Last Night

I got out for about 3 miles last night, around 7:30-8:00. Didn't work late, just took a long time to get home. The temperature was in the 40's, cool but comfortable. A little bit moist out, but no rain. There was still a little bit of snow on the ground, and lots and lots of salt.

No running this morning, I'm flying out to Rochester this evening. Probably get out and run tomorrow morning. Definitely running on the first, even if it's only a mile.

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Sleepy

I didn't sleep very well last night. When the alarm went off, I just hit snooze and went back to sleep. 5am is tough for running if you didn't get to sleep before 1am the night before. I'll have to try to get out tonight after I get home, assuming I don't have to work late.

I'm going to try to enter a race on the 15th of January. It's only a 5k, and I know I can at least run that far, so it won't be too bad.

I'll also try to get Electra to come along--maybe she can take a picture of me running, and I can post it here.

Delay

I'm once again unable to post the same day as my run. On both the 22nd and the 26th, I got out for 2.5 miles. That's 2.5 on each day, not a total. I still need to get some gloves for running. Pulling my hands into the sleeves of my jacket just dowsn't work. The sleeves aren't long enough to close up when they're pulled over my hands.

I didn't get out this morning, but I will get out tomorrow as early as I can.

24 Hour Delay

At least, between my running and my post. I got out early Sunday morning for about 2.5 miles. Last week's schedule kept me late at work, which pretty much meant that I stayed off the roads. I didn't get out at all from Monday to Sunday. This week should go better, especailly since I'm flying to Rochester on Thursday. I should be able torun on Friday morning at least.

Messing with pictures in my blog:

Jen Rhines

Late Update

I got out on Thursday and Saturday for about 2.5 miles each day. The weather was cool in NYC on Thursday, and cold in Rochester on Saturday. I felt pretty good both days, loose and relaxed.

I think the walking I do makes my tendons and muscles loser, and less liable to tighten up after a workout. I don't go straight from cooldown to my desk--I have a pretty good walk after each workout.






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A Decision

I've come to a decision. Sice I want to get in to work early tomorrow, I'm not going to run tomorrow. I'm going to run on Thursday morning, instead. That makes the week's plan a little easier--since I am also coming in very early on Friday, I will run Thursday and Saturday. I will also get out on Sunday, since I am flying very early Monday morning.

No weaseling out, either. I get in to work early Wednesday and run early Thursday.


Update: I didn't know this existed; Video of Roger Bannister's sub-4 Mile

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Two in a row!

Well, now it's two days in a row that I've planned to run, and I actually did. I got out for just over 2 miles ths morning. My next day to run is Wednesday. The real test will probably be this weekend. I won't be able to run on Friday, since I've got to come in early Friday morning, and I'm flying out to Rochester on Friday afternoon. I'll be flying in on Monday morning, so Monday will be out of the question for running as well. I think I'll try to get in a run on Friday night, late, then get out on Sunday morning, around 9 or 10.

Felt good this morning, even picked up the pace for a nice stretch along Huguenot Ave. It was cold this morning, in the 30's, but I felt pretty good the whole time.

I started again

This morning, I got out for 2 miles. It was chilly, around 30 degrees, but there wasn't any wind. I felt pretty good, relaxed and not tight or sore. I got out at around 6 am.

I'm going to look for a race to enter this summer, to make the focus of my training. That should give me a goal to keep me focused and get my lazy ass out of bed in the morning.

I Will Start Again

I'm going to start again--Tomorrow morning I will get up early enough to get in a run first thing in the morning.

Maybe what I need is a little bit of motivation. I am going to find a race to run in and I will set a goal--maybe not a goal time or pace, but at least a goal of running in a race. I'll find a countdown program to insert in the sidebar and I'll have the countdown to my race displayed for me whenever I hit the page.

Maybe what I need is someone to run with. Maybe having someone counting on my being there would get me up and out with more certainty.

Either way, I need some way to get me up and out every other day at least.

I am a Lazy Sack of Shit

It seems that anything at all will do to keep me from getting up in the morning to go run. Maybe I'll try running when I get home--or maybe after 8 pm.

Excuses, Excuses

Today it was too rainy for me at 5:00. Boo, hoo. I have to just get out of bed and run. Seems lika ny excuse is a good one at 5am.

Tired out

I wanted to get up to run this morning, but I was just too tired. I got up yesterday at 4am to catch my plane back to NYC. When I woke up this morning at 5am, I was just too tired to get out of bed. I reset the alarm for 6am and went back to sleep. Probably a good thing, though, while I was walking to the train, my right calf had a little knot which worked itself out as I was walking.

Tomorrow morning I'll get in a couple of miles. It would be much easier if I could find a gym (that I can afford) near work. Then I could work out before going in to work--I wouldn't have to shower or get dressed before leaving home.

Back In NYC

I'm back in New York this morning. I got out yesterday morning for about 2.5 miles. I had to get up this morning at about 4:00 to catch my plane back, so running this morning was kind of out of the question.

It was a bit cold yesterday--temps in the high 30's-low 40's, but not windy, so it wasn't too bad. New nylon jacket and a hat, so I stayed pretty warm. I'll see about getting out tomorrow morning.

Out this morning

Still in Rochester, I went out for about 2.5 or 3 today. The weather was nice, no need for hat or gloves today. I did get a hat, though. When it's cold out, my thinning hair doesn't provide nearly enough insulation for my head. I think I'll run again tomorrow,since I'm getting up early for my flight on Monday morning.

Yesterday

Got out for about three miles yesterday,followed by a very satisfying meal. I think I had too much wine and coffee last night--the combination is not good for my sleep at all. I woke up atabout 2-2:30 and couldn't sleep, or even get comfortable.

I may just go out and get a hat and gloves today--that would be crazy; maybe I'll wait until tomorrow.

Not Running Today

But I thought I'd post a couple of pictures of the winners of the NCAA Cross-Country Championships:


Kim Smith, Providence, Women's Champ

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Simon Bairu (837), Wisconsin, Men's Champ

Late post

Looks like my Alma Mater did pretty well in the men's and women's NCAA Cross-Country Championships.

Congrats to all SUNY Geneseo Runners.

Easy 2 miles

This morning I got out for an easy 2 miles at about 5am. I got up a little bit sore today, I'm not sure why. My legs didn't want to get going at first, but a little bit of slow jogging got them in the mood.

Temperature was about 45-50 this morning--shorts and a sweatshirt weather. A little bit drizzly, but not bad.

Still don't have hat and gloves--maybe I can pick some up this weekend in Rochester. Everything's cheaper there, right? Except gas.

Not on time

Well, I just can't seem to post near the time I actually run. I got out for a nice, easy two miles on Saturday. The temperature was nice, I ran in shorts and a long-sleeved t-shirt. I took it easy and didn't try too hard. I'm working out longer routes near my house.

I didn't run today, because a M-W-F routine wouldn't be good this week. I'm going in to work early on Wednesday--I'm going to try to fly to Rochester on Wednesday afternoon. I'll run Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday this week--that means a nice, wet run on Thursday morning, and possibly running in the snow on Saturday, since it's supposed to snow there on Friday.

Sounds like fun to me.

Maybe I'd better get that hat and those gloves soon.




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Sleeping In

I overslept this morning--didn't get up until 6am. Therefore, I didn't get out to run this morning.

I fell asleep around 9pm last night, so I guess I really needed the sleep. Have to get out tomorrow am, then Sunday. Maybe I'll get on a Tues-Thurs-Sat schedule for next week.

Just experimenting with the ability to put pictures into the page, here. It doesn't seem to work on the sidebar.


High Jumper Amy Acuff

Today

I didn't get out to run this morning--I worked late last night and was just too tired at 5am to get out of bed, so I slept in a little bit. I can run tomorrow, and do a Monday-Thursday-Saturday week again.

