Headin out to run my mountain twice. That will give me 13 miles and be the first time I made it twice.
Wish me luck!
Tom
Running
6 miles a day
6 miles a day… That is my new run.
In order to make this easier for me psychologically, I kept my 5 mile run in tact and added a mile at the beginning. So now, after the first mile my mind thinks I’m still running my old run. In fact it went so well yesterday that I ran 6 miles at 8:23, which is one of my best paces for my 5 mile run and my last mile yesterday was under 8:00 mile.
I am really working on “riding my run”. I wrote quickly about this the other day, but I am concentrating on letting my legs run and my body rest. The more relaxed I am the easier and faster I can run without as much effort. Mentally it is like my body is riding my legs rather than my whole body trying to get me going. That may not make sense, but it really seems to help me.
I have a meeting all day Saturday, so my (possibly last before my half) mountain run will have to wait until Sunday. That is usually the way things work, but I wish I could do the mountain run Saturday. Just my preference.
Also I got our hotel for the Country Music Half Marathon in Nashville, TN yesterday. Not cheap, but not a bad price. Everything is set and I’m running better then ever in my 350 mile Brooks. I can’t wait to get my new pair – unfortunately they won’t be in until next week. That won’t give me long to break them in before the race…
Life is good.
Tom
Brooks Running has great customer service!
Brooks is awesome!
I called their customer service about my shoe and foot issue. They said that they didn’t know why I was having this issue, but that they would send me a pair of the same color as the shoes I love… No shipping… No cost and didn’t even want my old shoes back.
Okay, I’m pretty impressed at that one. I love my PureFlow2 and was worried I’d have a pair of shoes that I couldn’t use. Now, actually, I do have a pair I can’t use, but I’m getting a new pair for free.
That is customer service that you don’t see every day.
Thanks Brooks Running!
Brooks pain, but old running shoes save the day!
So here is my shoe (I don’t have fat ankles, not sure why it looks that way in this pic). Notice the orange strap that goes across it. Where that strap hits the right side of the shoe is where my pain is in my foot. Strange, because these are my second pair of Brooks PureFlow shoes and I’ve never had a problem.
I went out for my run yesterday and got about a quarter mile into it when my foot started hurting again. It hurt on the top of the foot on the bone that leads to the big toe. So I ran out and back toward my house. By the time I got home I was in some real pain. Crazy. Not wanting to quit my run, I immediately switched shoes with my old pair, you will remember look like this…
Okay. A bit worn. My foot felt better though, even though this is the same style shoe and has that strap. After about 3 miles more, the pain was gone and I felt so much better. The only issue was earlier, while I was in pain, I obviously adjusted my form to compensate, even though I tried really hard not to. I am sore today in my ankle and calf muscles.
The run.
It was a good run. I ended with a mid week high mileage (at least since my marathon last September) run of 6.4 miles. I also had an 8:38 pace and that included a 2 minute walk while I got a call from work. I think it is a conspiracy that work calls me in the middle of my runs. Anyway, I really felt great about the run and the mileage. I hope to keep doing that same run about every other day to start slowly building my mileage up.
At the moment I have no plans to taper for my half marathon. I’ll probably slow down a bit, but that is about it. Running has become a lifestyle for me and tapering for a half marathon doesn’t seem to be that big of a deal to me. If anyone wants to chime in on that one, feel free!
Tom
Riding the run
As you can see, my run yesterday went really well. It was a bit different then most of my runs, and here is why…
First, I was messing around with my pebble watch and my iSmoothRun app. The app allows you to set any info on your screen for your run. It also allows you to set laps, so as you can see above, I pressed the lap button after the first 1.36 miles and my app showed me the laps after I finished. Honestly my watch messed up and stopped showing me my time. I hit a button by accident and couldn’t get it back. I was annoyed, but in a way it helped. I just ran to feel and ignored my watch. As you can see my last two miles were under an 8:00 mile and that includes several steep up hill runs. So I was very pleased when I finished.
