To Day 189

So, the heat test was on this week, with temperatures in Grand Rapids topping a full 100 F (38 C).  I ran Wed, Thurs, and Fri during midday.  Expecting that I wouldn't be able to run because of the heat I was confirmed that Phase II is in effect, because I felt very good, even energized by the heat.  Of course, I could not run as far, but on Thursday in particular I ran faster and felt wonderful; 2 miles at 9:19 pace. 

THREE-DAY TOTALS

TIME        11 am - 4 pm
TEMP        94 - 103 F    (34-39 C)
CONDITIONS        Sunny, Clear
RUNS        2.0 + 2.25 + 2.0 miles (3.2, 3.6, 3.2 K)
RATES        9:50, 9:19, 9:55 mpm
WEIGHT        200 lbs  (91 k)   still!
INJURY THREAT        Heels feel stiff in morning, right hamstring sometimes tight
Mileage YTD        65.5 mi  (105 k)
Time YTD        649 minutes

DAY 185 and 186:  Fun in the Sun

So, right when I really get going again and proclaim Phase II, I take off a week.  That’s not my fault.  The weather got hot and I have obligations to my wife.  (No, I’m not married to the track).  We went to the lakeshore five days this past week and hung out.  Great fun for a middle aged man and his lovely wife, especially when the seagull pecked a hole in the potato chip bag belonging to the small group of high school dudes and they came back just in time to see the gulls snatching chips one by one!

So, yesterday, I ran in the middle of the day in hot sunny weather (90degrees F, 32 C).  I thought maybe, considering the heat I could eke out a mile, but there was a muscular guy who was several years older than me, kicking my but on the track; he was besting me by an even fifty percent.   As a result, my testosterone kicked in and I ran nine laps (2.25 miles, 3.6K) at about 10 minutes per mile.  Better, today I went down to the track and it was 94 degrees F (34 C) and there was a young well built soccer player with no fat on his body.  When I found he was gaining only twenty yards per lap, I was able to run two miles at a pace of 9:19 per mile.  I am pretty excited at the prospect of soon being able to run regular 5Ks in sub-nines, especially considering that I still weight a full 200 pounds.  Yes, when I lose about 30+ I will fell very good.  More about that later, I have a celebration party for a young marine tonight (I am sure I will consume a few carbohydrates)…

TIME:                         6:30pm

TEMP:                         94 F    34.4 C

CONDITIONS:          Clear, Sunny

SUN:                           6:09 am to 9:25 pm

TOTAL RUN(S):        2.25 + 2.0 mi    (3.6 + 3.2 K)

RUN TIME(S):           22:28 and 18:38

RATE:                         9:59 and 9:19 mpm

WEIGHT:                   200 lbs.    90.8K   (“why do you eat so much?”)

INJURY THREATS: watch right and left heels, right hamstring tight

Mileage YTD:             59.25 mi   94.8K

Time YTD:                  620 minutes

DAY:  178

GENERAL:  Very good.  I am amazed that the last entry was in January.  I had thought I was writing more regularly.  In the five months since, I have been running, but until last week it was very irregular and weak.  I had not run three miles until last week, but all of the runs were faster than ten minute miles.  I am safe to consider myself in Phase II.  A Pace has emerged, where the running pattern before was short strides, stumpy, and hard to keep up.

 

THE RUN:  Three miles on my old friend the track.  I felt strong, with a slightly increasing pace in the last mile, but without a discernible kick.

TIME:                         2:00 PM

TEMP:                         79 Degrees F / 26 Degrees C

CONDITIONS:          No Wind, Sunny

SUN:                           6:05 AM / 9:25 PM

RUN:                          3.0 Miles

RUN TIME:                29:38

RATE:                         9:50 mpm

WEIGHT:                   199 lbs / 90 K   (still!)