Hey, look at me!

I'm posting the same day as I run! Wheee!

I got out and ran about two miles today--felt pretty good, not too stiff or sore, easy and relaxed. Maybe on Wednesday or Thursday I can increase the mileage by a small amount.





Hands still get cold. Need gloves.




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Delays

Again, with the delay before I post. On Saturdaythe 13th, I got out for a nice easy two miles at about 7:00 am. The temperature was cold, there was a little bit of wind, but overall, it felt good.



I need gloves and a hat.



It's too cold to run without them.

Late Update

I skipped yesterday--I hadn't slept very well the night before, so I decided to sleep in and take one day off. I figure, instead of MWF, I can run on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. It'll get me out of bed early Saturday morning, and that'll make sure I'm up early to do my laundry.

I actually got out and ran this morning, but didn't get around to updating until now.

I got out at around 5am this morning, and again ran about two miles. The temperature wasn't bad--I don't need nylon sweats yet, but I will soon.

Two in a Row!

OK, not exactly in a row, but I've run on the first two days that I intended to run. I got out this morning at about 5 am for a nice little two mile run. It was a little bit chilly--about 45 degrees, but the wind wasn't bad at all. I feel pretty good today, my legs aren't too sore and the rest of me is OK, except for a little head cold.

The finish of the Marathon was pretty cool yesterday. I was standing near Columbus Circle as the leaders of the various races went by. I got to see Paula Radcliffe and Susan Chepkemei going stride for stride as they went by me, and I got to see Hendrik Ramaala go by, followed by Meb Keflezighi and the next ten or so men.

Back again!

I'm back! Sort of. Inspired by the New York City Marathon, I guess, I got out this morning for about two miles. Nowhere close to ready for a marathon, I'm not even ready for a road race. Maybe by the end of the year I'll be ready for the Runner's World New Year's Eve race.

Now I just have to make sure I get up every other day and get out for a run in the morning. I know I can get a run in and still make it to work, it's just a matter of getting out there.

Tomorrow I'm going to watch the marathon.

Over a Month

It's been more than a month since I posted. I'm still in NYC, and my family is in Atlanta. I don't have health insurance right now, so I have to be careful about hurting myself--I can't.

That means I'm pretty much limited in my exercise to walking, which I do plenty of every day. It's a mile to the train in the morning and a mile back every day, and I try to walk some every day at lunch.

If I could sell the house, it would be much easier.

Starting Over

It's been nearly a month since I last posted. Let's see, how much has happened since I last posted?

I moved to New York City. I live on Staten Island in a studio apartment, while my family remains in Georgia. I have no health insurance. I walk or take public transportation everywher, which is not easy on Staten Island, let me tell you.

I haven't run a step (other than to avoid being run down by taxis) since my last post, so I have nothing running-related to report.

slacking off

It's been 11 days since my last post. That's OK, athough, since I haven't run in that long.

It's confirmed; I'm moving to NYC. I've got a comfortable little studio on Staten Island and I'm moving up there this weekend. I start the new job on the 21st, so I have to be in on Sunday.

The thing that's kept me from running has been travel and job/apartment hunting. Once I move (my stuff is all packed right now), I'll be able to start running again.

Late Posting

I don't seem to be able to post after my runs anymore. I know why that is, though. Since I'm only running at home, I have to wait until my wife is not working before I can post. Since she is with the kids most of the day, the time she's working is pretty much whenever I can be home. There are some exceptions to that, of course, but it's pretty much the way it is. Now, with my move to NYC and her and the kids' move to upstate, it will be even less frequent that I get to see her for a while. The separation will be very painful, since we haven't been apart very much in the last 20 years. I also will not see much of Oedipus and Electra during that time, and I will miss them terribly. I have to sit down with Oed and explain--since he's only 6 he really doesn't realize what's going on.

On Saturday, I got out for a 4 mile run. It was my usual, down a steep hill in the first portion, then flat, then back up to the top. It felt pretty good, smooth and relaxed. I took Sunday off, but I'm going to try to get out tonight. Maybe I'll update first thing in the morning. Maybe I should wait until tomorrow morning to run. We'll see.

A Day Late

Yesterday, I got out and ran about 3 miles. Once again (because it's really the safest area for me to run) I had the long, steep uphill at the end of the run.

I'm going back to New York around the third week in June. Then, I'll have to scout out some new routes, and maybe I'll have a flat place to run.

Two Days' Worth

I never got around to updating yesterday after my run, so I'll do today's entry with yesterday's.

Yesterday (5/29), I went about 4 miles, my usual route. It was early in the day--about 8:30, but it was very hot and humid. I was soaked when I got back. My achilles tendon was a little sore, but it feels better now.

Today, I went about 3.5, same course, and my achilles feels a little better. I was able to push hard up the long steep hill today, or at least harder than I usually do. I was actually working the hill for the first time in a long time.

Better days ahead.

Evening

Last night, I went out for a short run at about 6:30. I ended up going about 4 miles, the usual route, with the long hill at 1.5 miles to go. I started to time it, but I forgot to stop the watch when I stopped running.

My ankle is a little bit sore today. It's affecting my walking gait. It seems to be making me turn my foot over, to pronate, after I have my foot on the ground--as if I am pushing off from the three smallest toes of my left foot, while my right foot is normal. Strange.

I'll have to take a couple of days off, and see how it feels.

Good Morning Run

I went out at about 9:00 this morning and put in about 3 miles. The long steep hill at 1.5 is a killer--I was barely crawling up it today. After I got to the top, I went down a side street because I saw a lawn sprinkler running. I stopped under it for a few seconds and was on my way again.

No timing again today. Maybe I'll get out at about 6:30 tomorrow.

Nice day

Today, I got out at about 8am. I covered 4 miles, relaxed and smooth. I kept up a pretty good pace for the whole thing, maybe from now on, I'll time my runs.

Thi hills at the end of the runs around here are real killers--I'm completely wiped out at the end of the runs.

I got chiropracted today. My back and neck feel great.

Last Night

I got out for about 5 miles last night. I ran down the big hill to Riverside, then went down Riverside to the path going around the "lake" and came back that way.

Electra came along with me, but she was riding her bike. She slowed me down a little bit, but it was actually good to have her with me--not just because I like going out there with her. She slowed me down enough that I wasn't straining any of my sore parts. My Achilles tendon felt better after my run than it did before. The slow pace seems to have allowed it to work and to relax at the same time. I'll have to keep it in mind from now on.

Late positng

I got out on Saturday Afternoon, and went about 4 miles. My Achilles Tendon started acting up, and I took Sunday off. I'll probably rest today, too.

I do wish I hadn't had to quit the health club, but I don't get in early enough to work out, anyway. I don't really have time at lunch, so it's evenings or never.

Couple of Days

I was unable to post yesterday because of whatever problem Blogger was having.

I was also unable to get out to run yesterday--even though I was home fairly early, we were having company over for dinner, and I couldn't exactly have people coming in while I was out running, or shower while they were having dinner.

I'll try to get out this afternoon or evening--although somebody's coming over around 4 today, so it may be later than that.

Once more, without that feeling

Tonight, I'm going to try to get in a run after I get home. I'm leaving early today, so I may have the time when I get out. Since I'm leaving early, I may not run into as much traffic.

We'll see.

Oh, the pain!

After a day of personal disappointment, I decided to get out onto the road last night. I set out to run about 4 miles round trip. The first 1.5 was down a long downhill, and of course, the last 1.5 was the same in reverse. About 2 miles into the run, my back seized up. The muscles in my upper back, on both sides, simply tightened up and would not function normally. By standing perfectly straight and not relaxing my back at all, I was able to return home without too much difficulty, but my back is still sore. I will have to see the chiropractor this week. I'll be making an appointment later today for the soonest possible visit.

