I'M what Willis was talin' 'bout.

30 June 2009

Storms came in today, and I didn't feel like getting up early anyway.  By the afternoon the lightning and thunder stopped, but it stayed cool.  So at 7 PM I headed out to run 5 miles with 6x200m pick-ups.  The wind was mild and out of the southwest, so I headed south along A1A.

I ran the first 1.5 at between 9:00 and 9:30/mile, and then started the pick-ups.  200m at around 7:00/mile then 400m slower until I caught my breath.  I finished the 200's at around 3.5 miles.  Then I kept it under 9:00 and really pushed it the last mile.

Final stats:

5.1 miles

41:48

8:12/mile

It felt good and hard.  My lower back was killing me today so I did extra stretching and no strength stuff.  Tomorrow is cardio for Mandy's birthday!!!

MIKE STEALS HOME!!!  MIKE STEALS HOME!!!  (oh, no.  wait.  that was Ellsbury)

Running with Darren

Stats

5.0 Miles

47:57

9:35/mile

Easy run today.   Felt great.   Could have gone faster, but when you run with someone you tend to talk more and take it easy running.   He hadn't run in over a week, so we took it easy.   Darren works odd hours and has a few days off where he can run in the mornings.   I think he is going to try running (and finish) the Des Moines Marathon this year.

We started out w/ 10 min miles and on the way back decided to pick up the pace and did.   I really felt good today.   Used the Brooks Adrenaline and I am starting think these are the shoes to wear for the marathon if I don't put too many miles on them before hand. 

Oh, ya...stretching before and after and continuing to work on the "spare tire" (down to about a moped tire) w/ daily ab work.

Craig Blogman over and outatatatatatataaaaa   here...........

Time to make the donuts...

29 June 2009

So I got up at six to run 4.5 today.  I did some stretching and strength exercises (by that I mean push-ups and ab-type stuff), then headed out.  The sun was not quite up when I started.  Within the first half-mile the sun poked its nose above the Atlantic, and I swear the temperature jumped 15 degrees.  It felt so cool when I started that I left my water at home, and by the last half-mile I regretted it.   Still, I felt okay over all.  Took about 1.5 miles to really feel warmed up, but I eventually got in the groove.

Final stats:

4.5 miles

40:14

8:57/mile

Not too bad.

Mike out!

Last night.

27 June 2009

7.2 miles

1:02:57

8:44/mile

I waited until the sun had just set, and then started my workout.  I did some stretching and core stuff, and then set off into the evening.  It was probably in the lower 80's with a decent off-shore breeze.  After the last week or so, it felt down-right cool.  I actually felt strong the whole way, and felt like I could have kept going.  Overall it was a great run. 

Rest day today.  Birthday party for my friend, Lili this evening.  Back at it tomorrow. 

Mike gone and gone.

June 28 - 8 Miles

Well, the goal was 9:00/mile, my stats:

8.05 miles

1:13:03

9:04/mile

Great weather (61º and no humidity)

My splits were (to the best of my memory) 9:00, 18:07, 27:15, 36:37, 45:55, 55:22, 1:04:37

or 9:00,  9:07, 9:08, 9:22, 9:18, 9:27, 9:15, and 8:36

w/  1/2 mile to go I remember seeing 1:09, so my last 1/2 mile was a 4:03.

Not sure if I could have done anything else different, it was a good run.

No pain and I'm really becoming a fan of stretching before/after, something I hadn't done much in the past. 

There are two big hills (between 3-4 and 5-6) on that run and a few long "slopes".   The mile 3-4 felt the toughest going up Striegel's hill on Harper Rd.

June 27 "easy run"

I'm making my long runs on Sundays (most of the time), so today I ran an "easy" 3.   I checked the distance out on a "my favorite run" site and found an old route I created to be the same run.   I did 30 minutes...15 out and 15 back.   I had landmarks at 1min, 2min, & 3 min, then at a few places on the Ke-Wash Trail.   I was slower on the way back.  

Stats  

3.2 miles

30:00

9:22/mile pace (felt very sluggish today, very surprised at my pace being U9:30)

82º w/ 60% humidity

Tomorrow I run 8 miles.   We'll see how it goes.   I am going to shoot for 9/mile and I'm going to try getting up early early.   Craig over and done.

June 26th -Easy to Moderate pace

5 Miles 

46:03

9:12/mile

Advice:  running at 6am is much cooler than running at 8am or 9:30am.   70º, humid, but easy to run in this weather. 