On to another reason my run was different. This one was not good and reminded me of my marathon training. I had just gotten started running in my new old shoes (the ones I found after I cussed the hotel for stealing them). Then the bone on my left foot that goes to my big toe started hurting. This happened on my last longish run with @BigBigGeek a week before my marathon. So annoying. I couldn’t tell if I tied my shoe too tight or what was causing the pain. So I stopped several times to loosen my shoe. Finally I just kept running and tried not to overdue it. I kept wondering if I should stop or keep going. I kept going.
Ultimately it didn’t hurt my pace and as soon as I got home and took off my shoes my foot was fine. It was very strange as I couldn’t have loosened it any more then I did.
Oh well. Here’s hoping it doesn’t happen again this afternoon.
All in all things are going really well. My legs are getting stronger then they have ever been. Running sometimes feels like I am just riding the run, if that makes sense. It is like I am sitting on these “bionic” legs that are moving me forward. It is all pretty cool and exciting.
Feet, don’t fail me now…
Tom
Half marathon goals!
Last week was a very productive running week.
I ended with week with just under 33 miles which was exactly my plan. My mountain run went well. It was cold and overcast, but fortunately didn’t rain while I was running. I stuck with just 8 miles as I had a lot to do Sunday and didn’t want to take too much time out running. Sad really.
Now on to another week. I am tempted to increase my mileage, but don’t know that I will. I’ll see how I feel.
I am curious how my half marathon will go in 3 weeks. I’m stronger then I’ve ever been thanks to the weekly mountain runs. I haven’t been doing specific speed workouts, but my speed is increasing quite a bit. My last (and only) half marathon was completed in 1:44, so that is a big goal to beat. I did get close to that time at my marathon during the first half of the race, but I’ve never gone faster then that – ever. I think I’ll make my goal 1:40 and see how it goes from there.
Special congrats to those who ran races this last weekend. I need to find me a 5K to run sometime. It has been a long time since I’ve raced and racing always keeps me motivated.
Have an awesome week.
Tom
Hmmm
My Lovely Wife just found my running shoes. They were in our van with some other old shoes. Sorry housekeeping staff at the hotel that I thought had taken them.
Now I have two pair of shoes at least.
😉
Great runs lately, but…
I think I need new shoes…
Actually I had new shoes and left them at a hotel a couple of weeks ago. Of course housekeeping never saw them, but they are gone. So I had to use my 300 mile Brooks that have gotten a bit worn from my mountain runs. It is a rough road and I guess I drag my foot a bit going down the mountain. I must admit though, the great runs I have been having aren’t from my shoes. 🙂
My new shoes arrive today, so these will be converted to lawn mowing shoes for the summer.
Have an AWESOME weekend.
Tom
Running in heat – and other musings
Summer…
Actually heat.
I remember last year. When the heat got above 65 – 70 degrees, I was shot. I had the hardest time adapting. My pace dropped about a minute or more per mile. I would get so frustrated and down. The hotter it got, the slower I got.
I then found out that running in the heat is similar to running at a high altitude. I learned to start slowly to allow my body to get used to the heat and then try picking up my pace. I used my app to tell me my pace, not so I could make sure I was going fast enough, but to make sure I was going slow enough. If I started to fast, I would hit a wall in a dramatic fashion and just have to stop.
Yesterday was the hottest day of the year so far for me. It was above 80 degrees and sunny.
I did not start slow enough yesterday. I ran well until about mile 3 and then had to walk a bit. Fortunately I was able to recover pretty quickly and it didn’t affect me much. I still ended my run with an 8:12 mile and an overall pace of 8:43. Not bad for an old man.
I learned from last year that as the heat and humidity go up, I need to not only be careful to not over do it physically, but I need to drink more water (I drink about 96 oz in the winter and 120+ oz in the summer).
