Fartlek Fun

Today I did my first Fartlek. It made the run go by faster, even though my time doesn't suggest that. I began with a 1-mile warm up, followed by 5 miles of fartlek running. I found landmarks throughout my run to run faster towards and then slowed after until recovered and then picked a new landmarks. I also did a couple of "Heart-Fart's" (I think I just made that up), where I ran until I got my heart rate up to 170 and then slowed until back down to 155. Finished up with a 1-mile cool down run.

Temp: 68
Weather: Cloudy

Time/Pace: 1:15:24/10:46
Avg Heart Rate: 157

Week In Review

Dissapointing week. I was unable to complete my mileage, as I took Saturday and Sunday off. I erred on the side of being cautious, because of my back. It was frustrating not to run, I felt as though I could have struggled through it, but I didn't want to jeopardize this weekend's race or my future training.

Totals
Days: 4
Mileage: 20.00
Time/Pace: 3:35:31/10:46
Avg Heart Rate: 151

You Know Are Getting Old When...

On Thursday, I thought, "Hey, I'll do some laundry. Won't the wife be pleased with that!". I tossed the load in and came back an hour later. I reached in to throw the clothes in the dryer, when TWEAK, just a little bit in the lower back. Oh no! This has happened before and wasn't good. Didn't get much worse over the rest of the day. Friday was okay in the morning, but by mid-afternoon I was practically an invalid. This morning feels a bit better, but still not right. Frustrating because of all of the progress I've been making and it's all the washing machine's fault!!

I know they say it's all downhill after 30, but geez, I didn't think I be rendered virtually useless from the intense stress of doing a load of laundry. I know I'm out of shape, but didn't think I was that bad off. I'm done complaining now.

6 Miler

Nothing special to report today. Decent run, a bit humid, but bearable.

Temp: 74
Weather: Partly Cloudy, Humid

Time/Pace: 1:05:41/10:57
Avg Heart Rate: 151

May take tomorrow off depending on what plans are (scheduled for 3 miles.) If I can get my butt out of bed early, I still might get it in.

What a Difference a Day Makes

Today, I woke up earlier and got out to run. It was much more enjoyable, less heat, less humidity, more breeze. I had much more energy. I am still sticking with keeping myself around my target heart rate, which is frustrating, because I feel as though I can go faster.

Temp: 70
Weather: Sunny, Slight Breeze

Time/Pace: 41:14/10:18
Avg Heart Rate: 145

What was is most unusual about this time is it is the exact same time as I recorded on Tuesday for the same distance (4 miles), but the average heart rate was 4 beats slower.

Grinding it Out

Tough run today. Went out slow and got even slower. It was a lot more humid than I thought it would be (more on that later.) I got to the point in the 4th mile (out of 6) where I wanted to quit, but was able to get through it. I developed a small blister on the insole of my right foot; kind of a weird spot, never had to deal with blisters before. I'm wondering if it has anything to do with running in the grass. It is less stable footing, so possible for more rubbing in unusual places. Either way, tough workout.

Temp: 80
Weather: Sunny, Humid

Time/Pace: 1:07:20/11:13
Avg Heart Rate: 155

What's with the weather men/women on Channel 2? Yesterday morning Andy Parker said that today was going to be hot and very humid. On the 6 o'clock news, Marie Gennaro (?), said hot, but assured me several times that it was going to be low humidity. Then again this morning Parker gave the same forecast he gave yesterday. Which is it? You'd think they could get their forecasts to line up. It's not that I would have changed my plans, I just found it silly.

Me and GU

Today I began my half marathon training. In my never ending quest to get skinny, faster, and be able to run further, I have entered the world of energy supplements. I have always been against supplements, because I was raised that the food you eat is the only fuel you need. However, as I read, I discover more and more folks using these products successfully. So I figured, what the heck. I read up a few different energy gels and decided to try GU. I ran over to EMS and bought a six-pack of Tri-Berry flavor. I used it as directed and was off....

I'm not sure if it was the gel or just in my head, but I do feel as though I had more energy throughout the run. After 4 miles (my goal for today), I still felt as though I could have gone on. I'm not totally convinced it was the gel, but I figure that I will try this for awhile to see if it enhances my performance. At only 100 calories, it works into my "points budget".

On to today's run....

Temp: 72
Weather: Sunny, Warm

Time/Pace 41:14/10:18
Avg Heart Rate: 149

Couple things to note on this run. First of all, I have been experiencing some pain in my shins. It hasn't gotten worse in the past month, but still is annoying. Today, instead of running on the path I ran along side of it in the grass. This was a bit tougher, due to the resistance of the grass. I also am now running with a water bottle (the kind that straps to your hand). I am trying to get comfortable with this, as I will need this as my mileage increases. It was a bit awkward at first, but midway through the run, I didn't notice it as much. Because I don't usually hydrate until after my run, I had to force myself to drink throughout the run.

