Finally!

Hey, I've got no real excuses. Today, I FINALLY got out for some aerobic exercise. It was a calm, cool morning, right around freezing when I started my hour-long walk. I covered just about 4 miles. Not a great deal, but if I'm consistent, my aerobic capacity should rise fairly quickly. The grass was all frosted when I started, but the sun had melted most of it off by ending time.

I have still not purchased a scale, but did but a calendar to serve as my training diary. I am also trying to do calesthenics to build some added muscular strength (and add to my daily calorie burn).

Actual running will begin soon.

Given $&:+

Shortly after noon today, I headed over to the race in town...I'd forgotten that it was going on. That wasn't the crime, though. One runner I know got on me hard about my lack of conditioning. I need to get a fitness log going and work to keep there from being many empty days. I will get into reasonable shape this year.

What a Blockhead!

"How do you find running in those shoes?," asked the runner who was passing me.
"Not too bad, but I really feel the big stones," said I.
"Be careful in them, I got a neuroma from running too far here in a bad pair of shoes," he replied.

So began a conversation about my unusual footwear this morning. I was running in boat shoes because I'd driven off thinking my shoes were in the car. It was the second time I'd made that mistake in 2 weeks. What a blockhead!

Last time, I'd headed to the last race of the summer series without them. I racewalked 2 miles in bare feet then. I gathered six blisters, and didn't work out for five days afterwards. What a blockhead!

Got a story of your blockheadedness? Please share, otherwise I'll think you're all perfect!

Fitness Plan - Revised

I've been struggling to get motivated to get myself back into running shape. It's been hard. I've decided that I will aim for daily activity - to me that means 5 days each week. After picking up my bike on Wednesday, I took it out for a short twenty minute ride on Thursday evening. Today, my son and I went for a walk of about an hour. We're going to run with an area club tomorrow morning. That will be three days in a row.
My hope is to integrate more activity into my day, and to keep it varied. The plan is to gradually build my aerobic condition while I strengthen by legs. Once I am comfortable running, I'll try to do that 3 or 4 days a week, with other activity on the other days.
I hope this will also help motivate me to drop some additional weight - I'm at about 185 lbs., I'd like to get down to about 165 by year end.

Blowout!

Last Sunday, my son and I went out for a bike ride. The results were not pretty. Perhaps inspired by the Tour de France, I'd decided that we should ride a "tough alpine stage." Near my home there is a large park which covers much of a local ridge. It was that ridge which we were going to tackle.
We started our ride, and i gave him some instruction on shifting gears while we were down on level ground near home. We then rode up to this park. there is about 250 feet of elevation rise which is delivered in about a half mile of riding, so by quick math, that's about 250 feet of rise spread over about a 2500 feet run, or about a 10% grade. The early part of this is steeper, and it was here that the real adventure began.
We were climbing up, and i found myself breathing quite hard. The weather was warm, and I felt that stopping was appropriate. I should know better than to stop activity abruptly, and shortly after stopping, I was feeling a bit light-headed. I sat and had M give me my water bottle. I sprayed myself and took a drink, trying to cool off. My breathing was coming under control, but I was still feeling off. Deciding that judgement was the better part of valor, I swallowed my pride and called my wife to come pick us up. She was unsure if she could fit both bikes in the car.
A few moments later, a guy in a pickup stopped and asked if we were OK. I responded, not really, but help was on the way, and sent him away. A few moments later, another cyclist passed, barreling down the hill. He stopped, turned, checked in on us, and departed when we told him we were OK. My wife arrived a couple of minutes later, and I loaded M's bicycle into the back. I was, by then, feeling well enough to ride home.
I began the downhill ride by shifting to a higher gear. It was then that I suffered the blowout. Unlike the more common versions where a tire fails, I had a catastophic failure of a shift cable. I had never learned to reliably install indexed shift cables, so I had to take my "antique" mountain bike into the shop.

Blistered!

I got to the gym today and thought I'd forgotten my socks. I looked into my gym bag and didn't see them as I double checked, so I walked my 45 minutes without them. As I neared the end of my first half-hour, I could tell that my foot was blistering. I thought I was the top of the base of the second toe of my right foot. It as actually the middle of that toe, and by the time I was done, it had popped. I also had a hot spot on top of my left big toe.
Meanwhile, in the shower I noticed some irritation on my er, equipment. Without my glasses, I couldn't really inspect it then, but when I returned to my locker, I took a look. Remarkably, it too had apparently blistered, but due to the feet, I hadn't realized.
Finally, the kicker, after my workout, I went back into the gym bag and saw there a pair of workout socks.

Back To The Gym

I've got to confess that i only made the gym once last week. I hope to get to at least 3 this week. I did
leg presses today, at 210#, 2 x 10;
leg curls @ 80#, 2 x 10;
Chest press @ 120, 2 x 10;
rows @ 120, 2 x 10;
pull-ups @ 120 (190 - 70 lb assist), 6
Walking - 20 min at 4+, 2.1 mi

I'm pretty fatigued now. I need to get into another math course for spring. Gym was crowded, though not awful today - think the New Year's crowd is mostly daytime workers.