This evening

When I get home from work (hopefully before 6:30), I'm going to try to get out on the road. Depending on traffic, that might just be doable.

If I can get out, it'll be down to Riverside Drive, along the river, and then back up. Maybe I can go up the trail around the "lake" in the next subdivision. If I do get out tonight, I'll add to this post later.

Long Sunday

I took a long run on Sunday, at least in part to make up for the fact that I didn't get much of a run in on Saturday. I got in about 5 or 5.5 on Sunday morning--that was after I got home from work. Saturday morning, I only got in about 1.5, since Electra had her track meet Saturday and we had to be at the school by 7:45 for her to catch the bus.

I took my son, Oedipus, to the meet and he enjoyed some of it, but overall it was a boring event for him. For a little while, Oed and Electra were sitting under the bleachers with some of the other girls on the team. The girls apparently think Oed is pretty cute.

Yesterday's run was a long fartlek run. I ran at a good hard pace for a good portion of the run, and a significant portion of the run was a long, fairly steep uphill.

I'm going to try to get home somewhat early today, so that I can get in a three or so mile run.

Long Time Away

With my travel and my commuting difficulties, I haven't been updating in quite a while.

I've been running about three times a week.

I'm going about 4-5 miles each time.

I'm going to try to update more often.

Electra runs in her first track meet tomorrow.

Late Update

Last night, when I got home from work, Electra and I went out for a little run together. She's only in 7th grade, so I really didn't expect her to keep up with me while I ran, so I jogged slowly and we talked while we jogged together.

She joined the Middle School Track Team, and her first meet is a week from tomorrow. I'm looking forward to seeing her on the track.

Delayed Entry

I couldn't post on Sunday, because the monitor on my computer at home died. I won't be posting until at least Thursday, since I'm going out of town and won't be able to get to a computer.

I went out on Sunday and did a little over 3 miles, mostly on grass. It was enjoyable, even the steep uphill for about 1/4 mile at the halfway point.

Sunday mornings, very few people are on the roads (they're all either sleeping or in church), so I had an easy time of it.

Inside once again

Today I ran on the treadmill again. Just to see if it gets any better. However, I forgot to pack the discman, so once again I was mightily bored. The advantage is that, even though I was bored, I couldn't slow down at all or take it easy on the pace.

I ran 5k, but when I finished and hit the "cool down" button (which slows the pace down way too much), it cleared the time off the display, so I don't know my exact time. I do know it was under 22:00 for the 5k. I ran a one-mile warmup and a one-mile cooldown as well.

Indoor Day

I decided to run on a treadmill today, since the weather was cold and windy outside. The wind was the kind which would make me keep my head down the whole time I was out there, which would only make things more dangerous. I went 3.5 on the treadmill, and did the whole thing in under 7:40 pace. I ran the first mile in about 6:30 and the last half mile in 6:00 pace (the top speed of the treadmill).

After my warmup, I reset everything to 0 and started off in 6:30 pace. Sometime after I reached 0.75 miles, I pulled the emergency stop out by mistake. The clip on the cord doesn't even work--it's rusted and corroded and the spring is stretched so it doesn't spring anymore. I had the cord tucked in the waistband of my shorts. Somehow, I pulled on the cord hard enough to pull the stop button out and shut down the machine. I didn't figure out what happened fast enough to start before the machine reset everything to 0, so I started again from the last distance I knew I had passed. I guess it's kind of like having to stop for traffic lights out on the road.

I've been thinking about treadmills, and in my opinion, these are the advantages and disadvantages of running on a treadmill:

Advantages:
1. Safety--It would be very difficult to get run over by a car, especially when your gym, like mine, is on the second or third floor above street level.
2. Convenience--The treadmill is always there and often available.
3. Temperate--You don't have to worry about rain, snow, ice or wind when you're on the treadmill.
4. Pace Running--You can learn to run at a precise pace, since the treadmill goes at a constant speed.
5. Amusement--It's possible to listen to music or even watch television from a treadmill.

Disadvantages
1. Chopped Stride--The running surface of the treadmill is too short, even for one of my modest stature. I can't imagine the difficulty someone 6'2" or taller would have on one of these machines.
2. Pace--The fastest a treadmill (at least all of the ones in my gym) will go is 10 mph, or 6:00/mile pace. I enjoy sprinting for portions of my runs, particularly the last half mile. It would not be unusual for me to run the last half mile in 2:40 or less, and that's impossible on one of these treadmills.
3. Convenience--All of the treadmills in the gym might be in use at any time, making it impossible to get a run in if you won't go outside. In addition, you can only use your gym's treadmills when the gym is open (of course if you've got enough disposable income to be able to afford a really good treadmill...) At least the street is literally always available.
4. Dizzyness--I can't be the only one who experiences dizzyness after stepping off the treadmill, can I?
5. BORING!--It is neccessary to bring music or have access to a television in order to keep interested. Next time, I'm bringing a cd player with Born to Run in it to keep myself going.
6. Almost forgot--that stupid emergency stop--It's there for a reason--to keep you from going off the end of the belt--but the cord must be too short or something, because it seems to be too easy for me to pull the cord and stop the whole thing.

Anyway, I think I'll still go mostly on the streets, sometimes on grass, and only run the treadmill occasionally.

Nice and Easy

Went about 3.5 today, nice and easy and off the clock. It was all on the city streets (makes the times I can run on grass that much nicer) and I was never in any danger of being killed or injured by a car. These Atlanta drivers are slipping--what's this world coming to when a pedestrian doesn't fear for his life while crossing the street with the light?

My weight is still under 150--I weighed in at 148.5 this morning. We'll see if it lasts the week.

Call it 3 and a half

I went out from home this morning--went about 3.5 slo, easy, and mostly on grass--the shoulder of the road. I feel pretty good after the mileage on the grass--I should find more places that are mostly grass that I can run. Unfortunately, even the parks around here have too much asphalt for anyone to run mostly on grass--unless I want to run around a soccer field about 12 times. I'd probable lose count pretty quickly.

My legs feel pretty good today, so I can start increasing my mileage again this week.

Easy and smooth

Went about 2.25 today, twice around the park and then some. I took it easy on the uphills, and strode out on the flats.

I finished in 15:37, so I was moving at a pretty good clip. I couldn't get in any exercising at all afterward, but I'll get some in tomorrow.

Let's call it 3

Today, I went about 3.5 miles, slow and easy, but I walked part of that distance. I don't think it was half a mile that I walked, but I'd rather shortchange myself on the mileage than overestimate it.

My weight is down to 148 as of this morning--I won't change the sidebar until it's been a few days, though.

The weather was beautiful, about 55 degrees and calm. I still can't get over the people who put on heavy winter coats whenever the temperature goes below 60 degrees. I'm outside in shorts and a t-shirt, and they're all bundled up for winter weather.

Off the clock, and it's a good thing, too.

Today I felt very tight; my left gastrocnemius tightened up on me at the beginning of my run. By the time I got to about 3/4 of a mile, it was loosened up enough to take easy strides. But at about 1.5 miles, my right gastrocnemius tightened up, making my strides short and choppy. I managed to get the kink out by about 2 miles, but by then I was only a half-mile from finished.

The slow pace, combine with oversleeping this morning meant that I was late getting to the gym, and late starting my run, and late getting back, and so I had to skip most of my post-run training -- sit-ups, pushups, etc.

I did stretch out after running, though.

Getting back into it

Today went well, I varied my pace, sometimes slowing down and others striding well. I took the long hill between 14th and 10th streets at a hard run, taking it easy on the streets before and after that stretch. I stayed off the clock today, since it was still supposed to be an easy day--no timing means I'm less likely to hurt myself again.