INJURY THREATS: none

Mileage YTD:             55 miles / 88 Km

Time YTD                   579 minutes

16 January 2012

Day	16	Back … Again!
General Well-Being		Felt good to be out, the hamstring problem seems past.
The Run		Just a quick to get things going.  Did not feel well, a little shakey and winded.  Not good signs, but I won't overreact at this point.  Maybe I was too warm.
Time		5:00 PM
Temperature		43 F / + 6 C
Conditions		Wind at 10 mph / 16 Kph
Clothing		Adequate running suit, w/hoodie, no gloves.  Felt too warm.
Sunrise		8:11 AM
Sunset		5:34 PM
Run Time		19 minutes
Google Course		Quick run to 44th/Division 1.73 / 2.77 Km
		Utterly Flat
Rate		10:59 mpm
Weight		199 lbs./ 90 Kg
Injury Threats		None
Resting Heart Rate
Pulse
Dinner Previous		Dorothy's Beef Heart Mexican Taquitos
Liquids		Two coffee, water, Martini w/Ted, Harp Lager
Blood Thinner		2 x 350 mg aspirin
Sleep		11:00 - 7:30 technically enough, but tired!
Mileage YTD		22.66 miles / 36.26 Km
		(Proj. Year End Total:    518 miles)
Time Running MTD		256 minutes /11:17 mpm
		(Proj. Year-End Total:  98 hrs.)
GR River Bank 25K		116 (actual) days

BUSTED

Day	11 -- 15	Busted!
General Well-Being		Pretty good, class start up was good, shifted sleeping schedule, more or less correctly.
The Run		The right hamstring was a little strained, coinciding with the first real snow and night classes.  I hated to break my goal of running every day in the year, but such foolish self-imposed goals can really do a lot of harm.  The last two times my hamstring cost me months.

10 January, 2012

Day	10	Quick Run
General Well-Being		I had little time between classes, but got the run in.
The Run		I felt good, but my right hamstring tightened a couple of hours later, sitting in class.
Time		4:38 PM
Temperature		49 F / + 9 C
Conditions		Wind at 7 mph / 4 Kph
Clothing		Adequate running suit, no hoodie or gloves. Felt warm.
Sunrise		8:13 AM
Sunset		5:27 PM
Run Time		18 minutes
Google Course		Quick run to 44th/Division 1.73 / 2.77 Km
		Utterly Flat
Rate		10:24 mpm
Weight		199 lbs./ 90 Kg
Injury Threats		right gluteus (connecting tissue), calf tight
Resting Heart Rate
Pulse
Dinner Previous		Guiness stew, cornbread, bean rice mix
Liquids		One coffee, water
Blood Thinner		none
Sleep		1:30 - 6:30 am no nap, still not enough!
Mileage YTD		20.93 miles / 33.49 Km
		(Proj. Year End Total:    766 miles)
Time Running MTD		237 minutes /11:19 mpm
		(Proj. Year-End Total:  145 hrs.)
GR River Bank 25K		est. 124 days

09 January 2012

Day	9	Easy Does It…
General Well-Being		Yesterday was a big running day, and today we were late getting back from school.
The Run		I could not help but get out late.  Dinner was almost ready, and yesterday left me stiff, so I just ran the warm-up run.
Time		6:13 AM
Temperature		39 F / + 4 C
Conditions		Wind at 7 mph / 4 Kph
Clothing		Adequate running suit w/extra pullover hoodie, needed gloves.  Felt cold.
Sunrise		8:13 AM
Sunset		5:26 PM
Run Time		7 minutes
Google Course		Warm-up run to Jean/Division  0.75 miles/1.2 Km
		Utterly Flat
Rate		9:20
Weight		199 lbs./ 90 Kg
Injury Threats		right gluteus (connecting tissue), calf tight
Resting Heart Rate
Pulse
Dinner Previous		Beef stir fry, vegetables
Liquids		One coffee, water, Sobieski-OJ
Blood Thinner		none
Sleep		2:00 - 8:00 am    no nap, still not enough!
Mileage YTD		19.20 miles / 30.72 Km
		(Proj. Year End Total:    781 miles)
Time Running MTD		219 minutes /11:24 mpm
		(Proj. Year-End Total:  148 hrs.)
GR River Bank 25K		est. 125 days