Sore Ass!

Last night was brutal! No, it really was, but that has little to do with the sore ass. I went to the gym yesterday, it was the first time in many months. I wanted to try to get myself back into shape, but I know the road will be long.

Here's what I did:
Leg press at 190 - 2 x 10
Leg Curl at 60? - 2 x 10
Pull Ups (with 70 assist) - 1 x 5
Walk (treadmill) - 30 min - just over 2 miles

Here's what I learned:
I need to relearn how to pack for the gym - I walked in without shoes (they were in the car), had no towel (had to rent one), and brought no toiletries (scruffy the rest of the day).
I also need to keep away from the locker room around 2:30 - the high school swim team is prepping for practice, were I a pedophile, I might enjoy that, but I wound up feeling uncomfortable and I suspect they were too.

You know who was there? The girl who walks on the treadmill at a BIG incline and holds on the whole time. You know the one, she wants to look like whe's working out really hard, but really isn't. I think there's one of them at your gym, right?

Not Just Sore, Marathon Sore!

That's Carlo Gabbi (sp?) of Italy as Dorando with Dorando's cup, me as Johnny Hayes with Hayes' gold medal, and Michal (rhymes with nickel) Kapral aka "The Joggler" as Tom Longboat. And, yes, I shaved the moustache to be Hayes...otherwise they might have thought I was Dorando.



Me, on the left, Bruce Kidd, the great Canadian runner of the early 1960's and an authority on Tom Longboat, and John Bryant, English author of "The Marathon Makers" at the press conference before the Toronto Waterfront Marathon.

I set a new PW for the marathon, adding about 1:31 to my previous worst, but on about 70 days of training, I can't gripe.

A Long Stroll

Today, I particpated in the National 40K racewalk. I say "particpated in" because I was not very competitive, nor did I expect to be. I had not done much racewalking this season, and rather expected that bent knees would likely prove my downfall, as had happened in the past. Sure enough, I got my first card on lap one, but was able to improve my form a bit and last until 14K before I got DQ'ed. When I came around at 16K, I saw three cards next to my number, and I took the number off of my chest.
I continued walking until 22K, as part of a test. I needed to "go long."
My plan is to walk the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in two weeks, dressed as Johnny Hayes. I have not gone that far in over two years, and have not run any distance longer than five miles in as long. I'm heavy (up about 30 lbs. from my "competitive weight" and 40 from my "really competitive weight.), and fairly soft.
At Toronto, there will be people marking three of the athletes - local boy Tom Longboat, first finisher at the Olympic Marathon, later disqualified, Dorando Pietri; and gold medalist Johnny Hayes. On display at the expo will be Dorando's cup, Hayes' medal, Longboat's 1907 Boston Marathon victory trophy and Hayes' 3rd place trophy from the same race. You can see a bit about Toronto's celbration here.

A Stroll

Last night, I walked for about an hour. I had gone to a local park and started walking about 7:15, and got back into the car at 8:23. I'm not sure if I went 6 or 7 laps, given the time, I'd like to think it was 7, but have no certainty, so either 4.8 or 5.6 miles. Being a Wednesday, one of the local running groups gets together there, so one guy I knew did a "WHAT are you doing?" about my walk. I'm just not in shape to run long, with my weight and lack of conditioning. I'd run 3.2 on Monday.

The Running Meatball

Ten days ago, when I ran the five miles, I'd suffered from the dreaded "chub rub," with my overly meaty thighs chafing to the point of having "polka dot" scabbing the next day. A few days later, I ran in my least favorite pair of running shorts. They're a pair of Nikes, which I purchased a few years back when I realized when headed for an evening race that I'd mispacked my bag. They're too long, nylon taffeta and they hold stink really well - I think it's the lining. I noticed as I wore them that I chafed very minimally, so it struck me that the trend towards longer shorts might also be a function of the trend towards obesity on American society.

Another Update

My achilles tendons are a bit tight because yesterday morning, my son and I went back to RVRR's weekly towpath run. We ran just shy of five miles. Once again, we were warmly greeted, and had a nice time, although we did not go to breakfast with them after the run. My son wants to take his running a bit more seriously, and he's been doing a fairly long run at least once a week with either my wife or me.

29:59 and Happy!

