Running errands

I've been a running fool this week. After doing a double on Sunday, I did another double on Monday. I chose to take Tuesday off to rest, but when I was in the middle of assembling a pot roast in the crock pot last night, I discovered I wanted onions and a couple other ingredients.  Doing the math, I couldn't imagine my whole shopping list would have been very heavy. See, I wanted to run.  I was itching to go run.  I haven't felt that way in a while.  So I stuffed my Vibrams and my wallet into a backpack and ran barefoot to the grocery. I hadn't literally run an errand in a long time, so this was a fun, spontaneous way to get a couple miles in.  Since my ankles are tender today, I believe my body is telling me to ease up.  Hump Day is Rest Day for me for sure. Honest.

Sure, transforming an errand into an opportunity to run is cool, and saving a pint or two of gasoline is smart. But what I found most remarkable about that run was how well my feet handled it.  A couple weeks ago, a half-mile run around a freshly-paved, smooth track made my feet extremely tender.  Yesterday, I ran two miles over asphalt of varying quality, adjusting my technique to accomodate pebbly or smooth road. Several times during the brief run, I stopped thinking about my feet altogether and just ran. I got into a flow like I hadn't before, especially while barefooting.  Now I am thinking about what would happen if I went a little further.  Three miles?

Turning into a hobbit

Pretty soon, they are going to have to call me Barefoot Ed or something. This weekend, I ran totally barefoot twice.  I did two miles on Friday morning, and I did two-and-a-half hilly miles on Sunday.  Later Sunday morning, I did another 1.5 miles -- shod -- with my daughter.  This morning, I gave the soles a break and ran two shod miles.  All in all, my feet are doing well, and I am pleased with how the transition is going.  No stubbed toes or lacerations. I feel like I could probably start adding mileage in another week. Not too much.  Maybe a half mile barefoot here and there.

My daughter is doing great with cross-country.  Thursday, she did hill repeats.  I watched as children transformed from snarky, sassy, noisy bundles of energy to sweaty, whining, miserable goo-sacks in about fifteen minutes.  I should be ashamed at how much I enjoyed watching their suffering, but I think adults are supposed to encourage them to suffer.  It builds character or somesuch.  In any case, watching my baby girl grind up the long, merciless hill six times made me proud.  I was 38 before I dared to do such an unpleasant workout, and I certainly never tried it when it was >90°.  She'll have character coming out of her ears before this season is over.  I won't say she's enjoying it. She's like me in some ways.  She looks back on her practices fondly when they are behind her.

By the way, I didn't join her because a) I was helping Coach run the practice and b) I friggin' hate hill repeats.  Yeah, I was the bastard counting repetitions and telling the poor whipper-snappers to go Go GO!  Muahahahaha!

All in all, I am pleased with how my running is going. I'm impatient to increase my miles, but that's managable.  I'm thinking about my next race and wondering where and when it will be.

You never regret a run

Yesterday, I had the best of intentions. I woke up at 5 AM to run. Bleary-eyed, I staggered around the room, weighing my options, and ultimately, I decided to go back to bed. I haven't been sleeping well; every hour of sleep I can manage is precious to me. I'll run at lunch, I thought.

Lunchtime came, and my day up to that point had been so stressful that all I wanted to do was get out of the office and gorge myself on something fried. So rather than run, I went to a Japanese restaurant and filled up on pork katsu.  Looking back, rather than self-medicating on pig, I obviously should have self-medicated with a run. I can be dumb sometimes. But I told myself that I would run at my daughter's cross-country practice. I believed the lie.

Well, friends, my daughter was at the grandparents' house, and my wife went there in the afternoon to pick her up when a complication arose. My in-laws were grilling barbecue ribs. Ribs are my #1 trigger food. I am utterly incapable of resisting them.  Wifey called and asked whether or not I wanted to go out there after work and have some. Like a puppet on a string, I drove out there and stuffed myself with pig again and talked and talked, and before you can say arteriosclerosis, the time for cross-country had come and gone. 

