Shorter and faster.

I ran a little shorter and alot faster today. On the treadmill in the fitness center (again).

8:03
7:08 (15:11)
6:32 (21:43)
(3:34) 25:17

I had to run on one of my least favorite treadmill models today. It was really shaking when I got the MPH up to 9.5 (near the end of my 3rd mile). Plus it only has one display so I can't see time and distance at the same time, I need to press a button several times to toggle between the 2 displays.

Bad news is I looked at next week's weather forecast, 39-33-30-27-35. Looks like another week of mostly indoor running.

Good news is if I run 3 on Saturday and 8 on Sunday, this will be my 4th consecutive week with an increase in total miles.

Total miles for February is 95. I've only had one month (June 2007, 100.5 miles) in recent years that I've ran that many miles. That dates back to 2005 but I'm sure if I checked it would probably date all the way back to 1995.

I ran 25 days this month with just 4 days off.

Weight = 190 lbs.

Repeat

Usually, when a runner talks about repeats, he is referring to repetitions in an interval training program, such as repeat miles or repeat quarters. That's not what I'm talking about here.

Today I ran almost the exact same run as yesterday!

8:08
7:26 (15:34)
7:17 (22:51)
7:05 (29:56)
33:40

I actually ran my first mile about 12 seconds slower today, ran my middle 3 miles about the same as yesterday (4 seconds slower for the combined 3 miles) and then made up 11 seconds in the final half-mile.

I didn't intend to run this far or fast but once I got on the treadmill and got going, I was able to stick with it pretty well.

Weight = 189 lbs (holding steady)

Treadmill 4.5

I ran a little farther & faster on the treadmill today.

Mile 1: 7:56
Mile 2: 7:24 (15:20)
Mile 3: 7:19 (22:39)
Mile 4: 7:01 (29:40)
Total 33:35

I went a little later, hoping that the treadmills would not be as busy, since I knew I wanted to go more than 1/2 hour. Most of them were still in use but I didn't notice anyone waiting.

Weight = 189 lbs, lowest so far this year.

Treadmill Again

I got back on the treadmill today. Weather.com is calling for heavy snow Tuesday and temperatures in the teens on Wednesday so I'll probably stay inside most of the week.

I had a slightly stiff back this morning but I did 10 sit-ups before I started running and it feels fine now.

Mile 1 - 8:11
Mile 2 - 7:30 (15:41)
Mile 3 - 7:12 (22:53)
Total - 26:54

I was going to run even 7:30's until the end but I got bored so I bumped it up .2 MPH every quarter mile from 2 miles to 2.75, then brought it back down.

Weight = 191 lbs

8 With Keith & Greg

I ran my long run of the week today, 8 miles. I ran it with Greg & Keith, who drove up for the run. I had mapped out a route for us hoping to avoid both traffic and snowy streets, and it worked pretty well.

I wore my watch and we ran the distance in 1:02:11 or 7:46 per mile. Not a blazing pace by any stretch of imagination, but certainly fast enough for a long run.

I increased my mileage again this week, getting a total of 26.5 miles, again with a day off. If I run every day in the upcoming week, I should be able to hit 30 or so.

Memphis vs. Tennessee

I ran 3.5 on the treadmill tonight during the Memphis-Tennessee basketball game. I went back to my old trick of starting easy and then going faster during the commerials, then easing back.

Unfortunately there weren't many commercials. I started at 6.8 and there were only 3 commercials and the fastest I got to was 7.5 mph. My total time was 29:42.

If I wasn't planning to run long (8) with Keith on Sunday, I would have kept going, as the game was very exciting.

Treadmill 3

I ran easy on the treadmill today.

Mile 1: 7:58
Mile 2: 7:30 (15:28)
Mile 3: 7:14 (22:42)

Pules 144 (right after I stopped).

Not too much to say about today's run. I did take yesterday off as I was on the road most of the day.

