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.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
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about a week ago after we got back from vacation but I completely forgot it was sitting in the draft bin so it's now out of date.**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.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
200th Post? Really?
I had no idea I was approaching 200 posts on this blog until a few days ago when I saw "197" on the screen. I guess it has been what, two years, of off again on again posting so 200 posts isn't totally out of left field.
Anyway, this post won't be much in the way of historical...maybe for my 300th post I'll put some more thought into making a memorable post.
I didn't get out yesterday or this morning because I've been going to bed WAY too late to be able to pull myself out of bed at 6 AM. Annie's rehearsals mean she doesn't get home until after 11 so we aren't in bed until midnight or later. It's totally unsustainable but she has two more days of rehearsal and then two shows before it ends (and then we go on vacation) so I'll tough it out.
I really should get a quick run in to keep on track with my recovery runs so I may go home and do a quick 1.5 mile loop to get the knee some action. Then I can try to get out tomorrow morning and take Saturday off to rest the knee, pack, and nap so I can stay awake on the drive on Sunday night.
After we get back from vacation, getting the right amount of sleep each night will be my top priority because I feel so much better when I actually sleep 7-8 hours. Oddly, I feel sluggish when I go over that length of time nowadays. I used to be able to sleep for 12-14 hours with no problem, but now I feel lethargic if I sleep even 9-10 hours (unless I'm jet-lagged, sick or totally exhausted.) I know that with more sleep, getting out of bed in the morning won't be nearly as difficult.
Anyway, this post won't be much in the way of historical...maybe for my 300th post I'll put some more thought into making a memorable post.
I didn't get out yesterday or this morning because I've been going to bed WAY too late to be able to pull myself out of bed at 6 AM. Annie's rehearsals mean she doesn't get home until after 11 so we aren't in bed until midnight or later. It's totally unsustainable but she has two more days of rehearsal and then two shows before it ends (and then we go on vacation) so I'll tough it out.
I really should get a quick run in to keep on track with my recovery runs so I may go home and do a quick 1.5 mile loop to get the knee some action. Then I can try to get out tomorrow morning and take Saturday off to rest the knee, pack, and nap so I can stay awake on the drive on Sunday night.
After we get back from vacation, getting the right amount of sleep each night will be my top priority because I feel so much better when I actually sleep 7-8 hours. Oddly, I feel sluggish when I go over that length of time nowadays. I used to be able to sleep for 12-14 hours with no problem, but now I feel lethargic if I sleep even 9-10 hours (unless I'm jet-lagged, sick or totally exhausted.) I know that with more sleep, getting out of bed in the morning won't be nearly as difficult.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
CFA is Like Running...Kind of
CFA Level I exam results came out today and I literally, just barely failed. In some ways, that's worse than if I had failed by a wide margin because had I answered a few more questions correctly (assuming I'd eventually come to correct answer, of course), I'd have passed.
You don't get your actual score for the exam. They send you a letter that says Pass or Fail and then shows each of the exam's sections and a star underneath one of three columns denoting how many questions in the section you got right: <50%;>70%. I got more than 70% in three areas and between 51% and 70% right in the rest of the exam. They also assign you to a "band" of failing test takers on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 means that you were in the lowest decile of failures while 10 means you were in the top 10% of test takers who failed. I was in band 10, which basically tells me that had I done a little bit better on accounting, I'd be taking Level II next June.
So, what have I learned (aside from way too much about statistics for my tastes?)
Even though I studied hard, I don't think I studied as smartly as I should have. I didn't take as many complete practice exams as I should have and I started studying about three weeks later than I should have. I wasn't as organized and tactical in what I studied until it was too late, really. Starting to study tactically a month before the exam is not smart, but that's what I did.
This time around, I'm going to dedicate more time, but over more weeks, to the CFA. I don't have to start from scratch, which means I can read the curriculum this time through and master the advanced concepts rather than trying to keep my head above water with the basics.
In running terms, I tried to run a marathon without a proper base load of miles. And I bonked. Now, I have the base I need to start training to be competitive.
I'm going to work out a training schedule where I'm reading or completing a few questions each day, using targeted workouts to build endurance some days, recover other days, increase speed other days, etc. By the time I start to taper that final week before the exam, I should be in much better shape than I was this time around. The first step of all this is to sit down and think about how long the training plan will be (i.e. when do I start? September/October? January?) Then working out a weekly schedule leading up to the exam will be critical to ensuring I stay on target.
At the same time, I don't want to become totally consumed by the CFA again, if I can help it. The material is dense and challenging for me, who has never taken an accounting or corporate finance course. But I would like to create a schedule where I can keep making progress with running while also preparing for the exam. Maintaining balance is something that they don't highlight in the CFA material, but something which I think is critical to not burning out on the stuff by exam day.
Like I said, hindsight is 20/20 and I'm glad that I have the experience of taking the exam once already. I would feel much worse had I done really poorly, but with a little more polishing, next June I should be able to murder that exam...or at least pass!
