3 miles. She was about a half mile ahead, so it took a while. Got in some good strategery (Bush is speaking on the tube right now) and clear thinking at about 45 minutes -- what a luxury that is amidst hectic summer days.

Later boys.

Jaunt

Did a 30 minute out and back yesterday. 15.30 on the way out, 13.37 on the way back. Trying to keep grinding. Rest day today before a (planned) big mileage weekend.