I know what you are thinking because I said it to myself about a dozen times yesterday. The moral of my story is that I should have run when I had a chance, first thing in the morning. I would have started my day on a positive note. The exercise would have put me in a frame of mind other than "ticking time bomb." Plus, I wouldn't have been looking in vain for a slot to jam a 20-minute run into.

I didn't reproduce yesterday's error today. I produced a whole new error, sort of. So eager was I to leave work yesterday, I left my gym bag containing a set of running clothes, my Nikes, my Vibrams, and my Garmin. In the past, this would have been enough of an inconvenience to justify blowing off yet another day of running. But I was determined to run no matter what. I threw on a shirt and a pair of shorts and ran two miles totally barefoot. It was great. I know I shouldn't have run such a distance barefoot without building up properly, but I regret nothing.  It's been the highlight of my day so far.  It reminds me of the old runner's saying, which I will now butcher.

You never regret a run. You always regret the runs you blow off.

Work that skirt

Last week, my average run was two miles with .25 miles of those runs totally barefoot. That's not great, but in my limited experience, the transition to barefoot goes best when you go slowly.  This week I plan to add another quarter-mile of barefoot running to each workout and see how that goes.  My feet are happy, and I'm not experiencing any major aches and pains, apart from a sore back that kept me on the bench yesterday.

This week will be Little One's second week of cross country.  She's got time trials today.  We've been having fun with it, running together as much as possible.  I'm very glad she's enjoying herself, even though it's been frightfully hot during her practices.  She's able to run about a mile-and-a-half with brief walk breaks at the half-miles, but I doubt she really needs them.  Her seven-year-old body is strengthening up so quickly, I bet she'll be leaving me in the dust in a matter of weeks.  I'm a proud papa.

In other news, they have running skirts for guys now.  Or, if you like, sport kilts.  Jason Robillard reviewed one.  If I got a free one in the mail, I would wear and review it.  Still, it would take a few shots of scotch before I'd wear a sport kilt out in public.  I'm still trying to get comfortable going barefoot in public, or worse, wearing Vibrams.  I'm not quite at the kilt level of self-confidence yet. In my view, if you have the physique to carry off a kilt, like if you are an ultramarathoner like Jason or a NFL linebacker, then go for it.  Or phrased another way, if you look like you could kick someone's ass for making fun of your kilt, then rock on you magnificent bastard.  I've had enough sand kicked in my face for one lifetime.

My poor feet

I took a week off last week because the moon was in the Seventh House and Jupiter  Mars. Yeah, that's BS. I was nursing various aches and pains caused by TMTS, which is jargon in the Cult of Barefoot for "too much, too soon."  My Achilles tendon, back, hamstrings, and knees all had various complaints every time I ran in my Vibrams.  Plus, since I don't have a race planned, my focus and discipline are in the crapper. Therefore, I took the week off to reboot the system. 

This morning, I laced up my old Nike Frees and ran to a new track being built near my neighborhood. I don't know whether the school plans on keeping it open to the public, but for now, the thing is wide open.  Still working hard on construction and landscaping, the work crews laid the asphalt late last week, and I've been itching to try it out since then. I ran there [0.65 miles from my house], removed my Nikes, and ran barefoot. It was as smooth as asphalt gets, and I enjoyed getting to run there in the dark, still morning. Still, my feet felt all burny after one lap. I decided to tough it out for another lap while focusing on stepping as lightly as possible. Things got slightly better, but the damage was done. After two laps, I put my shoes back on and ran home. 

That's the way it's going to have to go, I'm afraid -- one lap at a time. Diving right in to running in Vibrams wasn't smart.  I'm going to run with my Nikes and slowly add barefoot quarter-miles as my body is able to take it.  You know, like EVERBODY says you should.

Later Coming this week, I'll review Jason Robillard's cryptically-titled book, The Barefoot Running Book.  [Spoiler: The book is about barefoot running.]  Plus, another captivating installment of What is Runners World Thinking?  Stay tuned.