08 January 2012

Day	8	And Then Some…
General Well-Being		Good, but taking it slow due to recent tightness.
The Run		I got out a little late again, but well within the daylight this time.  I wanted to stop a couple of times, but won the mental battle today.
Time		5:00 PM
Temperature		38 F / + 3 C
Conditions		Wind at 7 mph / 4 Kph
Clothing		Adequate running suit w/extra pullover hoodie, needed gloves, but why no gloves yesterday?
Sunrise		8:13 AM
Sunset		5:25 PM
Run Time		44 minutes (!)
Google Course		To Eastern/44th Street:  3.75 miles/6.0 Km
		Utterly Flat:  Make Standard
Rate		10:24
Weight		199 lbs./ 90 Kg
Injury Threats		none
Resting Heart Rate
Pulse
Dinner Previous		Stew meat, vegetables, rice
Liquids		One coffee, water, Sobieski-OJ
Blood Thinner		none
Sleep		2:00 - 8:00 am    no nap, still not enough!
Mileage YTD		18.45 miles / 29.52 Km
		(Proj. Year End Total:    844 miles)
Time Running MTD		212 minutes /11:49 mpm
		(Proj. Year-End Total:  161.7 hrs.)
GR River Bank 25K		est. 126 days

DAY 7 TOO MUCH DARK (AND FOOD)

General Well-Being		Stiff lower left calf, reaching to the front shin.
The Run		I waited so long to run, it was totally dark.  I should have run before eating, but the food smelled too good.  As a result, I took a short, supposedly fast run just to keep loose.
Time		7:34 PM
Temperature		32 F / + 0 C
Conditions		Wind at 4 mph / 2 Kph
Clothing		Adequate running suit w/extra pullover hoodie.
Sunrise		8:14 AM
Sunset		5:24 PM
Run Time		7 minutes
Google Course		Warm-up course:  0.75 miles
		utterly flat
Rate		9:20:00 mpm
Weight		199 lbs./ 90 Kg
Injury Threats		none
Resting Heart Rate
Pulse
Dinner Previous		Steak, vegetables, rice
Liquids		Two coffees, water, glass red wine
Blood Thinner		350 mg aspirin
Sleep		2:00 - 8:00 am
Mileage YTD		14.70 miles / 23.52 Km
		(Proj. Year End Total:    767 miles)
Time Running YTD		168 minutes /11:25 mpm
		(Proj. Year-End Total:  146.4 hrs.)
GR River Bank 25K		est. 127 days

DAY 6: Run That One Again

General Well-Being		Stiff in many places, difficulty getting out of bed.  Will need coffee again at dinner.
The Run		I repeated the run from yesterday, lengthening the course to Roger Chaffee.  I wanted to stop, but did not; when I stopped at traffic lights, nothing tightened.  (I notice my blog says I ran in the morning the last two days, it should have read PM)
Time		4:14 PM
Temperature		50 F / + 10 C
Conditions		Wind at 12 mph / 19 Kph
Clothing		A little too warm (nice!)  running suit w/extra pullover hoodie.
Sunrise		8:14 AM
Sunset		5:23 PM
Run Time		36 minutes
Google Course		Extended course 1 :    3.1 miles / 5.0 Km;
		utterly flat
Rate		10:19 mpm; adj.(-4 min) traffic light
Weight
Injury Threats		none
Resting Heart Rate
Pulse
Dinner Previous		Chicken and steak at Ted's
Liquids		One Coffee, water, one red wine, one Sobieski
Blood Thinner		350 mg aspirin
Sleep		1:00 - 8:00 am  + 2 hr nap (w/REM) at noon
Mileage YTD		13.95 miles / 22.32 Km
Time Running YTD		161 minutes          (11:33 mpm)
GR River Bank 25K		est. 128 days