I'm supposed to run long over the weekend. I haven't decided if I'm going outside or if I'm gonna try to run it on the treadmill.

Weight = 191 lbs

Treadmill 4

I ran a little farther today on the treadmill, all the way to 4 miles. I ran a steady, easy pace, 8.0 MPH most of the way, up to 8.2 for just the last half mile.

Nobody was going super-fast beside me, but there was a girl to my left who bumped the incline up on her treadmill for several minutes. She wasn't running, but still it made me ponder whether or when I should introduce some hillwork to my training.

Mile 1: 8:05
Mile 2: 7:30 (15:35)
Mile 3: 7:30 (23:05)
Mile 4: 7:21 (30:26)

Freezing Cold

We ran the bike path tonight. There were 5 of us, Greg, Ken, Randy, and I, and Randy's friend Ed. The weather was pretty brutal for a first-timer so Ed earned some respect for sure.

The temperature was barely above single digits and there was a wind hitting us in the face as we started out heading west.

Tonight's amusing story was how Ken's transmission failed, leaving him stranded outside a house where he was tutoring. Having just finished a cup of coffee, he ended up walking several blocks to a park to relieve himself, before returning to find the tutoree's mother had returned from swim practice and Ken could phone for a tow-truck and a ride.

I forgot to start my watch but I ran the 4.5 mile course in around 35 minutes, finishing with Ken & Ed. Randy & Greg were a couple minutes ahead.

Treadmill 3.5

I ran 3.5 miles on the treadmill today at lunch.

When I got there the guy beside me was running along at 10.0 MPH. I always feel challenged when I see someone else running faster than I usually run, so I decided to go a little harder today.

I started out easy as always, but then kept bumping the MPH up by .2 until I got to 9.5, somewhere between 2.5 - 3 miles. That was about all I could manage so then started bumping it back down.

Mile 1: 8:00
Mile 2: 6:59 (14:59)
Mile 3: 6:34 (21:33)
Total time: 25:25

Of course the guy beside me was at the end of his workout, he only ran 1.5 miles total and he did it in around 12 minutes so he war running 8:00 pace (7.5 MPH) on average for his run.

Weight = 190 lbs.

I'm pretty sure that one of the things keeping me from losing more weight is my nights that I deliver pizza. I eat so much food there, I think it really sets me back. I'm gonna start being a little more careful.

Timing Runs

I ran 3 miles easy tonight. I had planned to run on the treadmill but the rain had stopped so I went ahead and ran outside. This gave me a chance to try out my new Timex Ironman watch that I bought last night for $20.

Mile 1: 8:21
Mile 2: 8:23 (16:44)
Mile 3: 7:41 (24:25)

I haven't timed my runs for years. In the past, whenever I was running competitively, I ran with a team so I never really had to be concerned with how fast I was running on my own. Those days are gone now so I'm planning on running at least some of my runs with a watch.

The other interesting thing about this week is that I ran a total of 24 miles. This is a half mile farther than last week, but last week I ran all 7 days and this week I took a day off. I'm pleased with my progress so far.

Long Run?

Having run 100 miles in a single week, finished 3 marathons, and run over 3000 miles in a year, I hesitate to call anything shorter than 12 miles a "long run."

Regardless, today's 6.5 miles was my longest run of the week, longer than anything last week, and longer than all but 4 of my runs in 2007.

I timed myself by checking the clock before I left. Giving myself a minute to go up and down the driveway, I ran 52 minutes or exactly 8 minutes per mile.

Another Easy 3

I ran 3 on the treadmill at lunch today. It was another easy run with no notable scenery or weather.

Mile 1 - 8:03
Mile 2 - 7:28 (15:31 cumulative)
Mile 3 - 7:29 (23:00 cumulative)

The Fitness Center was rather busy today. We have 3 Precor treadmills, 4 Stairmaster treadmills, and 2 Woodburys. The Woodbury is my least favorite as it has a very short base and you have to keep a more consistent pace to avoid running off the front or the back.

