My Monday is coming to a close, thankfully, and I've put off posting through forgetfulness and business until now. But, I'm here now, and that's what counts, right? Right.
After a so-so work week in terms of my ability to get up and out the door in the mornings for my runs, I was determined to make the weekend worthwhile and I succeeded. Friday, as I last wrote, I totally failed to wake up and instead hit snooze without a tinge of regret. The regret would come later in the day when I felt guilty for not exercising like I was supposed to. At any rate, I then tried to will myself to run after work but the weather was nasty (heavy downpours here in the city) and it just didn't happen. I vowed to get runs in on Saturday and Sunday, with Sunday being 3 miles at a long, slow pace. I feel foolish labeling such a run an LSD run because 3 miles is not distance in the grand scheme of distances, but for now, it'll have to do. I'm determined not to give in to the temptation to try a 5 or 6 miler and get injured like I was back in July. I'd rather feel like I'm not running as far as I think I could and not have any injuries.
That being said, I got up and out the door on Saturday around 9:30 for a quick 2 miles. Nothing special about it, although the humidity was high (it's August in Baltimore so it's been miserable for about a month now.) Sunday I got up and out the door around 10:30 for my run. It was cooler and drier out, so that made the run better. I headed from the apartment south along St. Paul St all the way to the harbor at Pratt before hanging a right and heading back north along Charles St. That's the most difficult part of any route down and back to the harbor because it's a challenging uphill run all the way from Pratt to Mulberry St (I guess maybe half a mile or so). I ran much of the way, which was good, and then hung a left at Mulberry and a right onto Cathedral heading north again before looping back to the apartment.
I wanted to keep my pace reasonable and slow to avoid having to walk too much like last week when the hills of Calvert St killed me. And aside from walking to cross Lombard St and for about 15 seconds farther up the hill, I didn't have to stop. I thought that probably meant that my pace was somewhere around 10:00 or so. On these short runs, I've just been using the stop watch on my Swiss Army watch rather than my Garmin so I don't have the live pace data.
I got back and put my run time and distance into my log on Running Ahead only to find that I was well below 10:00, like more than a minute below. I was shocked because I felt OK after I finished the run and not totally exhausted. So, my LSD run really never materialized, apparently. But that's not a bad thing because it means I'm making progress and that the slow and steady approach is paying dividends gradually.
This week I'm bumping up the weekday run distance to 2.5 miles with a fartlek run planned for tomorrow and Thursday and an easy run on Wednesday. I want to run three days in a row and take Friday off because we're heading to Michigan for a wedding on Friday. Then I can take another crack at actually running an LSD run the morning of the wedding on Saturday and rest for the travel day back to Baltimore on Sunday.
Now I just need to get my ass out of bed tomorrow morning to stay on plan!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
I'm Only a Morning Person Once I'm Awake
The best time for running during the workweek for me is early in the morning before I head to the office because I'm at work 10 hours a day at least and there is a low probability that I will have the energy to run at 7 PM on a Tuesday after working 10 hours and walking over 2 miles to the office and back. Plus there's nobody else out at 6 AM and no traffic so it's rare that I have to stop at intersections.
But I've also found that it's REALLY tough for me to get out of bed in the morning. Once I'm up, I'm fine and I function just fine. But getting out from under those warm covers is so hard! Especially now as the morning's get darker and our bedroom, thanks to the window AC we just got, remains nice and frigid, it's tough to talk myself into getting up. And then once I oversleep and wake up, I feel bad for wussing out. This is what has happened today, when I was supposed to get 2 miles in before work but slept in instead. So, this evening, barring torrential rains, I plan on doing those 2 miles as punishment to myself.
Next week I think I just need to override my sleepy inner voice that so easily rationalizes missing my workouts. Perhaps my guilt will also help overwhelm the temptation to get an extra hour of sleep.
On another topic, I went ahead and registered for the 2009 Celtic Solstice 5 Miler (yes, this is the 2008 page but they tend to wait until the fall to update the page for some reason.) here in Baltimore. I ran it two years ago in 2007 and loved it. The race was large but not huge (back then it was probably 2,000 runners, maybe fewer) and the weather was, I thought, excellent for a race. It was really cold (like teens or low 20's when it started), but under a crystal clear winter sky and a sun that warmed you up along the way. Plus running in Druid Hill Park is always great, although arguably not always safe. The presence of Baltimore's finest, the early hour and the large crowds helped keep things safe for everyone though. Plus the spread afterwards was great and I would imagine that since the race has become even more popular in the intervening years, it'll be stupendous this year too.