I had quite a scare last night. I went out to do an easy 2 or so, and my 13 year old daughter, who I'll call Electra, decided she wanted to go with me; but she didn't want to run, she wanted to ride her bike alongside me. I was only a few yards away from our driveway when I heard a skidding sound--not a car, but the sound of bike tires sliding across the road. Electra went down in the road, scraping up her arms pretty well, and hitting her head on the curb. Fortunately for all of us, we have instilled in her the idea that whenever you get on a bike, you put on a helmet. She was wearing hers, so all we have is a damaged helmet.

As I heard the skid, I turned around just in time to see her come down, and I immediately rushed over to her side. I'm still not sure whether her arm is entirely OK, since she comes from a long line of people (my side of the family) who just put up with injuries, aches and pains. She was holding her right arm a little bit awkwardly, so I ran her through a series of motions and asked her if any of them hurt. It appears that the only pain she has is in the part of her shoulder where she hit the road, and I think we can attribute that to the impact. I'm still going to watch the way she uses that arm for a while, though.

Easy Day

Today I'm taking it easy. I think I'll try to get my daughter to go out with me after I get home from work. I'll go easy for a mile or so, and see if she'd like to comt with me. Maybe I can get her to come up to the track. It's spring break, so the school should be deserted.

Yet another easy day

I took it easy today, going out in the early afternoon, and running about 2.5 miles, not including the warmup and cool down. My legs felt pretty good, relaxed and loose. Not much pain.

Still off the Clock

Took it easy again today, only going about 2.5 miles. I took it pretty easy the whole way,and I think I'm OK. I don't have any of the soreness or stiffness in my psoas muscle, and my Achilles Tendon feels pretty good, too.

I ran at the park today, followed by taking my son out for a day excursionaround downtown ATL. Could be the walking did my legs some good.

Off the Clock, Again

I took it easy this morning, only going about 2.5 miles, and off the clock. I felt pretty good, but my left Achilles was a little bit tight. It feels pretty good right now, but we'll see how it does later on.

My left psoas (or maybe my iliopsoas) has been giving me trouble, but I think I can run through it.

My weight is down to 150 today. I'll hold off on changing it until I've been at this weight for a few days.

Slow and Easy

I took it easy today, didn't even start my watch. Coming off that incident yesterday when my Achilles Tendon just siezed up on me, and the fact that my iliopsoas tendon is somewhat stiff and sore, I just wen about a mile and a half, slow and easy, not really running, just jogging.

Got to get my body back into some kind of health.

Dammit, dammit, dammit

Today I was running late to work, and when I got off the train, the light for crossing the street to my building was still green, but about to change. I broke into a sprint across the street and proceeded to hurt my achilles tendon. It started to feel better, and I jogged about a mile on it, but I wasn't about to risk anything serious this morning. Another day off.

On the bright side, I now weigh 152.

I haven't updated in a while, due to my hectic schedule, but I did manage to get in about two miles on Saturday. They were around the pond in the next subdivision over, and only one side has a real trail. It's paved, which makes it easy to run on the west side of the pond, but the east side is more of a herd path--there are roots breaking up the ground and the surface is very uneven. I couldn't really "run" on that side of the pond.

Looking for a Short Race

I don't think I'll be running in this one.

Long Run

Today I took my long run. I went about 4.6 miles. Thats a planimetric (as on a map) distance, which flattens out the hills and valleys, and so is a slightly shorter distance than that which I actually ran. However, I'll use the planimetric distance in order to ensure that I don't run a shorter distance than I think.

Finished my 4.6 in 35:27. That's 7:42 pace, which is not too bad.

I watched Run, Lornah, Run last night on PBS. It was very good--I think it could have been expanded into an hour-long program on the same subject.

quick and easy

I breezed through my run this morning--not least because I cut it short. I realized after I had made the turn for home that I had taken a wrong turn--I went down 10th street instead of going up to 14th. That made my route a little over 1.5 miles.

I felt pretty good, though, especially considering that I've had so many days off.

Another day off

Due to travel/commute difficulties, I am sitting out yet another day.

Maybe at the end of the day--but, no. Dinner tonight is spaghetti, and that's a quick meal to prepare and one I can't miss.

Day off

Today (and yesterday, and Saturday) are days off for me. I may be able to get in som mileage this afternoon when I get home, but the ride in made it a problem for an am workout.

Good Morning

Even though I had to run around this morning like a maniac, I still made it in to the gym early enough to get a workout in. It was a pretty good workout--I ran my 3.5 mile loop on Peachtree and West Peachtree, and finished it in 24:08.

I also got in a nice and easy mile last night at around 6:30. My daughter had already eaten while my wife and son were coming to get me at the train, so we had a kind of ad-lib night for supper.

I'm trying now to figure out my next race to enter, and to try to get my daughter interested in running it with me.

Day Off

Today I'm taking an enforced day off from my running. I couldn't get into work early enough (I got in at 8:55 this morning) to work out, and if I leave at 5pm (not a guarantee), I won't get home until at least 6:30. Maybe I can talk my daughter into going out with me for a mile or so when I get home. That would at least get two of us out of the house for my wife.

I knew this would happen

I found out this morning at 7:00 that I won't be able to drive in to the train tomorrow. My daughter needs a ride after school, and must be picked up between 4:45 and 5:00 at the school. If I was to leave work at 4:30, I still wouldn't be able to get there in time.

Today's visit to the chiropractor (or the "cracking doctor" as my son calls him) went well. I feel pretty good and I think that the treatments will help me in my running.

Chiropractor

My Chiropractor expressed surprise that I was as tight as I was and that my mobility was as limited as it was, since I didn't complain of anything specific when I spoke to him. My wife explained to him that I come from a long line of men who don't complain about pain until it becomes debilitating.

That's probably a bad thing.

Rush, rush, rush

Today, I apparently turned off my alarm without getting up. Luckily, my watch alarm went off, but in my early-morning befuddlement, I completely missed the fact that it was almost 6:00 instead of almost 5:00.

It took me about 15-20 minutes before I realized what time it was, then I rushed around taking care of my early-mrning routine.

Got in to the gym at about 7:20 this morning. I went out and ran my 2.5 mile run and finished in 16:33. Tomorrow I'm taking the day off for my second visit to the chiropractor, then Thursday I hope to get in my 4.6 mile run.

I've gaine some weight in the last few days. I now weigh 154. How the hell did that happen?

Today off

I never got a chance to post on Sunday because my home PC was acting up.

Sunday, I ran what I thought was about 3 miles, but it took me 31:32, which makes me think that I need to re-measure the distance.

Today, I had a followup appointment with the chiropractor, so I was unable to run this morning. I will be back on track tomorrow.

Day off

Today, I decided to take a day off. I went to see a chiropractor today--I think that it may help my running. I go back on Monday morning.

Feels good

Today felt really good. I seemed to glide along the road (except for the uphill between 14th and 10th Street) effortlessly. the temperature was good, around 45 degrees, and I was well-rested. I haven't felt that good in quite a while.

I went my 3.5 mile loop, up to the intersection of Peachtree and West Peachtree, then back. I wasn't pushing the pace, but I was able to play with my speed all along the route. I had to stop and back up both times I was at 10th and both times I was at 14th. I tried to time my arrival so I wouldn't have to do that, but, especially at 14th street when I was headed south, I couldn't see the intersection until I was almost on top of it.