Today all the Precors were occupied, as well as 3 of the Stairmasters. The other Stairmaster was not working so I was stuck on the Woodbury.

Weight = 192 lbs.

A Little Faster

I ran on the treadmill at lunch today, just a little faster and a little farther. I ran 3.5 miles total, running hard the 2nd mile, harder the 3rd mile, and cooling down the last half.

Mile 1 - 8:00
Mile 2 - 7:13 (15:13 cumulative)
Mile 3 - 6:51 (22:04 cumulative)
Half - 3:52 (25:56 cumulative)

Also I put all my workouts for 2008 in the online running log at Running2Win.com. I know Keith and Randy both use it.

Keith sent me my first set of workouts. He's got me at 30 miles this week with a long run of 6 miles. Since I took Monday off, that means I have to get 24 miles in my other 5 days. I've already run 3 of those days and have only run 11.5 miles. Basically I need to run 2 6's and a 6.5 the next 3 days to hit 30 which I don't think I'll do.

I could but since I'm a wimp in the winter and do most of my running on the treadmill, I probably won't.

3 - Treadmill - Home

I ran 3 miles this afternoon on my treadmill at home.

Mile 1 - 8:29
Mile 2 - 7:54 (16:23 cumulative)
Mile 3 - 7:19 (23:44 cumulative)

It felt pretty easy.

Snow Night

Tonight was the night for the Tuesday night group, but we cancelled due to the winter storm warnings.

Instead, Randy and I made plans to run around his development. We stayed off the main roads so that we could run in the streets. One thing we learned was that the snow was better to run in than the packed down ice where cars had been driving.

In fact, I slipped on one spot and fell right on my behind!

Total distance was slightly over 5 miles.

February 2008 Carnival Of Running

Welcome to the February 12, 2008 edition of Carnival of Running and Racing. This is the second edition of the Carnival Of Running, and it's a little behind schedule. I am going to try to stick to the 2nd Tuesday from here on out.

We've got a long list of great submissions this month. I honestly haven't read them all but I did skim each one and they all have something to do with fitness, some more running-specific than others.

Run Report

Brandon Harshe presents About My Runs This Week posted at Brandon's Running Journal.

Shoes

Home Life Weekly presents How to Prevent Shoe Odor posted at Home Life Weekly, saying, "Tips to stop shoe odor"

Injuries

Sutocu presents Importance of Warming Up Before Exercise posted at 4kg in 7 Days, saying, "Since a lot of people are involved in physical exercises, it is imperative that the importance of warming up before any strenuous activity should be discussed. Many have repeatedly ignored going through the warm up stage before working out, not knowing the consequences in doing so."

Other

Steve Pavlina presents Why Vegan? posted at Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog.

Alfa Mercado presents 5 things you can do each morning to have more energy posted at Wellness Junction by Kavit Haria.

Alfa Mercado presents Wellness junction posted at Wellness Junction by Kavit Haria, saying, "weight-loss"

Alfa Mercado presents Create your wellness plan for 2008 posted at Wellness Junction by Kavit Haria.

Alfa Mercado presents The January 2008 Wellness Challenge posted at Wellness Junction by Kavit Haria.

Alfa Mercado presents Four reasons to eat your food slower posted at Wellness Junction by Kavit Haria.

Alfa Mercado presents How to cut the fat and feel good posted at Wellness Junction by Kavit Haria.

Mike Remer presents Wish Exercise wasn’t so Hard? | My Path To Fitness Blog posted at My Path To Fitness Blog.

Dorian Wales presents Building Character Through Long Distance Running posted at Personal Financier.

Alvaro Fernandez presents Brain Fitness/ Training Newsletter: January Wrap-Up posted at SharpBrains, saying, "A selection of articles on cognitive and emotional training, focused on implications on health and fitness."

Ed H presents What motivates me posted at A Viking, running, saying, "Discussing what keeps me running."