So, I'm registered for my first race in over a year, and I should be in fine form for the 5 mile distance by then. I'm conflicted about running in the Baltimore Running Festival in October, as the 5K is rather pricey. But I've run in the last two (5K in '07 and half marathon in '08) and would like to continue the tradition. I'm definitely running the Cincinnati Thanksgiving Day Race, though. I love doing turkey trots because they make the feasting later in the day a little less of a caloric Armageddon. Plus this is the 100th running of the race and as a former History major, I can't pass up historical events, no matter how inconsequential. It's also an affordable race at just $25.
So, we'll see how much racing I get done this fall. Probably not much since I'm taking my time rebuilding my mileage. But the main focus is more long-term with the hope of doing another half marathon next spring or fall, depending on how things go.
Now I just need to get out of bed in the morning to actually train and I'll be all set!
But I've also found that it's REALLY tough for me to get out of bed in the morning. Once I'm up, I'm fine and I function just fine. But getting out from under those warm covers is so hard! Especially now as the morning's get darker and our bedroom, thanks to the window AC we just got, remains nice and frigid, it's tough to talk myself into getting up. And then once I oversleep and wake up, I feel bad for wussing out. This is what has happened today, when I was supposed to get 2 miles in before work but slept in instead. So, this evening, barring torrential rains, I plan on doing those 2 miles as punishment to myself.
Next week I think I just need to override my sleepy inner voice that so easily rationalizes missing my workouts. Perhaps my guilt will also help overwhelm the temptation to get an extra hour of sleep.
On another topic, I went ahead and registered for the 2009 Celtic Solstice 5 Miler (yes, this is the 2008 page but they tend to wait until the fall to update the page for some reason.) here in Baltimore. I ran it two years ago in 2007 and loved it. The race was large but not huge (back then it was probably 2,000 runners, maybe fewer) and the weather was, I thought, excellent for a race. It was really cold (like teens or low 20's when it started), but under a crystal clear winter sky and a sun that warmed you up along the way. Plus running in Druid Hill Park is always great, although arguably not always safe. The presence of Baltimore's finest, the early hour and the large crowds helped keep things safe for everyone though. Plus the spread afterwards was great and I would imagine that since the race has become even more popular in the intervening years, it'll be stupendous this year too.
So, I'm registered for my first race in over a year, and I should be in fine form for the 5 mile distance by then. I'm conflicted about running in the Baltimore Running Festival in October, as the 5K is rather pricey. But I've run in the last two (5K in '07 and half marathon in '08) and would like to continue the tradition. I'm definitely running the Cincinnati Thanksgiving Day Race, though. I love doing turkey trots because they make the feasting later in the day a little less of a caloric Armageddon. Plus this is the 100th running of the race and as a former History major, I can't pass up historical events, no matter how inconsequential. It's also an affordable race at just $25.
So, we'll see how much racing I get done this fall. Probably not much since I'm taking my time rebuilding my mileage. But the main focus is more long-term with the hope of doing another half marathon next spring or fall, depending on how things go.
Now I just need to get out of bed in the morning to actually train and I'll be all set!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Not Posting Is Not the Same as Not Running
I forgot I had a post saved in my draft bin, which matches with my overall forgetting to post regularly since coming back from South Carolina. I need to get the pictures we took uploaded and posted as well...that might be a project for Saturday afternoon since Annie is in New York all day Saturday.
Anyway, I have been relatively consistent (relative to the past six months, say) in my running and have also been good about running slower and shorter to allow my body time to adjust. I've had some good runs these last few days, which I'm pleased about. The two mile short course I've laid out has some decent hills built into it along the way but is also flat or downhill enough to allow me to catch my breath, provided I run at the right pace and don't flame out (As I did on Saturday morning's run in the 85 degree humidity.)
Monday I was unable to rouse myself from bed at 6 and couldn't run in the morning so I forced myself to leave work on time at 6 PM to get home and get those two miles in around 7. It was a good run, but I don't like running in the afternoon/evening. While it's more humid in the mornings usually, it's just too hot in the evening still to run comfortably. But I got the miles in and they weren't junk, so I was happy with that.