Next week is when running will get difficult. I've been going out before work, which means leaving the house around 6am. Up until now I've been riding with my neighbor, who leaves at that time as well. He and his wife moved yesterday, so now I'm making my own way to work. Today wasn't bad--my wife doesn;t have anything going on today, so I could drive to the train. (I guess I haven't written in this space that we only have one car. I thnk we may be unique in the Metro Atlanta Area in that we have fewer cars than licensed drivers in the family.) She's going to try to schedule daytime errands and appointments for Mondays and Wednesdays, since those are the days my daughter stays late at school. Than leaves me Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays to work out. If we can maintain this schedule (a big if), it could work out for me.

Day off

Today, I'm taking a day off from running. I had to go to the DMV this morning at 9, so I didn't get in to work until 11. I won't have time tonight, as it is my daughter's 13th birthday, and we're having a little celebration.

I'll be back on the road tomorrow morning, bright and early, doing my 3.5 mile loop.

Another Easy Day

Took it easy again today. I ran about 1.5 miles, and did it in 10:32. That's roughly 7:00 pace.

Cold today, about 34 degrees and windy. Still weigh 152.

Easy day

Today I was resting my calf muscle. I went about 1.7 miles on city streets, and took it easy the whole way. Cool day, about 40 degrees, and windy. Weighing in at 152.

My leg feels pretty good today, no pain, no aches. Let's see about tomorrow.

Easy Day

Today, I took it easy. I only went about a mile and a half after my warmup, which was itself a mile. My calf muscle (that's a lot easier than typing gastrocnemius again and again) was still giving me some pain, so I took it easy, just to keep it loose.

The weather was chilly, temps in the 30s and a strong wind today.
Still weigh about 152.

Later...

Well, my leg is feeling a bit better; I got outside and walked a bit at lunch. There is still a bit of pain, but I believe it will ease after another day or two off from running.

Another day off

It looks like I will be taking a few days off. The pain in my calf is now in my knee, and it seems like I need a few days of rest to take care of it. Maybe on Monday I'll be able to resume running.

Injured again

I can't seem to catch a break. Now my calf muscle, up near the top near where it joins the tendon, is tiget and painful when I run. It's so far up, that I can't seem to stretch it at all, and it doesn't bother me if I go up onto my toes to jog.

I just jogged about a total of a half mile today, since I couldn't even complete my warmup jog.

I'll probably have to rest a few days.

Disappointing

Today, I pulled up lame at about the halfway point on my 2.5-mile run. My right upper calf muscle tightened up to the point where I couldn't walk normally, much less run.

Unfortunately, I hadn't brought my MARTA card, so even though I was only a few hundred yards from a station, I couldn't take the train back to the gym.

Medium Day

Today, I went for my 3.5 mile run. I finished the run in 24:12, which isn't a bad time. The weather is warming up, definitely t-shirt weather out there.

No mishaps today, no near-death experiences. Felt good, striding through the whold run.

My weight is down to 151 now.

Long Run at Home

Today I did my long run at home. I went about 4.5 miles, and kept the watch off. I just took it easy the whole way.

There was a log truck broken down in the middle of the intersection of Holcomb Bridge and Eves Road, blocking two lanes of each road. I'm just glad it didn't happen yesterday afternoon. Traffic would still be backed up.

Rain Delay

Today, I'm taking a second rest day. I had planned on running my long run this morning, going 4.6 miles before work, but I couldn't get in early this morning. I'll run 4+ tomorrow morning. The weather today is pretty lousy, anyway. The temps are in the low 30's and it's overcast and drizzly. Tomorrow, the weather is supposed to be very pleasant, with temps going up into the high 50's or low 60's. I can take my daughter with me, and get her to go a mile or two as well. I'll go around the park a few times--the trail is one mile at the East Roswell Park. Maybe if I can find a map of Roswell Area Parks's trail (3 mile loop) I can run there.

Day off

Today is a day off. I had planned to make tomorrow my long run day, but it appears that I will have to wait until Saturday. I will not be able to get in to work early tomorrow, and I won't be able to get in my workout before work.

Saturday is as good a day as friday, I guess.

Cool, relaxed and easy

Again, that could describe me (except the cool part).

Went 3.5 today in 24:52. 7:06 pace. The temperature was about 45 degrees and is was misty out, not quite raining, but not quite dry.

What I'd like to know is, whose idea was it to make time in increments of 60? Trying to do the math in my head while I'm cooling down is beyond my limited math abilities. I have to wait at least until I'm back in the locker room to do the math, unless I happen to have run a time which is an exact multiple of the distance I ran.

Easy, relaxed

That could describe me as well as my run this morning. I got out for 2.5 miles in a cool, 45 degree, drizzly day. I felt pretty relaxed through the whole run, loping along easily. Today was supposed to be an easy day, and tomorrow will be my 3.5 mile run. Thursday will be a day off, and Friday will be my 4.6 miler.

I'm building up the miles, and working in more workouts now. I should start to see some improvement in my times soon. Just have to keep the injuries away.

Performance-Enhancing Substances

Remy Korchemny has now been removed from his coaching positions due to the BALCO THG/Modafinil scandal.

Timeline of the scandal here.

Kenyan Domination

Some Kenyans are apparently concerned over the loss of their domination of distance running.

New Track for NYC Olympic Games?

Randall's Island Park may be the site of the Track & Field competitions in the 2012 Olympic Games.

News about Track & Field

Jerome Young's drug case is going before the IAAF.

4-Day training week?

Today I went 2.5 miles in 15:41. 6:16/mile pace. Pretty good. If I can hold that pace for a longer distance, I can do pretty well in a race. I just noticed today that West Peachtree Street has a long, gradual hill, starting from just south of 10th Street and running to about 5th Street. If I push that stretch, I can get in some strength training at the end of the run. This would make me a stronger runner in the later stages of a race, which is what I need.

I'm going to get in another short run tomorrow, then my 3.5 mile run on Wednesday. Thursday I will take a rest day, and Friday will, once again, be my long day, if I can get in to the gym a little bit early.

Weekend off

I'm taking this weekend off from running--maybe next weekend I'll get in some speedwork at the track. I could also do some speed at the park.

This week, I'm going to try to get in some fartlek during my normal runs. It's time to build my ability to maintain a faster speed.

Spent the day doing yardwork, and cleaning pine straw off the roof of my house. If you don't live under pine trees, you don't know what a pain pine straw can be. The stuff doesn't come off the roof, and just sits there, getting wet, and causing rot and/or mold on the house. I had to walk around up there today with a broom brushing the wet pine straw off the house.

Long Run of the Week

Today was my long run of the week. I ran 4.6 miles--2.3 miles out Juniper and Piedmont, then turned around and came back the same route. I got caught at several traffic lights, and on two occasions, drivers wouldn't give me the right of way, even though I was crossing with the light and in a crosswalk. One of the drivers at least had an excuse--it was a corner which, while not exactly blind, did have somewhat limited visibility down the sidewalk, and they had to pull out some ways into the crosswalk just to see what was coming on the sidewalk.

I ran the first half of the run in 17:25, which is 7:34 pace. On my way back, I wanted to run even pace, which would have been around 35:00, but I didn't count on the long uphill on Piedmont coming up while I was already tired. I ran the whole thing in 36:59, which works out to 8:02 pace. Obviously a slower second half. Like I said, that hill at the start of the second half of the run cost me a lot in terms of maintaining my pace.

Training Goal

I usually need a goal--something to shoot for in my training, so I've decided to set a goal. I'm in training for the 2004 Boilermaker 15k, a link to which is in my sidebar. I've never run a 15k before, so I have no PR. I ran the Sauerkraut Festival 20k in Phelps once, but I didn't keep track of my time.

The goal race should help to keep me on track through the rest of the year.

Found it

Looking through Expedia, I found a route which will start right at the end of my usual warmup. It will be an out-and-back route of just over 2 miles each way, so I will get a little over 4 miles in tomorrow morning.