Project Barefoot update

A year ago, I bought a pair of Nike Free 5.0s with the intent of transitioning toward barefoot, or at least minimalist, running.  To date, I have put more than 600 miles on the Nikes, including training for and running the 2009 Chicago Marathon.  They've been great shoes, and I still like them.  They still have miles left in them, in fact.  But at some point I knew I would need to bite the bullet and take the next step.  Since Nike discontinued the 3.0 model for a while, I decided if I wasn't ready to go the Full Monty [literally, barefoot], I was ready to run in a thong [literally, minimal shoes.]

Enter the huaraches, which I made myself out of nylon cord and rubber.  I ran in them a couple times this spring.  Apart from the cord rubbing holes in my instep and feeling like it was going to unwind with every footfall, the sandals worked well in the sense they protected my feet.  However, they catastrophically failed the Wife test.  I tried hiding them as long as I could, but inevitably, she saw the horrid things.  Wifey took one look and ... well, ... she employed her excellent command of English and rhetoric to make it clear how ridiculous I looked. 

Serendipitously, our local trail store had a sale around this time, so I bought a pair of Vibram FiveFinger Sprints.  Since acquiring them, I have slowly incorporated them into my weekly miles, being careful to not to run too much too soon in order to get accustomed to them.  Each week, I had this mental spreadsheet of how many miles I ran in them last week, and how much more I ought to run in them this week.  10%?  Ten percent of 18 is one point eight, round up to two.  Mustn't over do it.  Then, I'd skip a week of using them for whatever reason, and what did that mean?  Should I back off to the number of miles I ran previously or run what I forecast I ought to be running now?

In short, this gradual approach was too much for me to handle.  Therefore, this week, I have been running exclusively in the Vibrams.  On Monday, I ran three miles on a treadmill.  Today, I ran three on the street.  Right now, my calves are tight and sore, and I have a blister on the ball of my right foot.  [My first running blister ever.  No shit.]  Obviously, there has been some discomfort.  But I am not discouraged.  Tomorrow, I will do another three in them unless it's too painful to do so.  If it is, I will revert to shoes.  I still have the Nikes.

That's going to be my approach from now on.  Running in Vibrams will be the default.  Running in shoes will be for when it's too painful to do otherwise or the course too treacherous. I'll let you know how it goes.

I almost stepped on Mothra

I received the race manual for the Indian/Celina Challenge that I am running on the 12th.  I love these smaller races.  This is a race that prides itself "on being nearly sponsor-free."  [All quotes herein lifted from the manual.]  I can expect a shirt and one or two other doo-dads, but not a bag full of crap most of which I'll end up throwing away.  There will be no bibs or chips.  Our numbers will be written on our hands or arms at the starting line, and volunteers will keep track of us at aid stations to make sure everyone stays honest.  Awesome.

The Challenge has a full marathon, a half mary, and an eight miler.  I'm doing the eight miler.  Given my limited experience with trail running, that's as much as I feel comfortable doing. 

The starting time for all three races is 6:30 AM.  We eight-milers will follow the marathoners for the first four miles before splitting off.  I should expect the course to be up and down, up and down, with creek crossings and big rocks on the trail.  We are warned, "DO NOT EXPECT TO SET A PERSONAL BEST!!  The course is difficult and your overall time will reflect this." 

After the race, they will be grilling burgers and hot dogs for us.  Honestly, I think this sounds as fun as a bucket of puppies.  I cannot wait to see what this race is going to be like.  It sounds wild.

Today, I ran 2.5 easy miles around my neighborhood in Vibrams.  I took it slow and enjoyed the fog, the half moon, and the cool temperature.  I saw 1,000 rabbits and one butterfly as big as my hand.  I'm not joking.  It was 4-5 inches across, brown, with big spots like eyes on the bottom wings.  I'd try to identify it but that sounds boring.  I'll just call it Mothra.  I saw Mothra on my run.  No Mothra fairies, though. 

Nerd alert

Ever one to take something to the next level of nerdiness, I have added geocaching to the things I can do when I run. Geocaching, in case you didn't know , is a modern form of treasure hunting. But instead of a dusty treasure map and an eyepatch, you search for your booty with a GPS receiver and a pen. And an eyepatch if you want. Go to the Geocaching website to learn more.