You don't get your actual score for the exam. They send you a letter that says Pass or Fail and then shows each of the exam's sections and a star underneath one of three columns denoting how many questions in the section you got right: <50%;>70%. I got more than 70% in three areas and between 51% and 70% right in the rest of the exam. They also assign you to a "band" of failing test takers on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 means that you were in the lowest decile of failures while 10 means you were in the top 10% of test takers who failed. I was in band 10, which basically tells me that had I done a little bit better on accounting, I'd be taking Level II next June.
So, what have I learned (aside from way too much about statistics for my tastes?)
Even though I studied hard, I don't think I studied as smartly as I should have. I didn't take as many complete practice exams as I should have and I started studying about three weeks later than I should have. I wasn't as organized and tactical in what I studied until it was too late, really. Starting to study tactically a month before the exam is not smart, but that's what I did.
This time around, I'm going to dedicate more time, but over more weeks, to the CFA. I don't have to start from scratch, which means I can read the curriculum this time through and master the advanced concepts rather than trying to keep my head above water with the basics.
In running terms, I tried to run a marathon without a proper base load of miles. And I bonked. Now, I have the base I need to start training to be competitive.
I'm going to work out a training schedule where I'm reading or completing a few questions each day, using targeted workouts to build endurance some days, recover other days, increase speed other days, etc. By the time I start to taper that final week before the exam, I should be in much better shape than I was this time around. The first step of all this is to sit down and think about how long the training plan will be (i.e. when do I start? September/October? January?) Then working out a weekly schedule leading up to the exam will be critical to ensuring I stay on target.
At the same time, I don't want to become totally consumed by the CFA again, if I can help it. The material is dense and challenging for me, who has never taken an accounting or corporate finance course. But I would like to create a schedule where I can keep making progress with running while also preparing for the exam. Maintaining balance is something that they don't highlight in the CFA material, but something which I think is critical to not burning out on the stuff by exam day.
Like I said, hindsight is 20/20 and I'm glad that I have the experience of taking the exam once already. I would feel much worse had I done really poorly, but with a little more polishing, next June I should be able to murder that exam...or at least pass!
Monday, July 27, 2009
"Rehab" Run #2
This morning, after a relaxing weekend, I got back out for my second rehab run, of sorts. The idea is to take it really slow and short until I feel that my knee and the rest of my body had acclimated to not sitting around all day.
Today, I did a very short 1.5 mile loop at an easy pace. There was no pain in the knee and less of a weakness feeling in it as well, which is good news. I resisted the temptation to try to run faster because not only do I not want to mess up the knee I spent two weeks babying, but I want to make sure I actually build endurance, and that means running at a apace that I can sustain the entire run, no matter the distance. I have to remember that the objective of a half marathon or full marathon is to cover the entire distance running (at least that's my objective) and to minimize walking. To do that, you need first the endurance to run that far and then you can build speed. It's a long road, but that's fine.
My plan is to keep it to 1.5 mile loops the rest of this week (Wednesday, Friday and Sunday) and see how I feel. We leave for the beach on Sunday afternoon, so I have already mapped out a few short routes around the island we'll be staying at. We're spending three days with my family at a beach house in Isle of Palms, SC and then heading up to Myrtle Beach for three more days just the two of us. So, I need to map out some a route in Myrtle as well that I can hit one morning.
I had hoped to be up to running 3 miles at a time by this point to help offset all the good seafood I'll be eating next week, but that's the way things go sometimes. By the time we go to the beach next summer (maybe with her family), I should be back to half-marathon distance and with any luck, my speed will be much improved.
Today, I did a very short 1.5 mile loop at an easy pace. There was no pain in the knee and less of a weakness feeling in it as well, which is good news. I resisted the temptation to try to run faster because not only do I not want to mess up the knee I spent two weeks babying, but I want to make sure I actually build endurance, and that means running at a apace that I can sustain the entire run, no matter the distance. I have to remember that the objective of a half marathon or full marathon is to cover the entire distance running (at least that's my objective) and to minimize walking. To do that, you need first the endurance to run that far and then you can build speed. It's a long road, but that's fine.
My plan is to keep it to 1.5 mile loops the rest of this week (Wednesday, Friday and Sunday) and see how I feel. We leave for the beach on Sunday afternoon, so I have already mapped out a few short routes around the island we'll be staying at. We're spending three days with my family at a beach house in Isle of Palms, SC and then heading up to Myrtle Beach for three more days just the two of us. So, I need to map out some a route in Myrtle as well that I can hit one morning.
I had hoped to be up to running 3 miles at a time by this point to help offset all the good seafood I'll be eating next week, but that's the way things go sometimes. By the time we go to the beach next summer (maybe with her family), I should be back to half-marathon distance and with any luck, my speed will be much improved.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Weekend Video and Ironman
Meant to post this earlier, but the work day just got away from me with several meetings this afternoon including a portfolio risk review meeting.