Day off

Today will be a day off for me. I need recovery days more often than when I was young, and also I'm not yet at a point where I can run several days in a row. Tomorrow, I'm going to run longer than I have been. I'm going to scout out an out-and-back route that will total more than 4 miles and take it in a relaxed (but not slow) way.

Slow and Cold

Today was a cold day--I felt very slow. I got caught at the 14th street light today. I've got to find a better route for my am runs.

Temp was about 33 when I went out, and the wind wasn't too bad. 7:06 pace. I also need to eat more in the morning--today I felt like I was running on empty. I was hungry before I finished my run and now I really need something to eat before I start dissolving myself.

Update

Apparently, my time for the race on Sunday was 21:22. I didn't catch my time as I crossed the finish line, but I got it from my daughter, who was watching and timing me.

The pace is still under 6:53/mile.

The Frog Hop

This is a picture of me at the start of the Frog Hop--I'm the one in all yellow.



Yes, the little girl next to me did finish, and no, she didn't beat me. I can't believe somebody ran this thing with bare feet. I don't recall any broken glass on the road, but what would he have done if there had been?

After

My legs are sore today; they were also quite sore all day yesterday. I know I went out too fast in the first mile on Sunday, but I think I can, with time and effort, go out faster and maintain that pace. I'm going to train on Wednesday and Friday this week, possibly putting in a day on the weekend. Next week, I'm going to run four days. Let's see how much I can drop my times.

My First Race of my Second Career

Yesterday, I ran in the first race of my second running career. It was the Frog Hop 5k, a small race in Athens, GA. I did pretty well, finishing 15th overall, in 21:20. I was third in my age group, and cam home with a small cloisonne plaque, my first hardware in many years. According to Running Times, I ran a 6:52/mile pace. That's pretty good for a fat old man.

I thought I went out too fast, going through 1 mile in under 6:15. I guess I just need to work on keeping that speed through the next two miles.

I gave the t-shirt to my daughter, who loves frogs, and wanted to run in the race herself. We haven't been able to find running shoes in her size with a price that's in our budget. Maybe over the next few weeks.

After Lunch

At lunch I had to break into a little run a couple of times. I felt pretty good, no pain, just an ache in my knee, while I was running on the flat. When I tried to run down a flight of stairs, though, the pain came in. It's still up in the air right now, whether I'm going to be running on Sunday, but it still seems like it's coming down on the side of not running.

If I do run, I'm going to post some pictures here (if I can get someone to take pics).

Still out

The pain in my left knee has subsided quite a bit--today I ran across the street to beat the traffic light, which had already started blinking "don't walk." There was no pain in the knee, but then, when I got to the building, I took a quick, half-running step to get to a door someone was holding open, and stopping suddenly on my left leg caused pain in my knee. I ran up the stairs after that, and the knee was OK. I just might get to run on Sunday.

Still out

My knee feels better today, but it still hurts some. I may be back in action by Sunday, but it doesn't look likely. I should ride the stationary bike, but I have a lot of trouble doing that at home, and I can't stand the "spinning" groups at the gym. I would rather do the stationary bike riding with no "soundtrack" blasting while I do it. I don't listen to any music when I run, I don't want any music (especially popular music) while I ride.

Out of Action

OK, now I'm pissed. I'm hoping that this injury to my left knee is something that will heal quickly and easily.

In college, I had exactly one cross-country season in which I was able to run every week. Every other season of Cross-Country and Track, I was injured and sat out for at least one meet. In more than one season, I sat out several races. Now, I'm feeling pain in my knee when I walk, and I don't even want to try running on it.

My bane

Injuries seem to be the only thing keeping me back. I have a pain in my left knee, which I am treating with ice, ibuprofen, rest, and elevation. I am taking today off, and will probably not run Wednesday or Thursday. I hope to be back on the road Friday.

Easy day

Today I took it easy, at least for the first mile of the run. I warmed up for a mile and then went out for my 2.5 miler. I finished my 2.5 miles in 17:30, which is pretty good for someone as out of shape as I am. It's a 22:01 5k equivalent. The temp was 36 degrees, very little wind. My knee started to hurt, but it's feeling pretty good right now. Ibuprofen and ice, and a day off. Wednesday I'm going to run my 3.5. Maybe I can start upping my mileage.

Marathon trials

Sadly, it appears that Eddy Hellebuyck did not qualify for the Olympics. He finished eighth in 2:15:34.30. Officially, the top four are:

1. Alan Culpepper (2:11:40.40)
2. Meb Keflezighi (2:11:45.80)
3. Dan Browne (2:12:01.10)
4. Trent Briney (2:12:34.00)

The top four all made it under the Olympic "A" Standard.

Olympic Marathon Trials--Final Results

From Runners World:

Update 1: On a cloudy, chilly windy morning, the 86 Olympic Trials marathoners got off to a fair, even start. The first 9 miles are essentially a straight shot to the downtown section of Birmingham where they will then run 3 laps of a 5.43-mile circuit.

Peter Clusener and Teddy Mitchell shared the early lead, reaching the first mile in 5:05. The pack is about 8 seconds back.

Update 2: Teddy Mitchell appears to be attempting to steal the race. He ran the second mile in 5-minutes and the pack has let him go. The pack is approximately 130 meters back of Mitchell, followed by Keith Dowling and Shea Lehmkuhle.

Mitchell has run the third mile in 5:05.

Update 3: After 3 miles, Mitchell continues to lead, reached in 15:12. Clusener is a few seconds back. The lead pack is approximately 30 seconds in back of Mitchell.

At 4 miles, Mitchell has opened his lead to about 150 meters. His 4th mile was a 5:10. Clusener has dropped off. Brian Sell has moved up into second.

Update 4: After 5 miles, Mitchell continues to lead the pack by about 90 meters. Mitchell's split after 4 miles was 20:17. He has reached 5 miles in 25:18. Sell remains in second. The lead pack has moved up on Sell.

Update 5: Mitchell continues his aggressive front running. His 5-mile split is 25:30, 15 seconds ahead of Sell with the pack about 10 seconds in back of him. The favorites appear to be tightly bunched in the lead pack, content to let others break the wind and do the front running.

At 6 miles, Mitchell leads in 30:35, another 5:08 mile, about a 2:13 marathon pace. Mitchell looks back to Sell who has closed the gap. The pack has also closed the gap on Sell. Sell is only 25 meters behind Mitchell.

Update 6: The official 6-mile split was 30:40, a 5:11 mile by Mitchell who continues to lead by 25 seconds on the lead pack.

Sell has overtaken Mitchell just before the 7-mile mark and the two are running together. It appears they are working together to break the wind. Sell passes the 7-mile mark in 35:50 with Mitchell at his side.

Update 7: Sell's official 7-mile split is 35:47 with Mitchell a step back but appears to be struggling. The 26-runner lead pack is approximately 50 seconds in back. Keflezighi and Culpepper are running easily in the middle of the pack, but Browne appears to be uncomfortable at the back of the pack. The lead pack is approximatley 40 seconds in back of Sell.

Update 8: At mile 8, Sell leads in 40:51 and pulls ahead of Mitchell as they near the downtown loops. At mile 9, reached in 45:50, Sell continues to lead. Jim Jurcevich and Keith Dowling appear to have falled off the back of the lead pack.

Sell appears to be running comfortably as he leads entering the downtown loops where the crowds are.

Update 9: Sells reaches 9 miles officially in 45:02, a 5:11 mile. The pack is about 25 seconds back. Sell runs the 10th mile in 4:55, but the pack is starting to break up. The leaders of the pack have cut a few seconds off Sell's lead.

Update 10: Sell officially reaches 10 in 50:54--a 4:52 mile. The pack--headed by Ryan Shay, Alan Culpepper, Todd Meyer and Scott Strand--runs a 4:49 mile and closes slightly on Sell.