How do I integrate running and Geocaching? It's a simple matter of figuring out where I want to run -- like near work or around my neighborhood. Then, I search for geocaches in that area on the Geocaching website. Once I find some, I connect two or three waypoints to create a route that's about the distance I want to go. Then, I run to the first cache. Simple. Once a week or so, this is a refreshing diversion that keeps my runs from getting boring and routine.

I am ashamed to tell you how much fun this is for me. But I swear it reaps benefits. In addition to getting the most out of my Garmin Forerunner 305, and adding spice to my runs, it actually helps me stay committed. Take this morning as an example. I needed to run before work so I could go out to lunch with my co-workers. There was a huge risk that I would hit the snooze button and blow off the run. So I decided to run to a cache near my house that I failed to find last night. So, after dreaming about the hunt all night, I didn't hit the snooze button like I so often do. I ran and found the cache.

See what I did there? I added something that generated excitement and instantly rewarded me for achieving a goal. I'm like a lab rat pushing the lever for more pellets.

And Geocaches are everywhere, especially in parks, so they are even a good way to add some spice to trail running. But even if you think Geocaching is too hard or too nerdy, finding some way to add excitement and a reward system into your running is a great way to keep you motivated. Like I said before, even if I don't want to run, I want to find that next cache. And how will I get there? I may as well run. And finding the cache is the payoff. Here's how it works.

do 
  me.buildExcitement()
  me.run()
  if (geocache.found = true) {
 me.getReward()
  }
loop while not me.isDead()

So this week was great.  I'm set to run 10 trail miles this weekend (and hunt down 3 or 4 caches.)  Life is good.

Meet Coach Fernando

Before I start the navel-gazing, I must share an excellent post called Lessons Learned from Training to Run 50 Miles by No Meat Athlete.  Go read it and try not to think, "Maybe I could do a 50K."

This morning, rocking my Vibrams, I ran out the door and did an easy 2.5 miles around my neighborhood.  Actually, that's misleading.  What happened was my alarm went off at 5:15, and I got up and reset it for 6.  My dog, Fernando, woke up and said in his phony Spanish accent, "Ay, Monito, I need to make tinkle-times."  Bitching the whole way, I let him out.  Since I was already ambulatory, and since I had so little time before I had to get up anyway, I threw on my gear and went out for a run.

The Vibrams are great.  Even on pavement, they are comfortable and perfect. 

Yesterday, I failed the snooze button test and had to run at lunch when it was 81°.  Surprisingly, the run went well.  In the past, running in that kind of heat sucked for me, but I have been trying to do some mind-hacking around such beliefs.  While it is a fact that hot weather makes me sweat more and drains more energy than cold weather, the belief that I cannot run well in hot weather is just that -- a belief.  I can choose to hold on to that belief, or I can abandon it for one that works better for me. 

In Steve Pavlina's podcast #13 of April 2006, he likened his beliefs to software running on a computer.  If you choose, you can load a particular belief system that works for the circumstances you find yourself in.  When you find it no longer works or is limiting, you can change it or load something more useful or empowering.  I've found this idea intensely compelling since I first heard it.  Now, I am actively applying it to my running.  As the summer has ramped up, I've been working on shutting down the false belief that I cannot run in the heat and replacing it with the opposite belief.  It hasn't been easy.  Usually it involves constant affirmation and self-coaching, but it's working and getting easier.  Yesterday, I ran, sweating profusely, and I ran more lightly and easily than I ever have in such heat.  Constant, gentle pressure is the key.

Think you can't run in a particular way or in a different climate or for a longer distance?  Think again.  Literally.

By the way, when I got back from today's run, Fernando was curled up on the bed next to my wife, sleeping comfortably.  I was a sweaty, stinky mess who needed to get ready to sit in a cubicle all day.  His day was going to involve naps, basking in the sun, and cuddling.  But at least I got my run in. 