Started out and ran 3.5 miles right at 9:30 pace, then picked it up and ran the final mile with MJ's Billie Jean in my head...8:10 mile on the final mile.   That may actually be slow...good groovin' tune.

Mark- good to be motivated, isn't it?   I'm very lucky to be 2 blocks away from a small workout facility (open 24/7)...then again, everything is 2 blocks away in Keota.   

The stretching is something I started doing after my last CA visit and stretched w/ Mike after our 3.1 run the morning after Caleb's party.   I have always stretched my achilles out before running for fear of shin splints, but started doing some other basic stretching and my favorite is my hammy stretch...lie on your back, keep your torso straight,  bend left knee up toward your chest and cross it over to the right side (keep your torso straight)...it will pull/stretch from your butt on down as you go to your right more.   I grab the knee w/ my RH and pull it over.  Do the same for your right side.   I think it might stretch out your lower back, too.   Mike?

Done for the day.  Have a great trip, Mark.   Craig blog over & out on this 26th day of June.

Mark

OK.  You guys are killing me stretching, ab work.  I'm feeling like a slug.  I decided to lift weights again today, but your blogs are motivating me.  Craig, regarding the Giants, you're right.  This team is exceeding expectations at this point.  It goes to show what good pitching and defense can do.  

Alright, I'm getting up and running tomorrow am.   We're off for 3 weeks vacation, and I'm not sure how much access I'll have to a computer.

4 miles

25 June 2009

4.0 miles

35:38

8:55/mile pace

Not too bad today.  Probably in the upper 80's with a strong breeze. The run felt good, and I did some strength stuff, too.  I always do 5-10 min of stretching before and after my runs.

Tomorrow is cross training, and then 7 on Sat.  I decided not to do the 10 K.  It's just been too hot to feel like it would be fun.

Mike out.

Cross Training June 25th

Surfing sounds like a great alternative, but I just can't seem to catch any waves at Lake Belva Deer.   So today with the heat I made my way to 24hr. Fitness and did the elliptical for 31:00.   Each minute I bumped the resistance up 1 until I reached 15 and then I came down.   I must have had a good work out, I was dripping sweat all over the machine and a bench next to the machine. After that I did 3 sets of 2 different fly weights and 2 different crunches (10 each).   Followed that up with my 15 minute ab workout.

Sometimes when I run a 3 miler or an "easy" pace run I don't even time myself at all or I run some place where I don't know how far I'm running and go 15 min out and 15 min back and try to keep the same pace for both (out and back).    I have also turned off my watch before when I'm not having a good run.   

MARK:  SF beats OAK 2 games to 1 in the 2nd Battle of the Bay...6 of 7 this year, right?

Craig is out for the rest of the day and hoping for a 7 inn HS game instead of a 10 inn. game tonight.

Plugging

I ran 3 miles this evening at 9:54 pace.   I just didn't feel great.  While it's warm for here, it's nothing like the weather both of you are experiencing.  Craig, good for you on the stretching.  I'm very inconsistent with stretching.  Mike, I look forward to trying to surf next week.  

Cross Training

24 June 2009

Cross training today consisted of hurrying to do my expense report and then surfing for 45 min or so.  Water was really, really warm.  Yeah!

Mike has left the building.

June 22-23-24 & 53:47 two days in a row!

Hey Hey, Marks in!  That's great!   29 miles?! Wow!  What's your training schedule like?

Well, for me Monday was a day of rest, but I went to the gym and lifted, extensive stretching, and some ab work (is that what you call core training?).  

 

Tuesday was very hot and humid.   I didn't run until 9:30am and it was already 85º and a heat index of 95º and "easy 5" was on my schedule...started off w/ a 9:00 pace and ended w/ a 10:20 pace.    I actually did 5.2 miles.   I was absolutely dead at the end of this run.  Reminded me of Minneapolis in 2007.   I was able to pick up the pace at the end which I was happy with.   

STATS:  

5.2 miles   

53:47   

10:20/mile...  Stupid me...get up earlier!

Today I ran build ups like Mike.  This was my first experience with this type of workout.  I had done tons of track work w/ 200s, 400s and 800s, but this was interesting.   I was aiming for a 7am start and ended up starting at 8am.   With the heat and humidity I figured 6 miles...probably 9:30 pace.   My build ups I figured 4:45 for the 800s and 1:10 for the 200s at 3/4 speed.   After the first mile (9:15) I felt pretty good, but I was still skeptical I could keep the pace up w/ the weather.   It was a great run today.   Here's what I like about this...I ended up just going for 1:00 on my 200s and then 4:00 in between at "a moderate pace".   What happens is your "moderate" pace speeds up because you feel like you are slowing down, but in reality you are just speeding up your moderate pace.    By the end I just wanted to get U9 and so I ran a little harder the last 800m and got the 53:47...exact same time from the day before, but a longer run.