Update 11: Sell cruises a 4:50 mile and goes through 11 miles in 55:47. He has a 34-second lead on the pack which is beginning to splinter. Sell goes through 12 miles in 1:00:43 and gets a reassuring word from his coach,. one of the Hanson brothers.

Josh Cox, Keith Dowling and Kevin Collins are attempting to bridge the gap.

Update 12: The pack includes Cox, Hellebuyck, Culpepper, Dave Morris, Keflezighi and Scott Larson.

At halfway, Sell leads in 1:06:17--a 2:12 pace. The pack is about 20 seconds back.

Update 13: Sell continues to lead, reaching halfway officially in 1:06:18. Sell goes through 14 miles in 1:10:45. Peter Gilmore appears to be leading the first pack which includes 10 runners, including Peter Julian, Culpepper, Larson, Keflezighi and Josh Cox.

Update 14: Sell leads as the group heads onto the second loop of the downtown course. The 25-year-old from Michigan has opened up a minute lead on the pack and goes through 15 miles in 1:15:32. He is on 2:12 pace.

Update 15: Sell's 16th mile is 5-minutes, reaching 16 miles in 1:20:30. His lead is about 60 seconds as he heads into the wind. Meb, Browne, Culpepper, Larson and Helleybuck and Trent Briney are among the leaders of the pack. Shay and Dowling are behind with Verran dropping off the pace.

Update 16: Sell's official 16-mile split is 1:20:28--a 2:12 marathon pace. Sell does not have the "A" standard of 2:15 so he needs to either win or run faster than that and finish in the top 3 to qualify for Athens.

The second pack is down to 6, including Culpepper, Keflezighi, Collins, Browne, Hellybucyk and Larson. Meb and Culpepper are heading the pack. Strand has dropped off the pace.

The second pack is down to Culpepper, Briiney, Meb and Browne.

Update 17: The pack has narrowed the gap to 28 seconds. Sell leads at mile 18 (1:30:30). Culpepper heads the second pack with Browne and Meb nearby.

Update 18: Culpepper has moved up considerably to narrow the gap on Sell to about 30 seconds. The four runners making up the chase pack are Culpepper, Briney, Kefleizghi and Browne.

At 19 miles, Sell reaches in 1:35:35.

Update 19: Sell continues to lead, but the gap has closed to about 125 meters. Culpepper, Briney, Browne and Keflezighi make up the chase group--about 30 seconds back--with nobody else in sight.

The 19-mile official split is 1:35:37.

Update 20: The 20-mile spit is 1:41, but Sell's lead has shrunk and is less than 25 seconds behind Sell. Sell doesn't appear to be floundering, but might not be hold onto the lead. Sell's lead is less than 15 seconds as Culpepper begins to move.

Update 21: It appears that Browne, Briney, Culpepper and Meb are working together to reel Sell in. They are now on the final 5.43-mile loop and Sell appears to be tiring as he tries to hang onto the loead.

Sell is looking back to see how back the pack is which continues to close. Sell reaches 21 miles in 1:46 with the chase group less than 10 seconds back.

Update 22: Sell's last mile is 5:16 and his lead is about three seconds. Meb, Browne and Culpepper appear ready to pounce. Briney is cramping. Sell has now been passed by Culpepper, Browne and Meb.

Sell is now in fifth. Of the three, Browne appears the least comfortable. Culpepper looks relaxed.

Mile 22, Browne, Culpepper and Keflezighi have control of the race at the front.

Update 23: Culpepper has assumed a short lead past 22 miles (1:50:47) and appears to be the most comfortable. He has a step or two lead on Kelflezighi and slightly more on Browne. Briney is in fourth. Browne is fighting for third. Sell is no longer in the picture.

Past 23 miles in 1:56, Culpepper and Meb havge separated themselves from Browne.

Update 24: Keflezighi and Culpepper, 2000 Olympic teammates and good friends, are controlling the race from the front. Meb looks back toward Browne who appears to be laboring. Meb and Culpepper are on 2:11 pace and rolling toward the finish. The finish terrain is a key. There is a slight uphill and then two turns to the finish. Kelfezighi ran the finish several times yesterday. Snow flurries are beginning to fall. There is a huge crowd awaiting the Olympians at the finish.

At 23 miles, Culpepper and Meb went through in 1:55:38. At 24, they went through in 2:00:34 with Browne third.

Update 25: Culpepper and Meb have put the hammer down. Meb has dropped slightly in back of Culpepper and is drafting off him. Browne is way back, but still holding onto third. At 25 miles, Culpepper and Meb go through in 2:05:45. Browne is 50 meters back. Briney is in fourth.

Update 26: Browne is safely in third as Briney has dropped off the pace. Culpepper and Keflezighi are locked in a battle royale for the win.

Culpepper wins, followed by Keflezighi and Browne.

Olympic Marathon Trials

The weather in B'Ham looks like it will be a little bit on the cool side. Temps in the 30s and overcast. The wind could be a little bit stiff--11 to 13 mph between 9 am and Noon, but the mountain and the city may shield the runners from the worst of the winds.

Cold weather

I realized that I need to buy a hat, especially if I ever move back to the great white north. My hair isn't as thick as it once was, and my head needsto stay warm. I'll probably get one of those fleece beanies--wool hats are too warm,and wouldn't be washable, and I don't want a really thick hat either.

Rain, Rain, Rain

Today was cold, wet and gloomy. The rain was coming down so hard that visibility was only a few hundred yards. There are flood watches in north Georgia and warnings in Alabama.
The temperature was just about 40 degrees. I went outside in shorts and a sweatshirt to run. Still felt pretty good. Got in 2.5 miles, and ran it in 18:12. Slow, but considering I was wearing a soaking wet cotton sweatshirt, which made it feel like I was carrying a load of wet bricks on my back, that's not bad. I'll consider it a strength workout.

Another Old Guy running

Chico Scimone, center, a 92-year-old man from Sicily who ran up the Empire State Building.

Upcoming Race

My first race of my second career is coming up on the 15th of February. My daughter (12 yrs old) would like to run in the race, but she doesn't have a lot of time to prepare. We know that she can run more than mile; she's done it before. We don't know how quickly she can run a 5k. On top of that, she's growing so fast that she no longer fits into the running shoes we bought her (on sale) a few months ago. I'm going to see if I can get her a new pair this weekend. They'll have to be on sale--new running shoes (for anyone) aren't in the budget right now.

Today is a rest day--I'm feeling a little bit of soreness in my psoas (or my iliopsoas) and I think I need to stretch it out tonight.

Back to running tomorrow, if I feel good tonight.

Another hero for old guys

The Chairman of the Boards.

Back on the Street Again

After Monday's treadmill fiasco, I decided that I would stay on the streets. It was around 30 degrees out, and I ran in shorts and a sweatshirt.
I get catcalls when I run in these shorts--I've always preferred the split-leg shorts over "baggies" or other kinds of shorts. When I pass women on the street, I sometimes get whistles or "hey, baby" remarks. I've never thought of myself as particularly attractive, just kind of average-looking, but several years ago, one of my wife's co-workers remarked that she saw somebody out running in tights, and she told the women in the office that she "wanted to drag him into the car and do him right there." It turned out to be me.

Anyway, I seem to be holding steady at 150-153 for my weight. Weighed in today at 152. I ran my 2.5 mile loop in 16:18.

Easy Day

Today I rode our stationary bike for a few minutes. I needed a rest after yesterday's odd workout. I don't think I'll ever get back on a treadmill after that. I really didn't like the experience at all.