All in all, a comfortable run.

Jake and The Fat Man

Running through Delaware Park doesn't seem like much of a task. I've done it several times. It's that hill that always kills me. The first time around was at the beginning of the race, so it wasn't too bad. However, midway through the 2nd mile, I hit the hill again. Ugh! It looks so innocent and yet it kicked my ass. I set my goal for a 8:01 mile, and was 3 seconds ahead of that pace (thanks Garmin!) heading into the hill. By the time I got to the top, I was 25 seconds behind! Sad!! I was able to get some of that back, but not all of it.

Anyway, nice race, but not my best....

25:09/8:04

Day off tomorrow....then training begins for the half marathon in Rochester (Sept 13). I will be attempting to follow the Cool Running Half Marathon Intermediate Training Program.

Rainy Day Run

I ran in the rain today. Actually pretty enjoyable, even though I was soaked by the end. Tomorrow Jog for the Jake.


Temp: 63
Weather: Steady Rain

Time/Pace: 28:46/9:36
Weight: 226.4lbs

St. Greg's 5K

Well....I ran...was shooting for 8:00 mile, came a bit short...

25:03/8:03

Still a personal best for me 5K, so I guess I can't be too upset.

What's with all the kids (12-15 yr olds) weaving in and out of traffic and then stopping in the middle of the street. They also, see the inevitable bystander spraying the hose and cut across the whole field to get wet. Ah...the joys of running.

3 Mile Run

The past couple of days I woke up feeling weak and groggy. I don't normally eat before a run, but today I had some Fiber One and then waited an hour.

Temp: 55
Weather: Misty Rain, Wind

Time/Pace: 28:08/9:23
Weight: 227.4 lbs

I seemed to have more energy running. Pain in legs in two locations; lower left leg inside shin (3 out of 10) right shin front (5). Also, some twinges in left hip. I am icing shins as I blog. Pain as high as 7 by end of run.

I have recently changed my running strategy. I had be trying to improve my time by :02 seconds each day, but after talking with a running friend, he suggested that I stick with a heart rate workout. I am trying to keep my heart rate at 150 +/- 5. I notice that I am going slower, which is frustrating, but from what I have read, this will help with injury prevention and still will help me improve times.

Next week I will be starting a training program from coolrunning.com for the half-marathon in September. I also will be sprinkling in races throughout the summer, mostly races with bigger fields, including the Buffalo Runner of the Year Series.

Fat Guy Running, A Brief History....

I am a fat guy. Not morbidly obsese, just fat. At first glance you'd might not even notice, but I am overweight. At 6'2'', I have been as high as 260lbs. My 38'' waist were feeling very snug and I'll be damned if I go up to the 40''. Therefore I decided that I should do something about it.

I decided to take running seriously this year. I have done some running on and off throughout the years, but never took it seriously. I easily got bored or found something else to occupy the time.

I have done a couple things to keep me motivated. The biggest motivator in my life is my wife. I want to look good for her. She has lost a bunch of weight and I owe it to her to support her weight loss by making a committment of my own. I also bought a GPS watch, the Garmin Forerunner 405CX. I am somewhat of a gadget nerd, so this is right up my alley. I am keeping track of my food consumption using the Weight Watchers point system. I've never gone to the meetings (and probably never will, too proud), but the point counting system seems to work well. Also, I downloaded an IPhone application that helps me track the points (again, NERD ALERT!!!)

Finally, I have been reading quite a bit online and talking with a friend who is a runner to guide my progress and development from a fat blob to a svelte, sleek running stud!

My official race history (pretty lame!) **these races are after I had started taking this seriously:

06/13/09 Susan G. Komen (5K) 25:14/8:05**
06/04/09 Corporate Challenge (3.5mi) 30:08/8:37**
11/27/08 Turkey Trot (8K) 46:23/9:20
11/22/07 Turkey Trot (8K) 46:33/9:22
06/13/04 Run for Education (5K) 27:11/8:45
06/04/04 Juneteenth (5K) 27:22/8:49
06/25/03 St. Theresa's (2.2mi) 19:44/8:58
06/21/03 Kyle Reid (5K) 28:00/9:02
06/20/03 St. Greg's (5K) 27:48/8:56

So....My goals?

1) Lose weight! Being as high as 260lbs, I would like to get under 200lbs. Ultimately, if I keep the running thing up I think my ideal "running weight" would be 180. We'll see....

2) Improve time. 8 minute miles are slow, 9 mile miles are slower. I'd like to get around 7-minute miles and even lower.

3) Increase distances. To date, the longest I've ever run at one time is 7 miles. My first "long-distance" will be in September, the Rochester half-marathon. From there, completion of a marathon will be the next goal.

4) Ultra Running. I have found this facinating and think this would be a huge personal achievement. Looking ahead, I am thinking a 50K in the summer/fall of 2011.