I felt good, did some stretching and ab work afterwards.   

Stats: 

6.0 miles

53:47

8:57/mile pace

One thing I have been doing before every run is a lot of stretching.  I am really paranoid with the pain I've had since February in my heel.   Then I figured...it hasn't changed much since Feb.  so it probably won't get any worse.   Just to be on the safe side...a little extra stretching.   

I'm In

Alright guys.  I'm in.  So, no running the last two days.  I've gone to the gym to lift weights both days.  I'll probably go short (3 miles) early tomorrow morning.  Over the next week, I need to get in the 29 mile run, but am thinking I'll wait until we're in Hawaii next week.  The San Francisco marathon is at the end of July.  Mike, did you do any running in Kauai?  An y routes to recommend?  Mark

Two Days

June 22 and 23, 2009

22 June:

4.1 miles

38:15

9:20/mile pace

I waited until the weather cooled some, and it helped.  It was still hot, though.

23 June:

5.1 miles

44:34

8:45/mile pace

Did it with 5 x 200m pick-ups.  I ran the first mile at 9 + min, and then started the PU's.  I did the 200's at about a 7:15-7:30 pace, and then slowed to about 9 min/mile.  I finished the PU's at about 2.5 miles and then hit a 9 min/mile pace for 1.5.  I did the last mile at around 8:30- 8:45/mile.  

It felt good, and I did some core/strength stuff after.  Feels good to be back in training.  I'm thinking of running a 10K this weekend (we're supposed to run 7 miles, but I can warm up with a 0.8 mile run).  What do you think, C?

Mike out.

Hot AND HUMID

1:12:20

7.0 miles

10:20 pace

OK, so I can echo a little of what Mike went through...only 73%, but 94% humidity.   Not sure what the heat index is for that, but I believe it would be somewhere in the 'miserable' area.   I drank a bottle of water during the run and went very slow for a few reasons.   7 miles and I had been out the night before w/ friends from the class of 86 and 88 in Sigourney until midnight.   I was tired at 5:15 am when I started, but did fine.   I actually started w/ 10:30-10:45 pace and finished with a 10:20 overall pace.     I noticed the heat and humidity zapping my times for anything over a 5K here lately.   I'm looking at a day of rest on Monday...back at it on Tuesday! 

Craig Blogg over and out!

Holy Crap it's HOT!

June 21, 2009

6.2 miles 

1:00:12

9:43/mile

It was hot today.  Really hot.  I'd planned on getting up early and running before it got too hot, but that didn't happen.  By the time I finished it was 85 with 82% humidity for a heat index of 97.  It was 9 AM.  Yes it was miserable, but I did it.  I drank 16 oz of water on the way and still lost 1.4 pounds.  Ouch.  So note to self: Get your butt out of bed.

Mike out.

Let's get this party started.

Craig, Mark and I are running the 2009 Chicago Marathon together.  It will be my first marathon, but both Mark and Craig have run marathons before.  Mark is actually going to run the San Fancisco Marathon in July and turn around and run Chicago in October.  So he's well into his training. 

So Craig said to start this week, but by my count 16 weeks is June 22nd.  Doesn't really matter, and now I'm thinking that building in a week would be pretty smart. Hmmm.

This week I was in New Haven, CT for work from Sunday to Friday.  I ran last Saturday, Monday and Tuesday.  Yale's campus and surrounding neighborhoods proved a beautiful setting.  The weather was cool and rainy, but they have these things there they call "hills."  They're a lot like the bridge over the intercoastal, but without the bridge.

I ran the first day with Jon from the University of Wisconsin and Eric from The Ohio State University.  Eric and I were a bit faster than Jon, and were able to keep up a conversation at 8-9 min miles.  We ran about 4 miles and slowed a bit at the end to accommodate Jon.  Normally, I'd have trouble with that pace and chatting.  It just goes to show how much heat and humidity suck the pace out of you.  The hills didn't seem as bad as the weather was good.

I'm back in Florida, land of the flat, and the temperature is supposed to be in the mid to upper 90's for the next several days.  We'll see how that affects me.

Mark, how did your long run go?  Was it 24 miles?

Mike