BEARCLAW

25 AUG12 – 27AUG12                     Bearclaw:  Some Heavy Footed Running          

WHEN                                     Late morning to Midday

TEMP                                      85 - 89

CONDITIONS                       Mostly Sunny

AIR CONDITION                 Heavy air; NWS ozone warning

RUN                                       3.0 / 4.0 / 3.0

TIME                                      32 / 41 / 27:30

RATE                                      10.7 / 10.25 / 9:10 mpm

WEIGHT                                193 lbs

HEART RATE                        1 min post run:            132 bpm

                                               Midday resting:           68 bpm

INJURY THREATS

Lost one toenail, others going.  (ignore)

Cranky crabby legs first two laps (assume recovery period)

MILEAGE YTD                    274 mi (438 K)

COMMENTS

These last three days were tough, at best.  It’s probably just that hotter, heavier air moved back in.  I was progressing during the Dragon Run period to five miles in ninety-five degree weather.  I think I was totally spoiled with the low seventies.  Back up to only ninety, and I couldn’t get past three or four.  On these same days I sweated off the same as I did running twice the distance on cooler days.  Best not push it out of pride when I still weigh over 190 lbs; that will change soon enough. 

That third day at almost nine minute miles felt nice, and was unplanned.  I can tell that my legs still cannot sustain that open stride for three miles, but for longer and longer stretches within that distance.  I guess when I am strong enough to maintain that stride for three, I’ll probably be somewhere near eight minutes per mile.  That would be nice.

SIX SIX EIGHT

22 AUG12 – 24AUG12                       SIX-SIX-EIGHT        

WHEN                                     Early PM / Late PM / Morning

TEMP                                      74 – 79 F

CONDITIONS                        Mostly Sunny

AIR CONDITION                  Heavy air; NWS ozone warning

RUN                                        6.0 / 6.0 / 8.0

TIME                                       61.0 / 63.5 / 82.5

RATE                                      10:10 / 10:35 / 10:18 mpm

WEIGHT                                 191 lbs

HEART RATE                          1 min post run:        124 bpm

                                                Midday resting:       68 – 76 bpm

INJURY THREATS

Losing toenails (ignore)

Left heel sore in morning, but not during run

MILEAGE YTD                      264 mi (422 K)

COMMENTS

These last three days have been interesting.  I haven’t been energetic, but my ability to go the distance is there in spite of how I feel.  Even though I feel heavy, my times have been only slightly slower.  Two days ago, however, there was compatible competition on the track.  In my third mile a young guy started running.  I held him off, but he overtook me before two more miles.  I worked it and took him over in the next mile then buried him before I finished my run at six miles.  I expected that my time would be significantly faster, but it wasn’t even under a ten minute average.  This was very disappointing, but again I felt good that my ability to do the distance is without question. 

With that in mind, today I set out to run a little farther.  And so I did, in spite of feeling fatigue and heavy ozone-laden air.  I took split times and found that my first three miles were at a 10:40 average, the second three at 10:20, but I finished eight miles in 1:22:33.  So, that means my last two miles must have averaged 9:45.  Now this is what I would expect when I get in shape, that I can turn out decreasing times as a run progresses.  This is how I ran when I was young.  I would line up I races back in the pack, and warm up in the first two miles.

A word on sweating.  When I was first trying to get into shape, there is no surprise that I sweat heavily from the first lap.  By the time I was running a minimum of three miles, I didn’t reach full sweat until the end of the first two or three laps.  Now, however, I hardly sweat the first couple of laps and don’t reach full sweat until the third or even fourth mile.  I take this to be a good sign of metabolic efficiency.  I read somewhere that runners sweat sooner than non-athletes, but on a micro-level, and so they stay cooler longer.

Today and yesterday I should say I pushed to a near limit.  Both days, I had a couple of waves of nausea after the run, nothing major, no dry heaves, but a warning to avoid going too far, too fast.  Strangely, two times this week I had serious hunger pangs while running.  This is not something I remember ever really happening.  I hope it’s the last complaints of my gut before it disappears.

COOL AIR AND WOLF RUNS

16AUG12 – 21AUG12          SIX DAY RECAP:    FIRST  WOLF  RUNS!