Wednesday I got up a little late (6:30) and was out the door by 6:45. I just accepted that I'd be a little late for work, but nobody really cares, thankfully, so long as you get your work done and aren't coming in late everyday. The run was solid and I felt great afterward; like I could run another 3-4 miles. That's the feeling I'm going for on these initial weeks, so that was great. I was at work by 8:30, so no harm no foul.
Tomorrow I'll get up on time so I have time to run and then cool down properly. Then on Saturday I'll bump up to 3 miles and see how I feel. If that goes well, Monday I'll start increasing the mileage with a goal of eventually getting back to my pre-hiatus distance of 5 miles on the weekday mornings.
Anyway, I have been relatively consistent (relative to the past six months, say) in my running and have also been good about running slower and shorter to allow my body time to adjust. I've had some good runs these last few days, which I'm pleased about. The two mile short course I've laid out has some decent hills built into it along the way but is also flat or downhill enough to allow me to catch my breath, provided I run at the right pace and don't flame out (As I did on Saturday morning's run in the 85 degree humidity.)
Monday I was unable to rouse myself from bed at 6 and couldn't run in the morning so I forced myself to leave work on time at 6 PM to get home and get those two miles in around 7. It was a good run, but I don't like running in the afternoon/evening. While it's more humid in the mornings usually, it's just too hot in the evening still to run comfortably. But I got the miles in and they weren't junk, so I was happy with that.
Wednesday I got up a little late (6:30) and was out the door by 6:45. I just accepted that I'd be a little late for work, but nobody really cares, thankfully, so long as you get your work done and aren't coming in late everyday. The run was solid and I felt great afterward; like I could run another 3-4 miles. That's the feeling I'm going for on these initial weeks, so that was great. I was at work by 8:30, so no harm no foul.
Tomorrow I'll get up on time so I have time to run and then cool down properly. Then on Saturday I'll bump up to 3 miles and see how I feel. If that goes well, Monday I'll start increasing the mileage with a goal of eventually getting back to my pre-hiatus distance of 5 miles on the weekday mornings.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Back from Vacation
**Note that this post was supposed to have gone out about a week ago after we got back from vacation but I completely forgot it was sitting in the draft bin so it's now out of date.**
OK, so I was pretty terrible about posting while away on vacation. Oh, and I was pretty terrible about running on vacation as well. FOr the former, I have no excuse other than I was on vacation and only got on my laptop to check my work e-mail and keep the inbox as clean as possible (I get literally somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,000 e-mails a day, most of it research.)
For the latter, I have a very good excuse: I had no shorts. That's right. I laid out my running shirts I wanted to take several nights in advance of our departure, but I did not pack my shorts or compression shorts because we were going to wash some clothes before we left and I wanted clean shorts. Unfortunately, my wife washed the clothes and then put them away in the drawers, and I totally forgot to pack the shorts. I don't even realize it until Wednesday when we were going to rent bikes and ride through Charleston for the day. I went to find shorts and compression shorts, thinking I was so smart for bringing them along, only to realize that I had packed neither!
Awesome. I had some mesh shorts that worked just fine, but I was unable to run the whole week as a result of not having the right shorts. But my running shirts came in handy on the aforementioned bike ride and to cover up a nasty sunburn I got on the very first day we were on the beach.
OK, so I was pretty terrible about posting while away on vacation. Oh, and I was pretty terrible about running on vacation as well. FOr the former, I have no excuse other than I was on vacation and only got on my laptop to check my work e-mail and keep the inbox as clean as possible (I get literally somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,000 e-mails a day, most of it research.)
For the latter, I have a very good excuse: I had no shorts. That's right. I laid out my running shirts I wanted to take several nights in advance of our departure, but I did not pack my shorts or compression shorts because we were going to wash some clothes before we left and I wanted clean shorts. Unfortunately, my wife washed the clothes and then put them away in the drawers, and I totally forgot to pack the shorts. I don't even realize it until Wednesday when we were going to rent bikes and ride through Charleston for the day. I went to find shorts and compression shorts, thinking I was so smart for bringing them along, only to realize that I had packed neither!
Awesome. I had some mesh shorts that worked just fine, but I was unable to run the whole week as a result of not having the right shorts. But my running shirts came in handy on the aforementioned bike ride and to cover up a nasty sunburn I got on the very first day we were on the beach.
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