Stuff I need to remember

This week was tiring but wonderful.  I have run at least three miles every day but Monday. Heading into the weekend, I have 17 miles logged.  I'm very happy with that.  I plan to do around a seven-mile trail run on Sunday to hit my goal of 24 miles for the week.  The weather may be gorgeous all weekend, so the wins keep on coming.  Funny, when I meet my running targets for the day or for the week, I feel better about nearly everything else in my life.  When I don't, all the things that suck seem 10 feet tall and invincible.  I get the bitchy, nagging voices in my head telling me I should have run today, I should have... I ought to go right now.

I feel better when I run.  I feel worse when I don't.  It's so simple; why I do I forget it so quickly?

I am in this state with my running where I am pleasantly but not yet dangerously obsessive.  I can think about other things if I try, but inevitably my mental pendulum swings back to thinking about running.  I can talk to people, but in the back of my head, I wish I was talking to them about running.  Another thing I  have noticed is that with the consistency I've been enjoying lately, my running-thinking hasn't been cluttered with oughts and shoulds and guilt. Instead I've been daydreaming about plans and imagining opportunities.  Where can I run in town that I haven't yet?  Where can I find good trails?  Where can the family go camping where there's also good running trails?

When I run consistently, my brain is freed from guilt-clutter, and I am creative again.

Vibram Sprints, day one

Yesterday, I ran my first workout in my new Vibram FiveFingers Sprints.  I ran three miles in them over flat, neighborhood streets.  Already, I can tell they are superior to my handmade huaraches.  [For one thing, I don't have nylon cords rubbing the skin off my feet.]  Though they feel weird to me still, they fit perfectly. They don't rub anything the wrong way, and are -- in short -- extremely comfortable.

The road I ran on was smoothly paved with occasional bits of gravel.  As it's the sort of surface I run on 90% of the time, I figured I'd try it out.  The thing I noticed right away was that I was tending toward a slight heel strike.  This feedback came almost instantly, since there was hardly anything between my foot and the road, so I responded immediately with a more balanced footfall.  Now running more toward the balls of my feet, I could feel my calves getting a stronger workout than usual.  My forefoot seemed to land first, followed by the side-foot rolling earthward, heel striking last.  Then, as my body moved forward, my calf extended, gathering power for a strong push-off from my toes.  This whole drama took place in fractions of a second, yet I could feel each movement distinctly. 

If the running surface was less than ideal for my first attempt at running in Vibrams, my body certainly wasn't prepared for a good run either.  I chose the worst possible time of day for me [late afternoon] after I had eaten a bad lunch and was tired from the day.  My legs felt heavy, and my mood was sour. [This had nothing to do with the shoes.]  Still, complaints aside, after the second mile, everything loosened up.  I finally started running well.  Everything was clicking.  I forgot I had Vibrams on, and for the next half mile or so, I just enjoyed the run.

Toward the end, I had a choice to make.  Do another loop for a 10K, or call it quits.  What made the decision for me were my ankles starting to feel sore.  I've noticed this when I ran in huaraches or totally barefoot.  A discomfort starts building deep inside the joint, primarily on the left ankle, radiating outward.  At three miles, I was ready to call it a day.  I know this discomfort is just my body growing accustomed to a new stress, but pain of any kind is discouraging.  Slowly adding miles will sort this problem out.  I just have to curb my impatience to run in Vibrams 100%. 

Eazy Duz It

ORN:  Last night, I ran three easy miles in 28'24".  I say it was easy, but the run also had fartlek elements as I would speed up and relax.  I wasn't trying to do a speed workout, but I wanted to burn off some energy when I felt my legs could manage it.  But mostly these were junk miles, ran just to have them under my belt. 

Sunday, I debating whether to do eight or ten.

[47] Sleep-running around the track

ORN:  This morning, I ran 6x1200 intervals.  Since my heart wasn't in it, I had a tough time.  What helped me through was shutting down my brain, unplugging everything but the basic motor functions and the parts that helped me keep track of distance and pace.  Every other neuron was screaming "go back to bed!"  I consciously yanked out all non-essential, unhelpful processes, daydreaming the scene where Dave disassembled HAL9000's brain one module at a time in 2001: A Space Odyssey.  I persevered, though my pace was too slow and inconsistent.  [My target time per effort was 5'46".]  The total workout was 7.9 miles long and lasted 1:16'20".  Here are the splits:

1. 6'01"
2. 6'06"
3. 5'59"
4. 6'03"
5. 6'13" <-- bonk
6. 6'11"

You know me:  Mr. Claim Every Victory.  So at least I resisted the strong urges calling me back to bed.  At least I ran.  At least I showed up and did something.