I am really interested in how apple cider vinegar (ACV) will help my summer runs. I still feel it working for me, even an month after starting to take it. I tried everything in the past from chia seeds, to a bagel, to energy supplements and have never felt they affected my running at all after a few weeks. Taking 2 tbs of ACV in the morning with water (before I eat anything) and then 2 tbs in the afternoon before my run has made me feel so much better and stronger. One day I would like to do a study on what helps most, running up a mountain road every week or ACV. I honestly think the ACV has had a larger impact on my running since I ran the mountain about 5 times and didn’t notice a huge difference until after starting the ACV. I also wonder if I was just missing something in my body that ACV fills. Honestly, for me to run 5 miles in the heat and the last mile at 8:12 pace is nothing other than a miracle. Even my hip is better – not perfect, but much better.
So that is about it for today. My musings.
Oh, one more thing…
When I started my run yesterday I could feel that my legs were still affected from my 11 mile mountain run on Saturday. They didn’t hurt, but had a good feeling of fatigue. I can’t explain it, but they are getting so much stronger then ever before that I know one day, they will take me to Boston.
Keep running.
Tom
Running strength. Building a base for the future.
Well I ended up with almost 105 miles for the month after my evening run yesterday. I can’t complain. I felt great.
I started out my run too fast at an 8:12 pace for the first mile. What was I thinking! Fortunately I got 3 calls from work during my workout which gave me an excuse to rest for a few minutes each time.
All in all things are coming along well with my running. I feel much stronger after all my mountain runs. It is like I am a whole different runner. I can push myself up hills in my neighborhood like never before. I run at paces that I have never run at before except to do a speed workouts. I just really feel good out there.
I think back to my marathon and specifically remember mile 4. I was coming down a small but steep hill and I felt my leg give way a bit. It was very unnerving and made me realize that even after all the training, my legs weren’t really strong enough for the 26.2 miles. I finished with a 4:15 time, but I had to walk off and on the last 10 miles or so.
Now I feel like I am on the right track. I am gaining leg strength. My lungs can handle longer and faster runs. I run mainly to feel, and have been in the 7:30 – 8:00 pace off and on lately. Overall my pace averages around 8:30, but I honestly think I am building a base so that I can run a sub 8:00 pace for a marathon and qualify for Boston one day.
So now we start a new month. All our apps set back to the big zero as we head out today to run.
The future is looking bright.
I love running.
Tom
100 mile month… Finally!
Last week was a BUSY week for me. I missed 2 days running because I was out of town on business. Then when I got back to running, I felt I lost all my speed. I ran about a minute a mile slower than I have been running on both Friday and Saturday. Honestly, I think it was a combination of two things…
First, I drove much of the time I was away. Just sitting in a car for days on end, I am sure didn’t help my legs at all.
Second, I eat junk food for 3 days. It was like I could feel the food weighting down my stomach as I ran. It was horrible.
Sunday I had a great run! I did my mountain run which is normally 8 miles. Being that I am running the Country Music Half Marathon at the end of April, I figured it was time to begin upping my mileage a bit. So I parked at the same place for my run, but rather than running left to the mountain road, I ran right. This took me up and down a large hill. At the bottom of the hill I turned left and ran up to a parking lot that @BigBigGeek and I used to park at last year while running together. I then turned around and headed back. By the time I got to where I started I had 3 miles under my belt. So from there I kept going and ran the mountain.
I felt great by the way. My legs felt good, my speed was good, my strength was good. By the time I got to the top of the mountain, I could feel my legs were noticing the extra 3 miles. When I finished I had 11 miles completed and I was ready to stop. I was shot. Even this morning, just walking up the step I could feel the burn in my legs. What a great workout.
Also, I made it to 100 miles this month. This was the first 100 mile month since my marathon in September. Neill and David and I are on Nike+ together. Over the past year I have had the higher mileage of the three of us – of course, I have been running longer. Here is the breakdown as of yesterday:
Looks like I’m the looser this month. Neill asked me yesterday if I was going to run today (being the last day of the month). I texted back, “That is for me to know and you to find out”. 🙂
Honestly I am amazed at Neill and David. They were nowhere near 100 miles just a couple of months ago, and now I can’t keep up. Impressive.
So running is going good – and I forgot to say that I ran my mountain run just over a 9:00 pace, which is one of the fastest paces I’ve had doing the mountain.
I guess all that junk food is finally out of my system. 🙂
Tom
278 to Boston 