When I was in reasonable shape, I would have been slightly disappointed to run a 4 mile in that kind of time. Tonight, I ran a 5K in that time and am happy. That's what lack of conditioning will do for you. My son beat me by over 3 minutes, that's mostly the innate conditioning of being 9 years old.
I saw a guy I'd known for years, and his son, who sports a mane of bright orange hair, is now fifteen. I mentioned to him that I remembered his son when he was my son's size.
On Saturday, my son and I ran with one of the area clubs on a canal tow path. He ran about 5K before the lump of raisin bread hardened into concrete in his beely and made running hard. So, we did a mix of running and walking back to the start. We covered about 10K (me, a bit under 6 miles), but it was a good workout. The legs were a bit soft for a day. My wind is the limiting factor.
In tonight's race (and I use that term loosely), I wound up with another guy beside me for most of the last lap. He was pulling me along, and I was doing the "bail out, no don't" routine. I thought back to the lesson I got from Arthur Lydiard, which was "keep fighting, you never know when your competition will break." He didn't, I didn't, but I got my time, and I think he reached a bit deeper than he otherwise would have. The result was a bit anticlimactic, my opponent didn't cross the line, he hadn't signed up for the race, so I got the placing, but there wasn't the need to reach down and struggle to lift the knees to finish better than he did. He was a great runner in his day, so I knew it wouldn't be easy if it came to that, but it didn't.
Anyway, it was my first time this season under 30, so I'm happy.

An Update

I ran this morning, and I ran yesterday afternoon, and I walked on Wednesday. I am working hard to fight the battle. I did not do much last week, but I had a pretty good excuse, I was in Italy to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Olympic Marathon that established the standard marathon distance. I will be making a post on that on another site and will link to it from this one once it is up.

Crossing Paths

En route back from my run yesterday, I ran into a guy I would often race against. He's been racing more in short triathlons. He posed a question to me about long races, specifically, "Did I think doing long races was healthy?" My response was, essentially, they aren't unhealthy, but they can beat you up a lot, and that may be a price you don't choose to pay. It seems clear to me that long races are unhealthy for those with biomechanical issues...well, more exactly, likely to exacerbate your injury/condition, but probably neutral for those who do not have problems...though there are minor health issues, like the sun exposure of your skin during the event, risk of crashes/falls/injuries during an event, etc.
Later in the day, I was walking around town and found a local runner/coach was now managing the local store of a chain of running stores. We talked a bit about some other local runners, etc. It was a nice visit.
I mentioned my recent trip to Utica, and have posted some pictures on the blog attached to my club's website, here and here. You may want to stop by and take a look.

Guilt!

Last Friday, Independence Day, the local 4-mile race was held. I did not run, as my pasty, fat thighs were not up to the task. One of my friends was there, and we went to lunch in a group after the race. He laid into me about getting out of shape. Guilt is good!
On Saturday, my nine year-old son, perhaps inspired by 16 year-old Jordan Hasay's efforts in the 1500 at the Olympic Trials, announced that he wanted to run in the Olympics. The result was a family run where his goal was an hour. My goal was just to go as long as I reasonably could. I ran then walked for 90 minutes. mOn my return, I ran into one of my racewalking friends.
Tonight, after a couple of days of my calves being knotted badly, I walked about 2.4 miles (3 laps of the park). Early in my walk, I saw some deer in the woods. I started to walk towards them, and one snorted and bolted sending the others on their way. I don't know if the snort is a danger signal. Later in the walk, a bicyclist rode into the park doing a rebel yell. I was closing to the park entry and I think I spooked him a bit. He switched his headlight from flash to steady. Then he made a comment about a ghost (me).

My Everything Hurts!

After doing some sprints on Friday evening, I spent yesterday judging a youth track meet. I helped with both the Turbo-Jav and discus. Since I had never thrown a discus before, I used the opportunity at the end of the meet to try to learn a bit more about how to do it. The result today is soreness in my thighs, back, shoulder and arm. It is that kind of good sore, you know, sore, but not too sore, feeling.

I weighed this morning, and the scale showed 188.5.

It Takes Discipline

For the last week and a half, I have been getting out an running a very small bit almost every other day. For me, this takes two forms of discipline; first to limit the volume (I'm currently running just about a mile and a half (2.5 km)}, and second, just to get out there, especially when the volumes are so small.
I know I have made progress, having gone from sore legs at 0.8 miles to minimal discomfort at 1.6 miles. Still, I have a way to go. I am planning to run a 5K race on Memorial Day. Thus, in four weeks, I need to double my distance. I know I will not be prepared to race, but I will be ready to complete the distance.

Last week:
Mon 0.8, Wed 0.8, Fri 1.0

This week (so far):
Tue (wimped out on Mon - rain) 1.6

Sk. Trp.

OK, it's a fairly convoluted way to note that this past weekend, I took an abbreviated ski trip. (Get it?...I abbreviated the words, "ski trip.") Due to my classes, I could not leave until noon on Friday, while my wife and son went up a day earlier.
I had to cut my one day of cross country short, with a blister developing on my right heel. (If I was a tough guy, I'd have popped it, pressed it flat and continued on...and had I had another pair of socks with me, I might well have done that.) As it was, I did an hour plus of solid activity, and felt pretty happy that it was comfortable.