WHEN                                    12:00 – 4:00 afternoon

TEMP                                      Mid-Low 70s

CONDITIONS                       Partly Cloudy

AIR CONDITION                 Clean, Cool

RUNS                                      6.0 / 5.0 / 7.0 / 6.0 / 7.0 miles

TIME                                     

RATE                                      all between 9:50 – 10:40 mpm

WEIGHT                                193 lbs (88 Kg)

HEART RATE                       Rest Pre-Run               68 - 74 bpm

                                               

INJURY THREATS

Losing toenails (ignore)

Left heel sore in morning, but not during run

Left knee feels old sometimes

MILEAGE YTD                    244 mi (390 K)

COMMENTS

When I am out of shape, each run is psychologically measured out in distance.  I am aware of every lap, every straight, every curve, most of the time every step is deliberate.  In time, when the body becomes stronger, time takes over as the most important factor.  I feel like it’s how wolves run; they go on for long periods of time, not interested in how far they go, but only in how they feel.  This is the beginning of the best kind of runs.  Today, for example, I decided to stop after seven miles, but I did not have to stop.  I thought it best not to push the increasing mileage too fast, but it felt fabulous to have still been strong enough after seventy two minutes to have kept going.  Now I think my training is going to get interesting.

Recovery - Sluggish

15AUG12       Sluggish, Recovery Day

WHEN                                    2:00 afternoon

TEMP                                      80 F (27 C)

CONDITIONS                       Mostly Sunny

AIR CONDITION                 Clean

RUN                                       3.0 (4.8 K)

TIME                                      31:00

RATE                                      3.1 m/mi

WEIGHT                                194 lbs (88 Kg)

HEART RATE                         Rest Pre-Run               74 bpm

                                               1 Minute Post Run      114 bpm

INJURY THREATS

Losing toenails (ignore)

Left knee stiff for four laps today

MILEAGE YTD                    213 mi (341 K)

COMMENTS

I thought that today I would feel good, but I did not.  Even though I slept nine hours, I could only eke out three miles.  Funny, as yesterday I felt poorly before the run, but had a very good run.  I seemed to be recovering, which makes some sense, as I have been upping the mileage at an alarming rate.  At least I didn’t get an injury or illness.  Even feeling sluggish, I still ran the minimum three at Pace.

Another Six with Gravy (+ 0.25)

14AUG12       Another Six with Gravy (+ 0.25)

WHEN                                    12:00 afternoon

TEMP                                     72 F (22 C)

CONDITIONS                       Mostly Sunny

AIR CONDITION                 Clean

RUN                                       6.25 mi (10 K)

TIME                                      1:02:30

RATE                                      10:00 m/mi

WEIGHT                                194 lbs (88 Kg)

HEART RATE
                                               Before Run:        82 bpm
                                               11:45 pm            82 bpm

INJURY THREATS

Losing toenails (ignore)

MILEAGE YTD                    210 mi (336 K)

COMMENTS

I felt very poorly before the run.  I slept only four hours at the most and didn’t even want to run.  I dragged myself down to the track and I realized right away that my muscle tone must be at a higher level, because it was the second day in a row that the first lap was a good one, right from step one, no warm-up laps were needed.

I concentrated on not pushing the Pace because I didn’t expect to have the energy to get past the daily minimum.  It is strange that, using the long slow shuffle, I ran precisely the Pace.  This may or may not mean that my Pace will increase soon.  (See previous notes on trying to run faster).  I don’t think I should spent much time right now on speeding up, partly because I still weight over 190 lbs.  There are many hazards in running too fast at this weight.

SUB-NINE (3X)

13AUG12       Monday Minimum Becomes a Fast One

WHEN                                    2:00 afternoon

TEMP                                     74 F (24 C)

CONDITIONS                       Partly Cloudy

AIR CONDITION                 Fresh, Clean

RUN                                       3.0 mi (4.8 K)

TIME                                      26:33 (oh, yeah!)

RATE                                      8:50 m/mi

WEIGHT                                194 lbs (88 Kg)

INJURY THREATS

Losing toenails (ignore)

Stiffness in knee seems to be gone

MILEAGE YTD                    204 mi (326 K)

COMMENTS

I slipped a run in between scattered rain showers, and decided to go with the Monday minimum.  I ran in the rain a couple of days ago, but I didn’t like it.  Anyway, the beginning of this run was very good; it’s the first time I felt good from the very start.  Usually, I have to warm up with one or two slow and stiff laps, but not today.  Since I was off to a very good start, I decided to make the minimum, but fast.  Another milestone, as this is the first time I have been under a nine minute average, and here it was for three.  Feeling very good. 

It was nice to see the father and son working out on the track.  The kid might have been early high school, or even Jr. High.  His dad was coaching him while did a series of fifty yard dashes.  I knew they meant business because they had a running parachute.  It spread out to about a ten foot diameter behind the kid, and the harder he ran, the more it spread out.  Nice, but not for distance people like me!

