It's been hot! Really hot. Both Tuesday and Wednesday morning when I woke up around 5am it was already 80 degrees with humidity pushing the heat index close to 90. I was able to get my short easy runs in without issue, although I did break down and go out sans shirt. I'm sure this is not ideal for anyone I may happen to meet along the way, but it was the coolest way for me to run. Today is a rest day for me getting ready for my Friday/Saturday double header.
Speaking of the double header, I've decided to make a slight change in my schedule. I've found that running long on Sunday mornings just doesn't seem to work out the best for me any more. The runs are getting much longer, and some traveling that we're doing towards the end of the summer has made me reconsider. I've decided to shift my schedule by a day for awhile. I will now be doing my weekend double header on Friday and Saturday, Saturday being the long run. Then I will use Sunday as a rest/recovery day. You can see my revised training plan here. I'm going to go with that for awhile and see how things go.
Tonight will be an exercise in self-control. We are celebrating a friends birthday. There are a group of us going to the new casino that opened not long ago. The drinks will be cheap, the food will be plenty (buffet), and the time will slip away quickly. We'll see how well I can control myself so I can still get out and do my 8 miles at MP tomorrow morning. Wish me luck...
No excuses. Just Run.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Vacation...done!
For last week+ my family spent some time in Denver and Silverthorne Colorado. The time away from work was much needed. However, as any runner who is training knows, there isn't really a vacation from running. I was able to stick to my training plan and get all my runs in. I found that there are pros and cons to running in new areas. On my long run last Sunday in Denver, I quickly learned that we don't have any hills where I live. Those hills and the added elevation made for some walking during my 14 miles. I also learned that there is a difference between 1400 feet above sea level (home), 6000 feet above sea level (Denver), and 9100 feet above sea level (Dillon/Silverthorne). At 9100 feet you run out of breath quickly. It made the marathon pace run extremely difficult. When we got back home, we arrived right smack in the middle of a heat wave. This left me trying to decide which is worse. 60 degrees with little to no humidity at 9100' or 80 degrees with high humidity at 1400'. After struggling through 10 miles this morning before work, I definitely know which I would choose. I'll take lower temps just about every time.
After driving ALL day Saturday to get home. I was not up for an early morning run Sunday. The extreme heat/humidity kept me from getting out at all on Sunday so I was forced into a Monday morning run to make up for it. Whoa! Not fun. You've probably had one of those runs. I have too. The first 3 miles were pretty good, but then the sun came up. That combined with my not so good diet the last few days made for a pretty miserable run. I'll spare you the details and just let you fill in the blanks. I got it done though, and I'm ready to get back into the routine of home/work and everything else that comes with it. Vacation was nice, but they don't last forever....do they???
No excuses. Just run.
After driving ALL day Saturday to get home. I was not up for an early morning run Sunday. The extreme heat/humidity kept me from getting out at all on Sunday so I was forced into a Monday morning run to make up for it. Whoa! Not fun. You've probably had one of those runs. I have too. The first 3 miles were pretty good, but then the sun came up. That combined with my not so good diet the last few days made for a pretty miserable run. I'll spare you the details and just let you fill in the blanks. I got it done though, and I'm ready to get back into the routine of home/work and everything else that comes with it. Vacation was nice, but they don't last forever....do they???
No excuses. Just run.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Tale of two runs...
7 miles today. This morning was one of those days that keep you coming back. Not a cloud in the sky. Sun just coming up in the first mile or so. Just a slight breeze and 58 degrees. A little humidity, but not too bad. All that adds up to a nice easy run this morning. As you can tell, I enjoyed myself immensely.
In direct contrast to that, was last night's run. If you remember, I didn't get up to run yesterday morning. That meant I was doing 3.5 miles last night after work. It was mid-80's and humid. Not ideal at all. Bo found out quickly that this was going to be work and spent most of the time looking for water in the ditches. I pushed through and completed the miles, but I remembered quickly why I get out of bed early every morning.
At this point marathon training is going pretty well for me. However up to this point I have not run further than 13 miles...ever. This weekend is 14 miles which will be my new longest run ever. I'm not really nervous for the distance. I'm just nervous as to how my body will react to the distance. Does that make sense?
No excuses. Just run.
In direct contrast to that, was last night's run. If you remember, I didn't get up to run yesterday morning. That meant I was doing 3.5 miles last night after work. It was mid-80's and humid. Not ideal at all. Bo found out quickly that this was going to be work and spent most of the time looking for water in the ditches. I pushed through and completed the miles, but I remembered quickly why I get out of bed early every morning.
At this point marathon training is going pretty well for me. However up to this point I have not run further than 13 miles...ever. This weekend is 14 miles which will be my new longest run ever. I'm not really nervous for the distance. I'm just nervous as to how my body will react to the distance. Does that make sense?
No excuses. Just run.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Holiday weekend...
Saturday morning called for a 6 mile marathon pace run. The weather was almost perfect for running and for ballooning. Huh?! What do I know about ballooning? OK, I'm guessing about the perfect weather for being in a hot air balloon. But I did see a couple of them out flying Saturday morning. One of them flew directly over my head. I didn't pay too much attention, but did think it was funny that my dog wasn't sure what to do about those big "birds" flying over. About a mile later I looked out into a corn field and saw the same balloon, only this time he was really low. I realized it was trying to land. Something changed and it aborted mission. Then another mile later I looked into the middle of a different corn field (or it might have been beans, not sure) and there it was again trying to land. Just before it hit the ground it hit the flame again and went up just a bit. Then it coasted down and came to rest right on the road about 1/4 mile from where I was running past. It was kind of a cool sight, and distracted me for half my run. Once I was past the balloon I got back to business. Everything was going great until last night's supper choice came back to haunt me in the last mile. I swear, soon I'm going to get my diet under control and not put myself through these things. I finished the run and decided to walk my cool down. Just as I was about to turn down my street the balloon came past, all packed up in the back of a pickup. I hope they had as good a morning as I had (for the most part).