 

Moving on. 

 

With less than seven weeks to go before the Chicago Marathon, I am finally starting to feel like I am going to be ready.  Let me be clear.  In less than seven weeks I will be ready; I'm not ready today.  That twenty on Sunday was brutal, which leads me to think that my remaining long runs will all be crucial [15, 20, 15, 20, then taper-time].  Looking ahead, I think I will be well-prepared for Chicago.  I may not run it in 4:20 as I fantasized about nine weeks ago, but I will finish well.  I will do better than last time.  That's what's important.

 

I had a good "running moment" last night.  Little One and I went to Seneca Park -- my running base-camp -- and hung out in the playground.  There, while getting a drink at the water fountain, I ran into a guy clearly coming off a long run.  He was shirtless, wearing a Garmin 405 on his wrist.  Like me, he was somewhat flabby around the middle but had legs like oak trees down below.  I could tell we were brothers of a sort -- co-sufferers -- so I asked him how he was doing, whether he was training for something, etc.  We chatted about our races run and yet to be run.  He gave me lots of encouragement about Chicago, saying I'll love it and that afterward I'll feel like I can do anything.  He was a nice guy. 

 

It's good to have these random encounters telling me everything is going to be OK. 

 

[54] Abstaining from socks-talk for a while

ORN:  Way before the sun rose, I was up and running around the local track.  In total, I ran 7 1/2 miles in 1:11'41".  The FIRST plan called for a wacky interval workout.  After a 2K warm up, I ran a 1600, a 3200 (WTF?!?), and two 800s with long recoveries in between.  I cooled down with a nice, slow mile.  The 3200 was so tough I may have hallucinated my way through the last couple laps.  But as you can see here, apart from the last 800, my pacing was right where it needed to be.

1. 1600 -  7'53" actual -  7'50" target
2. 3200 - 15'54" actual - 15'52" target
3.  800 -  3'51" actual -  3'47" target
4.  800 -  3'56" actual -  3'47" target

To get me through the longer efforts, particularly the 3200, I chanted my target pace range to myself.  I don't know if helped, but it gave me something to do.  It also may have kept me from sliding off the track and into la-la land.  Toward the end of the 3200, I heard myself chanting, out loud, "Usain Bolt -- Usain Bolt -- Usain Bolt".  That's hilarious because I am light years away from his level of performance and I'm neither a sports freak nor one who invokes inspirational persons or entities during times of need.  Still, he's pretty awesome, and it helped.  This week he beat his own World Record in the 100 meters by a huge 0.11 seconds, so I've been Usain in the membrane.  [I know how lame that joke was to nine decimal places.]

 

I ran in my last pair of WrightSocks today -- the Coolmesh.  These are their lightest double-layer sock, and I was impressed.  The double-layer design is a smart one as far as reducing friction and the risk of blisters goes.  My complaints with their other double-layer models, like the Running II, have been with their thickness and how warm they get on warm days.  The Coolmesh socks had all the advantages and none of the disadvantages of those other socks.  In fact, I think I might run with this sock the rest of the week.  They might be my favorites of the bunch.  Good ventilation, snug fit, very comfortable, super dry -- this sock brought its A-game today.

 

As far as I am concerned, I am done with the WrightSock challenge on the Runners' Lounge.  Whew!  I might never mention socks in this blog again.  In summary, they seem to be a good company making good products at a good price.  Frankly, until recently, I never thought socks made that much of a difference in my running experience.  Early in my running career, I ran with whatever was on hand -- usually meaning cotton socks, but occasionally newspapers or beaver pelts.  Luckily, I never got any blisters from them though the newspaper ink made my feet dirty and the beavers were painfully reluctant to give up their pelts.  As time wore on, I got one -- then another -- pair of good but cheap running socks, and I felt a slight improvement with them.  Frankly, the improvement was so marginal, that I rarely went out and bought new pairs of running socks.  I'd wear ones that were given to me in race swag bags, or I'd get some if I had $10 left on a gift card.  But I'd never say to myself, "Aha, it's time, once again, to go to Ken Combs' and buy some running socks!  For mine are worn and need replacement." 