Treadmill

Today, since it was in the low 30s and raining outside, I thought it might be a good day to try the treadmill in the gym. I started ("went out"?) in about 8:40 for my warmup, then decided to pick up the pace. I ran my first mile in 7:00 and accelerated from there. My second mile, I increased my speed so I was running in 6:40 pace for the first half, then I tried to pick up the pace some more. I messed up on the controls, clearing all of the settings. The belt slowed down to a stop, my time, distance and pace were cleared. I was somewhat embarrassed, but started the belt again, quickly picking up the pace to 6:00. When there was just under 1 mile to go, I tried to increase the speed again, maybe run the last 3/4 mile in 5:40 pace. No such luck. The treadmill has a top speed of 6:00 mile pace. My strides were too long, and I wanted to move too fast for the machine.

In addition, when I finished, I was dizzy, and reeled around the room. Well, maybe not reeled, but I did wobble.

I think from now on, I'll stick to the roads.

Rest day

Today, I'm going to take the day off. I'll walk the dog and maybe get on the stationary bike, but no running.

Go, Eddy!

Interview with Eddy Hellebuyck, old man of the Olympic Marathon Trials.

Runners: Stay away from Palmyra, NY

The Salt Lake Tribune picked up the story from the New York Times last July. There may be a $250.00 find for spitting in the street.

Dogs

This morning I got in about 2.5 in 17:23. the weather was cool, but not cold--low 40s--and not windy at all. I felt pretty good for a portion of my run. I got caught at the other long traffic light on West Peachtree--10th Street. This one is in the middle of a long downhill, so it wasn't as tough to get started after the light as the one at 14th. It's very long, though. I jogged back up the hill at a slower-than-walking pace twice and was on my back down at that same pace for the second time (third if you count my initial approach) when the light changed. I'd guess that stopping for that light added a good 30-40 seconds to my time. Not significant, but if I get caught at the same street on Peachtree, and get caught at the 14th Street lights both times, the delays can add up.

On top of that, just before the mile point, I passed a person (walking in the opposite direction) who was walking a dog. People with dogs should reel in the leash when they pass other people. I swung wide to go into the street, since otherwise I would have passed between the dog and the walker, and as I was moving out toward the street, I stepped on some uneven pavement near a tree. I twisted my ankle, and took it very easy for the next half mile or so, to let it recover.

If the owner of the dog had just pulled the dog back a little bit, I wouldn't have had to go into the street, and could have avoided a potential injury. My dog, who is now very old and isn't able to run more than about a half mile at at time (still not bad for a ~15 year old dog), used to like to run with me. I always reeled her in when we passed other pedestrians, so they wouldn't have to avoid her.

Rest Day

Today is another rest day for me. I need to let my legs recover from the work they do on the workout days. I may start weight training before too long.

I'm going to try to get my 12-year-old daughter into running--she's certainly built like a runner; she's about 11 feet tall and weighs something like 17 pounds. She's all arms and legs, and I know that she can move quickly when she wants to. I may be able to talk her into going to the race in Athens on the 15th.

By the way,

I hope I speak for 40+ year old men everywhere when I say:

Go, Eddy!

West Peachtree

Looking over my notes, I discovered that the course I ran today is 3.5 miles. Using Running Times' race time equivalent calculator, that works out to a 20:31 5k. Not bad, for a fat old man. the 2.5 mile equivalent is 16:18, which makes it faster than my last 2.5 mile runs. Getting there, slowly but surely.

Cold

The weather was cold this morning. Temp was in the 20's, with a strong wind from a northerly direction. Stupid me, I forgot to bring my sweatpants today. I ran outside in this weather with shorts on. Once my legs warmed up, it really wasn't too bad, but just to get moving was tough.

There's a hill on West Peachtree, and the way I run it, it's uphill from 14th Street to about 11th Street. I head south on West Peachtree, so I hit the hill on the south side of 14th. I usually hit the 14th street light red, which means I've got to essentially stop, and try to get restarted while climbing this hill. Today, I was a hundred or so yards from the intersection, and saw that the light was green, with the walk light on, so I dashed the rest of the way to the intersection, which succeeded in getting me across without having to wait for the light, but also made me completely wiped out by the time I started climbing the hill. I think that uphill was the slowest I have run an uphill.

3 miles, 23:21. Obviously slow. Or maybe I've underestimated or mismeasured the distance I ran today. I should check again.

Concrete is hard on the Knees

One thing I miss here in the south is the Erie Canal. The Erie Canal runs right through upstate New York, and the towpath is still intact for some of its length. The towpath is gravel for a good part of its length, and asphalt paved for much of the rest. I used to enjoy running on the graveled sections of the towpath when I was younger. There was even a 5 mile race which finished along a stretch of the towpath which was graveled. I haven't found anything similar to the towpath, at least not as easliy reached as the towpath was. I could get to the towpath on my warmup jog, and do my workout on the towpath, then cool down on the jog home.

Resting today

Today is a rest day. I'm taking today off to rest my poor bones, because I'm an old guy, and out of shape. I have also been having trouble with my psoas muscle, or possibly my iliopsoas tendon.

I had thought about getting on the stationary bike and riding for a while, but at 5 am, it's a workout just getting out of bed. At least on the days when I run, I've got until almost 7 before I actually start working out.

Last night i entered a race. The race will be held on the 15th of February, in Athens. I'm hoping that it's as small a race as it seems to be from prior years' results. 168 finishers is about right for a return to racing for a fat, old man.

Email?

I have added an email address to the sidebar, just in case anybody ever reads this, and gives enough of a shit to contact me about it.

Late and frustrated

Today I sat in the train in the station for about 30 minutes before moving. I had thought that since today was about 30 degrees and rainy, with an ice storm warning in effect, it might be a good day to try out the treadmills at the gym. By the time I got to the building, all of the treadmills were in use, so I just went outside to run. When I finished, all of the showers at the gym were in use, and two other guys were waiting to take showers. Personally, when there is a line of people waiting to take showeres, I try to make mine as quick as possible. You know, treat others as you want to be treated....That doesn't seem to be the prevalent philosophy among the people who are members of the gym, though.

The temp was about 30 degrees, it was a little bit rainy, really more misty. Still managed to get 2.5 miles in about 16:34. Felt pretty good while I was doing it. My weight is down to 150.

On Wednesday or Friday, I think I'll up the distance to 3 miles and see how it feels.

Starting Over

Well, I've decided to start an online training log. For a variety of personal and medical reasons, I haven't done any running in about 6 years, so I'm starting almost from scratch.

Today, I ran at 7am in midtown Atlanta. After warming up, I covered about 2 and a half miles, in 16:39. The streets were dark, the temperature felt like about 30 degrees, and the wind got fierce. I felt pretty good, though, especially the last mile. I'm not sure, but I think I ran negative splits on this run.

I'm going to look around at some more courses in the midtown/downtown area this weekend.

About me: I'm 43 years old (born in 1960) and for the last 6 years, I haven't really done any running or racing. I started running when I was 12 years old, and racing the year after. I ran on my high school and college cross-country and track teams, but I always liked cross-country better. On the roads or in XC, I could stay interested in the running; while I was on the track I would get bored easily. anything more than a mile on the track and I would lose my concentration. My best 10k was a 34:21, on the roads. My best 5k was a 16:10, also on roads. On the track, my event was the 800m. In 1982, I ran a 1:58.5 800. Not the fastest man on the track, but not too bad. I think if I could have concentrated on the longer races, I could have run a much better 5k or 10k than I did. My problem with the track is mental.

About four years ago, I relocated to Atlanta. I now live in the suburbs to the north of the city. I've joined a gym in the Midtown Atlanta, and plan to work out at least three times a week, and maybe get back into racing.

Personal Bests:

800m 1:58.5
1500m 4:04.7
5K (Road) 16:10
10k (Road 34:21
Marathon 3:32:30