I'll Have Another One of Those

12AUG12       Another Round of the Same

WHEN                                    2:00 afternoon

TEMP                                      75 F (24 C)

CONDITIONS                       Partly Cloudy

AIR CONDITION                 Fresh, Clean

RUN                                       6.0 mi (9.6 K)

TIME                                      1:01:30

RATE                                      10:15 m/mi

WEIGHT                                194 lbs (88 Kg)

INJURY THREATS

Losing toenails (ignore)

Stiffness in knee seems to be gone

MILEAGE YTD                    201 mi (322 K)

COMMENTS

The run itself was fairly standard today, except for the fact that I ran another 6.0 miles!  I am very happy, though cautious.  Adding a full mile every week is more aggressive than I have done in the past, even when I was younger and in shape.  I wonder where it will lead.  Another important milestone:  Today is the first time I ran for over an hour continuously in more than ten years!

Weights:  Alternating between shoulder presses one day with arm curls on the off day.  Continuing to do the bathroom rule on push-ups.  Ex:  Yesterday I did 3x 25 pushups (slowly). 

IMPORTANT:  I added pull-ups today.  Must remember to do them before each run on the equipment in the school yard.  Note:  Will be nice when I can do one complete pull-up. (sad face here)

Fondly Fahrenheit

09Aug12 – 11Aug12:             Fondly Fahrenheit

WHEN                                     Late Afternoon

TEMP                                      70 – 74 F (23 C)

CONDITIONS                       Cloudy.  (Rain on Thursday)

RUN                                       5.0 / 3.0 / 6.0 mi

TIME                                      51 min / 29 min / 58 min

RATE                                      10.2 / 9.7 / 9.7 min/mi

WEIGHT                                194 lbs (88 Kg)

INJURY THREATS             

Some strong stiffness in left knee on first mile (careful).

Losing three toenails (ignore)

MILEAGE YTD                    195 miles (290 K)

COMMENTS

I can hardly believe that I am still strengthening so rapidly.  Not one month ago, I could barely run three miles each day.  Now, I can do five at will, and am up to a max. of six miles.  The time on the six is a real eye opener, because I ran quite a bit faster than my usual long run without trying to at all.  I think this shows that I am not ready for real speed work; in spite of  having developed a recognizable Pace, I still weight too much, and am strengthening at pre-season levels of leaps and bounds.  I am very encouraged to think that I haven’t yet come into my official “beginning” Pace.  I am anxiously curious to find out what my true Pace is, considering my age (52).  Reminder:  my Pace when I was in my early twenties was 7:30 miles for training, and I averaged 6:23 m/mile.  I also achieved ten miles in one hour flat several times, which would be 6:00 m/mile.  Again, I don’t know what to expect because of my age, but I am increasingly excited at present.

03Aug12 – 08Aug12  Six Awesome Days

WHEN                                     Six runs between 11:00am and 4:00 pm

TEMP                                      82 – 83 F (28 C)

CONDITIONS                       Mostly Sunny, Humid, High Ozone two days

RUN                                       5.0 mi (8.0 K) each day

TIME                                      all between 49 min. and 52 min.

RATE                                      10 min/mile

WEIGHT                                194 lbs (88 kg)

INJURY THREATS             

Some strong stiffness in left knee on first mile (careful).

Losing three toenails (ignore)

MILEAGE YTD                    181 miles (290 K)

COMMENTS

This marks some turning point, but I must be careful.  The Thursday previous I tried to have a short and fast run, but my rate did not even break nine minute miles.  On the Saturday I tried to have a long and slow day, but I could not run farther than the five miles I already cranked out several times the week before.  Nevertheless, I was able to run a solid five every day, without trouble. 

Thursday 02Aug12

WHEN                                    2:00

TEMP                          82 F  (28 C)

CONDITIONS           Mostly Sunny

RUN                           3.0 mi  (4.8 K)

TIME                          27:23

RATE                          9:07 mpm

WEIGHT                    195

INJURY THREATS

Other than losing toenails (which will take weeks) I was briefly concerned about my left knee, but it held out and nothing happened.  Before and after the run I wished for a bonesetter to adjust my lower back, but it didn’t bother me during the run.  I assume it’s part of the bodily adjustments which will come from losing weight.

MILEAGE YTD        151

COMMENTS

I wasn’t sure what to expect today.  I ran the new max. two days in a row previous, and the air today was bad, way to humid and thick.  I decided to run short on purpose, trying for a fast time, just to see about where my speed is.  I didn’t expect much, and didn’t get much, either.  The time was just about nine minutes per mile, which is my fastest, but a poor rate overall.  Still, it’s going in the right direction.