 

What I learned in the past couple weeks with the WrightSock challenge was that while a good or great sock may not lead to a life-changing run, a bad sock will almost certainly result in a bad run.  Whether through friction, warmth, or sogginess, bad socks can ruin a good day.  I'm a running sock consumer from now on.

 

[58] Good socks on the track

ORN:  What a workout!  This morning, I ran my planned 12x400 interval workout and totally nailed it.  Now as I write this, I feel fantastic.  It's bizarre.  It was a tough run, and the cool-down was downright uncomfortable.  But as I write this, I feel like $75 -- maybe $80!  Very seldom do I experience this sort of post-run euphoria.  [Is this runner's high?]  What a great way to start my day.  The whole run was 6 miles that I ran in 56'56".  Here's the splits.

1. 1'59.3"
2. 1'48.7"
3. 1'48.8"
4. 1'48.8"
5. 1'49.8"
6. 1'50.4"
7. 1'47.2"
8. 1'49.0"
9. 1'53.6"
10. 1'54.6"
11. 1'49.5"
12. 1'49.8"

My target was 1'51", so you can see that in all but a three instances, I beat that time.  I felt like I was running fast [duh] but not out of control.  I wasn't going all out, red-lining.  I felt like I could have gone, maybe, a teensy bit faster, but I wouldn't have enjoyed it much.  Honestly, I cannot believe how fast and consistent these splits are, especially toward the end.  I mean, these are 24-something 5K paces, which would be a monster PR for me if I could manage three miles at that intensity.  Great, great stuff.

 

When I saw that 1'53" and 1'54" in #9 and #10, I was certain that it meant I was near the bottom of my tank.  But then I rallied for two more stupendous efforts.  w00t!

 

I owe this performance either to my socks or to the great dinner I ate last night [huge Greek salad, grilled salmon, sauteed beets, and homemade bread].  This morning, my sock selection was the WrightSock SLX, and I couldn't have been happier with it.  They gave me the snug fit I've experienced with all the other WrightSock versions I've ran with, plus they gave me a little more support in the arches.  Another very comfortable sock.  If it was warmer this morning, though, they might have been a bit too warm.  They didn't seem to breathe as much as others I've tried.

[89] 5x1000 seems like a strange workout but it isn't

ORN:  Last night I went to bed too late, and so this morning when the alarm went off at 5:00 telling me to go run, I chose to hit the pillow instead of the track.  On the treadmill at work, I did a 5x1000 interval workout.  The 1000 feels good to me.  1200s and 1600s are too long; 800s are too fast.  1000s are just right.  In total, I ran 5.22 miles in 52'11".  Here is the breakdown of the segments:

1. 4'52"
2. 4'52"
3. 4'57"
4. 4'53"
5. 4'50"

Those are all nice and even because of the whole treadmill thing.  I had it set on an incline, so it wouldn't be too easy-peasy.  One of the many disadvantages of running on a treadmill is that I am more likely to cut the workout short; in this case, I failed to do the one-mile cool down.  Oh well.  I'm floundering anyway. 

 

Yesterday, I did 20 kick-board laps in the pool while Little One rocked her swim class.  Tomorrow, I will do another swim workout.  I hope to be able to do more [and do it stronger] than I did last week.  I got a little coaching from a friend who's also a swimming pro, so I'm hoping that pays off in terms of easier breathing and better flip turns.  Unfortunately, the YMCA is planning on closing their pool for about a month in August for cleaning and maintenance.  Figures.  About the time I get used to swimming, I will have to switch back to the bikes and rowing machines.  Frustrating.

 

I wonder how much of my planned 20 miler I will actually do this weekend.  Anybody want to take bets?

