Best! Run! Ever!

Today the plan was to finish up the week with a four and a half mile run to wrap things up with 43 miles logged for the week of December 15 thru 21. But a funny thing happened –today’s run turned out to be one of the best runs I’ve ever had! What’s that word? Synchronicity? I think that word describes it best. Everything just fell together for a fantastic run. Four and a half miles at a 9:10 pace and that’s a good tempo workout for me.

Now that the run is over and I’ve showered and had a post run snack I’ve been thinking about this run to see what made it so good. I’ve come up with four main ideas:

1. The temperature. During today’s run the temperature was in the high twenties with just a slight breeze.

2. I ran later in the day for a Sunday than usual –after downing a pot of hot coffee and not before.

3. I took about a thirty minute cat nap prior to this run.

4. and last but not least: for some time now (in fact for a year) I’ve felt, I don’t know how to describe it really, but funny concerning my left leg –it’s felt tight or weird or something. So I’ve had this suspicion that maybe my left leg is a tiny bit shorter (?) than my right, somehow “out of balance.” So today I made a little home made “orthotic” out of a paper towel and put it in my left shoe. And viola! Through this run my left leg felt…perfect!

So hopefully I’ve learned a trick or two with this run and can replicate it again in the future. If not…oh well. You can’t have sunshine every day in life, you know. : )

Things are looking up

Just got back in from a good thirteen and a half mile run that took me way out of the city limits and back. Ran it at a respectable (for me) easy pace of 10:38 to the mile. Maybe I'm finally getting my mojo back!

Dismal 12 miler.

Just got back from an unpleasant 12 miler. Felt tired, sore, and extremely unmotivated but did manage to eek along at a 11:29 pace (which is about a minute slower than I usually run my long runs). I guess I hafta admit: today I jogged. But! At least I got all my miles in. Forty one miles this week and next week is a cutback week. I'm ready for the break.

A Long Week

A long week miles put in that is -or at least so for me. After tomorrows planned on 12 miler this will be a 41 mile week. I hope I can make it through those 12 miles tomorrow as I have a back pain issue that flared up after today's 5 miler going on right now.

We'll see...

Me and my Beard

Gah! I look like a thug and a criminal. I guess I oughta since I DO work in a jail! But at least the beard keeps me a little warmer on these cold morning runs. And looking a little on the mean 'n ornery side can have it's advantages too ; )

Nothing New

Nothing new going on. Have logged two back to back days of 6 mile runs at close to a 10:00 pace. The cold weather seems to help.

November's Done

...and I have logged a total of 154 miles for it with this morning's cool and breezy 12 miler at a 10:35 pace. Initially this morning the LAST thing I wanted to do was roll out of bed and go run 12 miles but once I got up and out there (especially when I left the city limits) it wasn't so bad. Funny thing, but it never is. I guess it's true that the the first step is always the hardest.

90 Days and counting...

Until my second half-marathon in Fort Worth, Texas on February 28, 2009. That's the plan anyway.

Eleven Miler

Put in a nice eleven miles @ 10:32 pace this morning after being called into the jail at 05:00 due to an issue with our doors. At least being called in gave me a chance to clear out the "cobwebs" and get a cup of coffee or two down before today's scheduled long run. Anyway, it was a good cool weather run that took me out into the countryside. It was a beautiful morning to be alive and out running indeed.

21 November 1960

I've nearly wrote that date all day at work today. I guess because it's my birthday. Anyway, after getting home from work I put in a six miler @ a 10:04 pace in a cool 44 degree southerly breeze.

A good run. And today was a good birthday too.

Sans the iPod

Lately I find myself heading out the door and leaving my iPod at home. Seems I've discovered I prefer the sounds of my run (feet hitting the ground, my breathing, the passing traffic, dogs barking -you know, being there) to music blaring in my ears and the being present to what I'm doing. I dunno, anymore the iPod seems so...distracting.

Just a personal observation.

A "cutback" week comes to an end...

...as of this morning with the completion of an easy 10:16 paced chilly November morning six miler. This makes 27 miles for this week and next week it climbs ten to a 37 mile week. I'm ready as I'll ever be.

A "Cutback" Week Begins...

