Category: Run

Fruit Stand

So I get back from drill this afternoon. It’s a beautiful day (don’t let it slip away), and Missy and the boys are out back on the playscape. She says “Hey, watch the kids, I’m going to go run.” I say “Ouch, ouch, twist my arm… OK” and she’s off before I can stop the baby from drooling on my uniform.

Not so long later, she swings back in (as I’m pulling frozen pizza out of the oven – mmmm, Freschetta). I ask her how it went (’cause she’s usually a treadmiller – combination of the kids and growing up in Houston where running outside was only an option for like three days in February), and she’s beaming – she ran to the fruit stand on the Gold Star Highway. (Woah) I think. (That’s something to which I’d probably drive instead of walk. Plus, there’s a fierce hill, too – could even rule out the bike…)
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Highlight of my day

Not that it wouldn’t have been any other day, but I had the distinct pleasure of running with Susan and David at their summer places in Rhode Island. A great run – good conversation makes the miles slide by. And a great course, if you’re ever in the area – nice false flats on the “out” lead to a challenge on the “back”. The best part? It ends at an old inn, complete with tasty beverages and a kitchen that smelled incredible.

The company, however, was the highlight. And the common thread was the importance that y’all out there have played in getting us through tough times. Not just training-wise, but personally. Good stuff.

So, again, a huge thanks to Susan and David for sharing their great neighborhood 5K and memories of sneaking down a road as teenagers. And here’s looking forward to Tuesday at Bluff Point.

The other run today

Inspired by Warren, Dianna, and Mark, I figured I’d give The Mile a try today at lunch. Plus, I’d “rested” yesterday, and was a little behind on the 4 and 4 I needed to get between Wednesday and Thursday.

Jogged the 1.7 or so over to the track in front of the Naval Academy Prep school, making sure to keep my heart rate well below the anerobic threshold. Ended up feeling like I was going painfully slow, likely because I was kind of jazzed about the whole mile concept.

Got to the track, dropped off the iPod and found a convenient spot to start. Bang. First lap came in at about 1:45 – felt pretty good. Second lap – started to get a little tough, but the glance at the watch was closer to 3:15 than 3:30 – woo hoo! picking up speed! Third lap – missed the split, but pshew – this stuff is tough. I could feel the lactic acid building up in my thighs. Finished in 6:41. Not too shabby for a benchmark. Not speedy by any stretch, but reasonable. I did finish with something in the tank, though – my heart rate was back down below 150 before I walked a quarter of a lap.

The jog back was unremarkable (other than not hurting at all). I went ahead and let myself run where I felt comfortable, which was in theory above the whole 80% of 210 minus age sets your anaerobic threshold range.

Whatever.

I was happy, and looking forward to the evening’s run.

Three mile day

This week’s training schedule is pretty similar to last week, ‘cept it adds 2 miles to the long run.

Mon – Rest
Tues – 3 miles
Wed – 4 miles
Thu – 4 miles
Fri – Rest
Sat – 8 miles
Sun – 3 miles.

My plan? –

Mon – Rested
Today – Ran for 33 minutes. That’s 3 miles, right?
Tomorrow/Thu – Run 40 minutes
Fri – Ride?
Sat/Sun – per plan.

Weekend Wrapup

Weekend WrapupFriday – Rested. Didn’t really feel dead after the race. Felt good, in fact. But it was a “Rest Day” on the old training schedule, so rest I did.

Saturday – 6 miles scheduled. Miles ran – 0. BUT here’s how I see it – I did the race, 75 minutes + of max effort on a 4 mile day, so all I need to do on Saturday is a 4 mile equivalent, or so. So the boy and I rode the bike and trailer into town to drop off a package at the post office. Total – 10 miles on the bike with the trailer, time – good ones…
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Socks

I’m looking for recommendations.

Did the run sockless last night, and today there’s a couple of tender spots on my foot. No actual blisters, per se, but after a couple of weeks of running sockless and a couple runs on sand, there’s enough grit imbedded in the shoes to rub.

So I’m wondering what y’all wear – I’ve been pretty content with plain cotton ankle socks, but with an imminent increase in mileage, might “invest” in a couple of pairs of fancy socks.

That I’ll was after every use.

Second Verse, Same As the First

‘Cept a little bit slower and a little less worse.

Yeah, I was a camp kid. Every summer, I got trundled off to day camp, or when I was older, off to overnight camp. The crazy thing? I loved it. Nothing better than living in the woods with other kids, getting to shoot and paddle and run and play. I even really enjoyed sing-alongs, be they bawdy camp songs or hymns at chapel. Best job I ever had was as a camp counselor, ’cause I got to get paid for playing. And the only evaluations that mattered were then ones at the end of the term when the campers’d bring over their parents to say “Hey – this is Billy. He’s cool”. Well, that and making sure that every night we tucked in the same number of campers that we woke up each morning and hadn’t lost any to drownings, rockslides, snakebites, gunshots, etc.
Continue reading Second Verse, Same As the First

Four miles, give or take

Yep, day two of Marathon Training. 4 miles on the schedule.

Did 5.2 in 46 minutes – 8:45 pace. Heh. Two days and I’m off my schedule. But it’ll make up for only running 3 tomorrow.

Went longer than I intended because I was “in the groove”

Went slower than usual because it was lunchtime and hence hot and wet.

Had a huge positive split (8:36/8:22/8:23 for the first three miles and 8:53/9:50 for the last two) when the sun burned through the clouds midway through the run and began quite literally beating on me.

Had a crap-eating grin the whole time.

Tri #2 is tomorrow. After donating blood and dealing with heat and humidity for the last two weeks, my goal is just to finish again. I’d like to improve on my last time, but frankly, I don’t see it happening if it’s hot. I do think I can improve my run time, though, and at least this time, I shouldn’t freak out as much on the swim.

Pushups start on Friday.