[111] Here we go again

ORN:  This morning, I ran 5.36 miles in 54'53".  This was scheduled to be a 3x1600 interval workout with 60 second recoveries, but I am so out of shape that I fell wide of the mark.  I just wanted to finish, to complete the workout.  I didn't even get close to my target pace, and I totally dogged the last 1600.  The temperature was nearly 80° with 90% humidity, and I just cannot perform at 100% in that kind of weather.  It just saps all my strength.

 

But today's workout was important for a couple reasons.  First, today is the first day of training for the Chicago Marathon.  [By the way, if you wanted to register but waited too long, the American Cancer Society still has slots available through their charity runner program.  Google their website.]  Second, today was my first day running with my new kicks -- a pair of black Nike Free 5.0s, sent with loving-kindness by my dear friends at Zappos.com.  I'll do a full review of them in a couple weeks, but my first impressions are highly favorable.  They rock, in fact.  I can feel lots more of the ground through them, and I felt faster, even though I wasn't.  Nice shoes.

[113] Now I am a real runner

ORN: This morning, in the wee hours, I ran 10.3 miles in 1:56'31". The weather was a pleasant 70° with a swampy 92% humidity. It had rained buckets overnight leaving everything drenched and steamy. Nevertheless, it was a pleasant, hilly, long run through some of the priciest real estate in town. If it were later in the day, the rich folks could have seen my pasty, sweaty blubber flopping down the road. As it was 6 AM when I started, only the oldest residents were up and about.

Today was notable for two reasons. First, I saw a deer just outside my neighborhood. This is unusual since I live in a rather built-up suburb. I've never, ever seen a deer in my neighborhood. Second, I graduated into the realm of the "real runner" crowd. If there was ever any doubt, let it be removed today. I had my first bathroom emergency while running. I will leave the details as an exercise for your imagination, and only say that I was incredibly discreet. I don't know what was going on, but I'm OK now.

Time for breakfast.

[148] The race that wasn't

ORN: Today, I ran 10 miles in 1:44'51". I ran a comfortably steady pace up until the last 3 miles or so when I started to get sore. But I plowed through it and kept pace. The weather was schizophrenic. I left the house in overcast weather, ran into some rain, passed through some partial sun, and ended up back in clouds. The constant was the temperature, a balmy 70°.

Of course, attentive readers will wonder where my race report is for the Barren River Classic 5K, which was today. Unfortunately, a culture of streptococcus bacilli decided to take their vacation a day or two before ours in my daughter's throat. And some other, or perhaps the same, bugs have afflicted my beloved wife. So, no camping at Barren River for us, and no race for me. I was disappointed, but I'm more unhappy about my peeps being sick.

So instead, I have been taking care of things here at the ol' Viking mead hall. When everybody was sufficiently medicated and stable, I went for my long run. It was a good one. I needed the break, and I surely needed the long run. My feet needed the abuse.

This week was my first doing the FIRST plan. I did my intervals, my tempo run, my long run, and two cross-training sessions on my bike. [Full disclosure: I probably didn't give a full effort on the bike, but I'm not a gifted biker. I need to get used to it.] Next week, I think I will do 3x1600s on Monday, another 5 mile tempo run Wednesday, and run around 11 miles on Saturday when we [I hope] try to go camping in Brown County, Indiana. I'll squeeze in some cross training as well.

But, as today demonstrated, good plans are meant to be broken.

Time to get back to work

ORN: This morning, I ran five easy miles along a hilly course by my neighborhood. I did it in 50'43", which was a little slower than I wanted to go, but I've had this pain in my left heel since about mile 16 in the marathon last week. I've massaged and medicated and iced. I took it easy this week partly to give it a rest, but it's not wanting to go away. Hope it passes soon.

Someone once wrote that The Kentucky Derby is decadent and depraved, and while that might be an exaggeration, yesterday's race was a pretty mess. The track was a swamp, and some no-name horse came from nowhere to put the pedigreed equine aristocracy in its place. I loved it, except for the minor detail that I bet on Frisian Fire, the horse that came in next to last. Such is my luck with horse racing.

Two weeks until my next race. I plan on getting some quality workouts in between now and then and hopefully score a decent PR in the 5K.