FitBuff presents 10 Reasons for Heart Rate Monitor Training posted at FitBuff.com's Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog, saying, "That's where heart rate monitors come in, and below are 10 reasons you should use one..."

Frederic Patenaude presents 24-Hour Special for Lightning Speed Fitness Program posted at Frederic Patenaude Talks, saying, "A fabulous regiment to stay fit and gain energy in a short time to improve your stamina for running."

Mike Remer presents Oh, Oh! Here Come the Holidays and the Cold Weather | My Path To Fitness Blog posted at My Path To Fitness Blog.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of running and racing using our carnival submission form.

Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Rest Monday

I decided to take a rest day on Monday. I had run 9 days in a row and my left hamstring is just a little achy. Also I am stuffed up with a cold and have been taking Sudafed for a couple days.

I wasn't going to write in my blog but I ran into an old friend Eric at the rec center where my son was playing basketball. We didn't have a chance to chat as he was obviously in the middle of a workout but I've recently found his blog and hope to catch up with him soon.

Finally, I finished another running book: Road Racing for Serious Runners by Pete Pfitzinger & Scott Douglas. It was a decent book and gets into some physiological stuff like lactate threshold and VO2 Max.

Commercial Breaks

I ran 3 on the treadmill in my basement this morning. I went back to an old trick to vary my training. I started out at 6.8 MPH and I bumped up the speed by 0.5 MPH every time a commercial came on. Then when the show came back on, I bumped it back down by 0.3 MPH.

Well I was watching ESPN Sportscenter and during my 3 miles there were only 2 commercial breaks, so it was a pretty leisurely run. Still it gives me 9 days in a row and 23.5 miles for the week, so it's a good start to my new year.

Long Run (Sort Of)

I ran 5 miles this afternoon. The weather was warmer (low 40s) but very windy. The wind was blowing from the south and west, which is unfortunate because my main routes from my house start off (after the first half mile) going east and north.

Still, I tried to keep a steady pace and ended up running around 41 minutes for the 5 mile run. I called it a long run since I haven't run that far since mid-November. Certainly, 5 miles isn't that long, but at this point in my training it is a starting point, and I can work on increasing my longest-run distance from there.

2008 Goal

I've decided that my primary fitness goal for 2008 is to run a marathon in 3:15. This will be a fall marathon, probably Akron but that's not 100% decided yet.

I'm currently working on putting together a training plan, and also deciding whether or not to set any secondary goals such as mileage amounts or race times for any shorter distances.

Steady Easy 3 Miles

I don't want to get in the habit of racing myself (or my previous times) every day so today I decided to take it a little easier. Instead of my usual game of increasing the treadmill speed every quarter or half-mile, my plan was to quickly get up to 8 MPH (7:30 pace) and stay there for most of the run.

Well Milica walked by right after I started. We chatted for a bit about our respective training and fitness. Kevin D and Rick both also said hi as they walked past. Anyhow I didn't get to 8 MPH as early as I intended, but I was still at that pace before I hit 1 mile.

Mile 1 - 8:25
Mile 2 - 7:31 (15:56 cumulative)
Mile 3 - 7:29 (23:25 cumulative)

I'm not sure why the last 2 miles weren't the same, as I didn't adjust the speed the whole time.

I checked my pulse when I finished (156) and again after walking another 0.1 mile (114) and this confirmed that my body felt that today's effort was much easier.

Weight is still holding at 193 lbs.

Rapid Progress?

I think that at the beginning of most fitness programs, after a couple days of extra soreness, most people experience some rapid progress. I see this in myself especially since I'm not really working towards a new level of fitness, but simply recapturing old ground.

I ran 3 miles on the treadmill today, the same as yesterday. I did time my miles today, and I'm sure I was at least a minute faster than yesterday. I started faster (6.8 MPH), held yesterday's fastest pace (8.8 MPH) for almost a mile, and then bumped it up to 9.0 MPH for a quarter mile.