Anyway, the knee is feeling oh so close to 100% now. I'd estimate it's around 96% with little soreness. So, I think I'm ready to get out tomorrow morning and see how it feels. I anticipate soreness, but it's recovered enough that as long as I go slowly in running from now on, it should heal up completely and not get worse.
On another note, the YouTube video below has been sweeping around the Internet this week and I saw it this morning. It's pervaded the online world enough that I got the link in a daily e-mail from an energy (oil and natural gas) company stock research firm as part of their Friday Humor section. Everytime I watch this video, I laugh because it looks like it was a great wedding to attend. Plus, everyone looks happy and that's what a wedding should be: a fun, happy party to celebrate. It was also a nice way to begin the work day, particularly with above-mentioned meetings on the horizon.
Should be a good weekend here in Charm City. Hot and humid and a high of 92 tomorrow, but I'll be at the office for the afternoon so no problemo. Then it's home to watch the Ford Hawaii Ironman on NBC! One of my favorite sporting events to watch. I like the way they cover both the pros vying for the title and ordinary athletes just trying to finish. Very inspiring. And truth be told, one of my ultimate, very long-term fitness goals is to complete at least one Ironman someday. The first step is getting my running back in decent shape so by "long-term" I'm talking 5 years or more. But hey, I'm not even 30 yet so I have time to hit that goal, I think.
Anyway, the knee is feeling oh so close to 100% now. I'd estimate it's around 96% with little soreness. So, I think I'm ready to get out tomorrow morning and see how it feels. I anticipate soreness, but it's recovered enough that as long as I go slowly in running from now on, it should heal up completely and not get worse.
On another note, the YouTube video below has been sweeping around the Internet this week and I saw it this morning. It's pervaded the online world enough that I got the link in a daily e-mail from an energy (oil and natural gas) company stock research firm as part of their Friday Humor section. Everytime I watch this video, I laugh because it looks like it was a great wedding to attend. Plus, everyone looks happy and that's what a wedding should be: a fun, happy party to celebrate. It was also a nice way to begin the work day, particularly with above-mentioned meetings on the horizon.
Should be a good weekend here in Charm City. Hot and humid and a high of 92 tomorrow, but I'll be at the office for the afternoon so no problemo. Then it's home to watch the Ford Hawaii Ironman on NBC! One of my favorite sporting events to watch. I like the way they cover both the pros vying for the title and ordinary athletes just trying to finish. Very inspiring. And truth be told, one of my ultimate, very long-term fitness goals is to complete at least one Ironman someday. The first step is getting my running back in decent shape so by "long-term" I'm talking 5 years or more. But hey, I'm not even 30 yet so I have time to hit that goal, I think.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
The Best Movie of the Summer!
Or, that's what just about every trailer for a movie these days says. Usually, when I see that, I know it probably sucks because most of the time studios take a quote out of context. They'll say Transformers II is "a knockout...you need to see this movie!" as quoted in the New York Times. But the review will actually say, "While Megan Fox may be a knockout, her acting is utterly terrible. There is no reason on God's green earth you need to see this movie." But it's really just a way to get poor saps to spend $10 on a bad movie.
Which is kinda what I wanted from that title so you'd read the post, although it has nothing to do with a movie. Running Warehouse is having a sale right now where most, if not all, of its apparel is 25% off. This doesn't include shoes, but who doesn't need a new pair of shorts or a new running shirt for racing season, right? I don't know where the link is for the discount on their site because I clicked through a link I got in an e-mail from them. But if you aren't familiar with Running Warehouse, check out the site (just do a Google/Bing/Yahoo! search for Running Warehouse). They have tons of shoes and apparel and other stuff for runners. The best part is though that they have FREE two day shipping, which is why I do the majority of my shopping there. (In no way am I affiliated with Running Warehouse, let it be known. I just really like the site, the free shipping and the generally reasonable prices made more so by this sale.)
Each time I've bought something from the site it's arrived on time with no problems. I got my last pair of running shoes from the site and fully intend to keep doing that as well. This time around, I bought two more pair of UnderArmour compression shorts since they work so well. IMHO, compression shorts help avoid chafing when paired with strategically placed Body Glide, of course) from by keeping skin off skin, and helps keep quad and hamstring and groin pulls down. I ran one half marathon without compression shorts and had enough trouble walking and sitting from chafing that I have never run without compression shorts since.
Anyway, I digress. Check out the site and sale. It applies to men's and women's apparel, by the way.
*****INJURY UPDATE******
The knee is much better. Somewhere in the 90% to 100% range but not 100% yet. I'm continuing to baby it in the hopes that two full weeks off will be enough to allow me to start back running to strengthen it. Steps (both going up and down) are no problem now, which is good, although the tightness in the morning has remained, but it's much less painful. I imagine that it'll be tight every morning for a few more weeks, but hopefully I can run on it and gradually strengthen it as it heals up that last 10% or so.
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