Month: September 2017

I Might Have Gone Too Fast

Today’s Run

Time – 1:09:10
Distance – 6.07 miles
Pace – 11:24 min/mi
Elevation – 191 ft.

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Yeah, so, I got back to running in heat. It was a little warm today, and speed was not happening. It was a struggle to get in miles, especially after the time off. I’m back to business again.

Building Base

All solid, well-built houses have a good foundation. A base, if you will. Thus the phrase “base building” in running. For those who don’t run much, the idea behind base building is to do lots of running that add aerobic capability, increase the blood vessels (and, subsequently, blood flow) to muscles in the legs, and to improve strength and stamina. In other words, running a lot makes you run a lot better.

I guess you could say that I’m in an unstructured base building phase right now. I’m running to run. The idea is to get out the door and get more work in. Run, run, run.

Minneapolis Running has a great article about some of the basic workouts of base building here. There are, according to the author Justin Kruse, three main kinds of base building workouts that a runner should add into their standard schedule of easy and long runs to improve base and fitness. They are:

  • Strides
  • Hills
  • Fartleks (no, that is not a typo)

The article talks about each in detail. Suffice it to say, these are going to get added to my schedule.

The other run I mentioned that needs to be worked out is the long run. One per week, usually on Saturday for me, is what will be best. My long runs are going to have to get significantly longer due to THE GOAL. Hollie over at FueledByLOLZ also has a good article about adding miles for base building, especially around the long run.

I’ll have to keep these in mind. Now it’s time to actually sit down and write a schedule…

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I’m Back In the Saddle Again

Today’s Run

Time – 48:31
Distance – 4.52 miles
Pace – 10:44 min/mi
Elevation – 201 ft.

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Probably the only Royals game I’ll ever see…

Running vacation is over. That is because the actual vacation is over. While we couldn’t go to Disney (our thoughts and prayers are with those down there), we were able to go out to Nebraska to my old school and see a few of my profs, and then on to Kansas City to the Great Wolf Lodge. It was quite a lot of fun. Saw some sites, played in the water park every evening, and ate way, Way, WAY off of my plan. But it was worth the relaxation with my family.

Back at it when we got home. Out for a quick run with a little bit of a hill. Nothing too hard for today. Just moving my legs again.

Oh, there was one thing…

NEW SHOES!!!

My Altra Torin 2.5’s showed up yesterday on my porch, and I got to try them out today. I need one more run in them before I’ll really do a side-by-side with the HOKA ONE ONE Clifton 3’s I have, but I like the look and feel so far. My Achilles tendons will have to get used to the Zero Drop in the shoes, but that’s something that they say takes a little time.

Still, a good run for a five day off period with crappy food for almost a week. Longer run tomorrow and then more on Sunday. Woohoo!

What Happens Today Stays With Today?

Today’s Run

Time – 30:03
Distance – 3.11 miles
Pace – 9:40 min/mi
Elevation – 119 ft.

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Yeah, I’m this cool when I run…

Run fast. Run fast. Run fast. Do that 3 miles in a row and you can run a pretty good time for the 5k…at least for me.

Does Today’s Run Matter Tomorrow?

I ran fast today. So what? How much does that really matter? I think it matters quite a lot, actually.

I ran down in pace every mile today. Unintentionally, but still faster every mile. That’s a pretty good feeling to know that I can get faster, especially on a run that has an uphill for the last half mile.

Runs like this are confidence building and instructional. They let me understand how to push through and what hurting on the run can feel like. It lets me know how to pace myself for distances like the mile or 5k. I get a better idea of what kinds of speeds will burn up the tank, which is key for the long of run in California.

Today’s exercise isn’t going to change tomorrow’s fitness level all that much. It takes a pile of shavings. The Trials of Miles; Miles of Trials. Building is one brick at a time. But now I know that I’ve built a lot more of the house than I thought I had, and that I still have a lot of house to build.

I’ve got to plan a mile time trial to see where I’m at with the speed. I think the fastest I’ve ever run a mile is around 8:15, but I have no proof of that, and I can’t find the training logs from back then anymore. Mile 3 today was 9:12, and it was uphill. I’m thinking I’ve got this.

Does Running Hurt My Family?

Today’s Run

Time – 45:38
Distance – 4.01 miles
Pace –11:23 min/mi
Elevation – 158 ft.

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Got a phone call from my best friend in Denver as I was getting ready for my run, and we got to talk as I did today’s easy workout. A simple way to run at “conversational pace” is to have a conversation while running. Thanks, Mike!

You Only Hurt the Ones You Love, Right?

Lives are pretty busy. This is a rather obvious concept. There’s a lot to do. Work, sports and events for kids, meetings for church or school or organizations and clubs can all take up time. Then there’s the cooking, cleaning, and general maintenance and upkeep of a home and household. Each of these require time. Then we want to spend time with our loved ones laughing, talking, and being together. How can you possibly fit in running? Doesn’t it mean you have to take time from something else? Don’t have I have to steal from family, because I can’t take from my job to run?

This is something I’ve had to think about a lot. When do I find the time? Am I taking away from the kids? What about supporting my pregnant wife? Where is her time and help?

She and I have discussed this. After the heart scares, and the weight loss, and the new baby on the way, we’ve had to decide together that health is a priority. It’s not the only priority, but it’s on the list. 45 minute runs can be worked into the schedule. Long runs on Saturdays or Sundays can we worked into the plan. This is what we have to do in order for me to get to walk Baby Girl down the aisle in 25 years. That’s how we’ve judged our priority. If I can work in phone calls with friends or famliy, social time with the local running club, or just a mental break to recharge, all the better.

The 100-mile race, however…that’s all my crazy…

The Spring Gets Sprung

Today’s Run

Time – 42:53
Distance – 4.32 miles
Pace – 9:56 min/mi
Elevation – 167 ft.

 

Running can be good two days in a row, sometimes. Today, I went out with the intention to run and enjoy myself. As I ran, I just got faster and faster. In fact, I ran every mile faster than the one before. It was, actually, quite a lot of fun.

It Seems That Fitness Is Variable

It’s been a down couple of weeks. I’ve been getting faster, to be sure, but the runs haven’t always felt good. They didn’t feel as easy as I would like all the time, and speed felt like something that was a struggle. Running “fast” would really spike my heart rate. I couldn’t push the pace without having to suck wind and watch the heart rate rise to serious levels on the watch.

Then I got to the last few days. Yesterday, as a relatively easy run, was fun, relaxing, and something that went really well. My average pace was a lot better than I expected, but not too fast to burn up the gas in my tank. I was excited to be able to run like that on an easy day, but I didn’t think that I would be able to have two days like that.

Today, I went out and decided to push a little bit. I wanted to go out and do a little bit of speed on the run. I figured that it might hurt a bit, and I was prepared to make it a fartlek (fast running mixed in with some slow running; fartlek is Swedish for “speed play”). Nothing too fast for too long, but I wanted to see about making the heart rate go up to something above an easy run.

Fitness builds on itself, this much is obvious. It’s spiral that trends upward, with times that are down, and then it springs up to a new level. This was the fourth week of my training block, with the last three all including increases in mileage, so it has been a little slow in terms of workload, and, lo and behold, my fitness has jumped. I’m running faster, I think that I’ve got even more in me if I want it.

I’m going to keep building base, though. I need to work at adding more aerobic fitness. I need to continue to drop unnecessary weight (nothing drastic, I’d just like to lose some fat and add muscle at a total net loss…because no one has said that phrase ever…). And I need to keep believing that running will get better, and make my fitness better. Even when it’s down, the spring is contracting, and when it’s released, I’ll make another jump.