Today is the start of what my SmartCoach plan calls a "cutback" week. In other words my mileage drops back from the steadily growing "10% per week rule" of mileage increases. So this week I'll log (or plan to log) twenty-seven miles -that's down from thirty-five last week. I'm kind of glad for the break!

Tonight I went to the gym and did my usual twice-a-week circuit of weights. Tonight I upped my bench press sets to four @ 10 reps of 105 lbs. All in all it was a pretty good work out as gym work outs go for me. I'm just not that "into" the weight training but I know it's important for building a strong core for running and the occasional scuffle and wrestling match I have to do from time to time at work.

Tomorrow is a holiday for me and so I'll either do my scheduled six mile run either in the morning or afternoon. We may go to Wichita Falls for the day and do some Christmas shopping and to just get out of town while gas prices are cheap. Stay tuned...

9 November Long Run

Ran my SmartCoach prescribed eleven mile long run this morning at a 10:27 pace. The temps outside for this run were (I'm guessing) in the low fifties. Overall a good quality run and with this one in that makes thirty-five miles logged for the week.

Plans

Life, John Lennon I think it was once said, is something that happens while you're busy making other plans. So for right now, as life happens, my plans (as far as Me Maintenance goes) is to keep on keeping on with my SmartCoach plan of running an average of thirtysomething miles per week as I seek the long term goal of running a full 26.2 marathon just over a year from now on November 15th 2009 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

But in the meantime...

I want to run another half-marathon February 28th of next year at the Cowtown event in Fort Worth, Texas and then my second 10k come May in Wichita Falls, Texas. And THEN I want to get down and get serious on the heavy duty training to get fit for the full Mary in Tulsa. Also, the plans are, I want to take a little break from the running next August in order to ride my bike in the annual Hotter 'n Hell Hundred bike race in Wichita Falls.

So there are the plans. While life flows on and happens stay tuned...

Rest Day

Saturday!

Who doesn’t like Saturdays? Anyway, today on the SmartCoach plan is designated as a “rest or cross train day” so that’s what I’m going to plan to do –rest and cross train. So no running for today but maybe a trip to the gym later on this afternoon for a little upper body work. Slowly but surely I am beginning to see some results in that area so the old saying is true: slow and steady wins the race! So far it has anyway.

Yesterday afternoon was another planned “easy” six miler –and this time it really kinda was. It was, I’m guessing, in the low seventies and I managed to maintain a constant 10:18 pace throughout this run from beginning to end. Tomorrow, however (as Scarlet O’Hara famously once said) is another day: an eleven mile long run. It is supposed to be even cooler tomorrow per the weatherman so it should go okay. I suppose will find out then.

6 November 2008

Ugh, woke up with a case of the blahs today but faced up to it and "rised and shined" (more or less) anyway. After another typical breakfast of peanut butter, oatmeal, a banana, and a glass of 1% milk headed out the door...

Work day went smooother than yesterday. Slowly but surely getting our computer software and LiveScan isssues sorted out. It seems like there's a wrinkle or a roadblock at every step, however. Ran commissary as is the usual Thursday thing. All went (more or less I say again) okay.

After work a nap on the couch and then...a tempo run! One mile to warm up at a slow, easy 12:30 pace and then picked it up for four miles @ 9:oo pace. Then...a cool down mile at same easy pace as warm up for a total of another six miles. This was a good quality run followed by a spinach omelette on a slice of whole wheat toast with a glass of OJ. Nothing like breakfast for supper...

5 November 2008

Started the day with my usual breakfast of microwave nuked peanut butter (25 seconds) and raw oatmeal with sliced banana and a glass of 1% milk. At work today dealt with continuing computer software upgrade issues and new procedures for taking digitalized fingerprints and mug shots to submit to the state.

A long work day.

~~~~~~~~~

On SmartCoach schedule today was an easy paced six mile run @ 10:48 pace. Ran same on an out and back course after work averaging instead thirty seconds to the mile below what was recommended at an 10:18 pace. The outside temp for this run was unseasonably warm -around eighty or so degrees.

Overall a good relaxing run followed by post run snack of a pear with a slice of cheddar cheese and then later (after a quick shower) a supper of spinach sautéed in olive oil, a good serving of whole grain rice, and 2 small salmon fillets.