Sunday morning brought my long run. 13 miles this week. After my issues Saturday morning I concentrated on eating well all day Saturday. I headed out the door hoping I had accomplished my goal. The weather was pretty decent again, although a little humid. The good news being the sun wasn't out along with the humidity, so that was a bonus. I took a long out and back route knowing there there are some decent hills right around the halfway point. I also made a point of slowing down this time. After 13 miles...mission accomplished. I really felt good the whole way and had no issues. It was a relief, and also showed that when I concentrate and do things right, the miles go by a lot easier.
After the long run I was free to enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend. We went to a couple BBQ/picnics, ate a bunch of good food (drank some good beer), and blew up some fireworks. It really was a fun weekend that ended with me being to worn out to get up bright and early Tuesday morning for a run. That means a late afternoon run today...ugh.
No excuses. Just run.
Sunday morning brought my long run. 13 miles this week. After my issues Saturday morning I concentrated on eating well all day Saturday. I headed out the door hoping I had accomplished my goal. The weather was pretty decent again, although a little humid. The good news being the sun wasn't out along with the humidity, so that was a bonus. I took a long out and back route knowing there there are some decent hills right around the halfway point. I also made a point of slowing down this time. After 13 miles...mission accomplished. I really felt good the whole way and had no issues. It was a relief, and also showed that when I concentrate and do things right, the miles go by a lot easier.
After the long run I was free to enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend. We went to a couple BBQ/picnics, ate a bunch of good food (drank some good beer), and blew up some fireworks. It really was a fun weekend that ended with me being to worn out to get up bright and early Tuesday morning for a run. That means a late afternoon run today...ugh.
No excuses. Just run.
Friday, July 1, 2011
4 in a row, and counting...
Friday's are rest days for me. So no run today.
My runs this week went pretty well. 3, 6, 3 was on the schedule and I got the miles in. Tuesday my wife got up and ran with me. That was great! Yes, the pace was pretty slow (over 11 min/mile), but I really do enjoy running with her. Wednesday was 6 miles. I felt great for 90% of the run, but then ran into a few issues towards the end. I only have myself to blame. Tuesday was not a very good eating day for me. Bad diet can cause issues on the following day's run. I know better, but did it anyway. I struggled through and completed the run reminding myself not to do this next time. Thursday morning was back to feeling good again. In fact, I felt so good I threw in a few strides just to pick up the pace for a bit.
So 4 in a row. What is that? June marked the fourth month in a row that I went over 100 miles in a month. I know that's not a huge number to many, but for me it still a little strange to think/talk about. It was less than 2 years ago that 5 minutes of running was a daunting task. Now I'm getting 100+ miles/month with more to come. The month of June also saw me go past the 500 mile mark for the year. I'm currently sitting at 557 miles. Again, for me that's a big deal.
I'm still adjusting to being called a "runner". I'm not sure how it came about, but somewhere along the line I morphed into what many consider to be a runner. I know in the runner cosmos I'm pretty low on the totem pole, but it is a group that I'm proud to call myself a part of. I feel like I could sit down over a beer (or whatever your drink of choice is) and immediately start talking with any other runner. There are things you do and experiences you have that are hard to discuss with someone that has not gone through them.
As usual, I have no idea where this is going. Just a few things that are floating around in my head today. I have a lot to learn about running, and I can't wait to learn it.
No excuses. Just run.
My runs this week went pretty well. 3, 6, 3 was on the schedule and I got the miles in. Tuesday my wife got up and ran with me. That was great! Yes, the pace was pretty slow (over 11 min/mile), but I really do enjoy running with her. Wednesday was 6 miles. I felt great for 90% of the run, but then ran into a few issues towards the end. I only have myself to blame. Tuesday was not a very good eating day for me. Bad diet can cause issues on the following day's run. I know better, but did it anyway. I struggled through and completed the run reminding myself not to do this next time. Thursday morning was back to feeling good again. In fact, I felt so good I threw in a few strides just to pick up the pace for a bit.
So 4 in a row. What is that? June marked the fourth month in a row that I went over 100 miles in a month. I know that's not a huge number to many, but for me it still a little strange to think/talk about. It was less than 2 years ago that 5 minutes of running was a daunting task. Now I'm getting 100+ miles/month with more to come. The month of June also saw me go past the 500 mile mark for the year. I'm currently sitting at 557 miles. Again, for me that's a big deal.
I'm still adjusting to being called a "runner". I'm not sure how it came about, but somewhere along the line I morphed into what many consider to be a runner. I know in the runner cosmos I'm pretty low on the totem pole, but it is a group that I'm proud to call myself a part of. I feel like I could sit down over a beer (or whatever your drink of choice is) and immediately start talking with any other runner. There are things you do and experiences you have that are hard to discuss with someone that has not gone through them.
As usual, I have no idea where this is going. Just a few things that are floating around in my head today. I have a lot to learn about running, and I can't wait to learn it.
No excuses. Just run.
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