Mile 1 - 8:23
Mile 2 - 7:15 (15:38 cumulative)
Mile 3 - 6:54 (22:34 cumulative)

I checked my pulse again and it was about the same, 174. I'm not sure how accurate that is as I am checking it for 10 seconds and multiplying by 6, and it feels to me as if my pulse is rapidly decreasing during those 10 seconds.

For comparison, my pulse right now (about 20 minutes after my run) is about 78.

I then walked another two tenths of a mile as a cool-down. I have now run 6 consecutive days.

Weight is also the same as earlier in the week at 193 lbs.

3 Miles At Lunch

Today I worked out at lunchtime again. I went up to the fitness center and ran 3 miles on the treadmill. I forgot to note my time but it was around 24 minutes.

I start out slow, today at 6.2 MPH for 2-3 minutes, then I worked my way up to 7.4 MPH when I hit 1 mile. I kept gradually increasing the pace 2-3 times per mile and by 1.75 miles I was running 8.5 MPH (7:04 per mile). I even bumped it up to 8.8 MPH (6:49 per mile) for a quarter mile.

Then at 2.5 miles I start gradually decreasing the pace and finish around 7 MPH. I then usually walk another 0.1 mile, depending on if I notice anyone waiting for the treadmill.

I did check my pulse when I finished and it was 180 so I was again running at a hard pace, for me. I have a long ways to go to get to the shape I want to be in, but I've now run 5 days in a row so I'm on my way.

Tuesday Night - Good Effort

There were 5 of us tonight, Greg & Keith from the farm and Randy & Ken from up here. We met on the bike path and ran 4.5 miles, out and back. Although Keith said he hadn't run since January 31st and then changed it to December 31st, he and Randy still quickly went to the front. Randy let us know tonight that he was officially signed up for the Cleveland Marathon.

I tried to keep up with them, and Greg & Ken were a little behind. They caught me before the turnaround and we ran together for a while before I started to fall back.

With about a mile to go, when we crossed the last road, I increased my pace. I gained on Greg & Ken all the way and almost caught them at the end. It felt good to run hard.

The weather was rainy but it didn't actually rain while we were running. We had a slight headwind on the way back.

2 Miles?

There once was a time when I thought it was a waste of my time to run "only" 2 miles. But that's what I did at lunch today.

The weather was decent outside, I went out in shorts, long sleeves, and a hat. My primary goal was just to get another light, easy workout in, and I did it. That's now 3 days in a row and Tuesday will make 4 when I run with my Tuesday night group on the bike path.

Weight 193 lbs

Sunday Treadmill 2.5

I ran another easy 2.5 today on the treadmill. I watched some more of "Hard To Kill", and then sat down and watched the end. I had planned to run before church but I didn't. So it was a step in the right direction that I ran after church, saving my lunch until later (now).

Now the next step will be for me to make my return to the fitness center on Monday.

One of my favorite lines from the movie is where Steven Seagal tells his friend they will win, even though they are outgunned and outmanned.

"Superior attitude, superior state-of-mind."

Starting

I've been lazy for most of 2 months. I've only run 8 times since the half-marathon in November. Three of those were the Tuesday night runs with my family, and four others were less than 3 miles.

However, I'm ready to get started again for 2008. I'm reading a book Running With The Buffaloes, a journal account of the 1998 Colorado University cross country team. Since I was a college cross country runner about 10 years prior to that, the book is both interesting and motivating to me.

I have decided I will run my first race, the St. Malachi 5-Miler, in mid March. I haven't finished setting my goals for 2008 yet but I may put a November marathon on the list.

Anyways, with all of that in mind, I got up today and ran 2 1/2 miles on the treadmill in the basement. I watched the first part of Hard To Kill, my favorite Steven Seagal movie.

I could have gone farther but I'm going to try to run almost every day, if not every day, so I took it a little easy on myself.