Cool Runnings!

Ran my standard 3 mile loop in the evening in 21:45.  I really liked the fact that I knew exactly what the distance was, thanks to Gmap pedometer, and knew exactly what my splits were, thanks to Sasha's course tool.  I need to get a couple more loops in so that I have some additional routes that I can run and calculate splits for.  The run felt good, it started to get a bit hard on the final mile, but overall, I feel like my fitness is slowly improving.  I was unable to run on Saturday, so only 2 runs this week, but plan on putting in at least 3 runs this coming week.

Ran the standard 3 mile loop again, but this time early in the morning, as I was not able to run last night.  Started with a very easy 0.8 mile warmup, just light jogging, then started into the run.  My goal this morning was to take it out nice and easy and try to keep a steady pace.  That didn't quite happen, but I did run slightly slower than last time.  Total time for the run was 22:00, for an average pace of 7:20/mile.  The first two miles felt very good, then my conditioning (or lack thereof) started to kick in, and the third mile was a bit more difficult, although not too much more so.  Will continue to do the 3 mile runs this week as I start to kick the mileage up a bit more.  Next week I will plan on adding a 4-miler to help me to be better prepared for the race in April.  I should be able to get up to about 6 miles by the time the first week in April comes around, and by no means will I be taking this as an actual all-out race - it will be a tempo run.

Took the boys to the track this evening - the weather was gorgeous.  Ran a couple of miles, interrupted, on the track.  Was able to run the last mile without interruption, ran in 6:50.  After that did 100 meters of bounding, followed by 100 meters of skipping to work on my form.  I need to lift my knees more to get more power out of my legs.  I have very strong quads, but feel like I do not use them as much as I should.

Ran my standard 3 mile run.  Had to take it fairly easy because my stomach was still a bit full from dinner and held me back.  Total time was 22:22, average pace of about 7:37/mile.  I am happy with this - we actually took the boys to the track the other day, and in addition to running approximately 2 miles (broken up) with the last mile in 6:50, I also did some bounding and skipping to work on my form.  I said it before and haven't yet followed up on it - I think I need to schedule a visit with my chiropractor, as I think that my pelvis is out of alignment again and is hampering my form.

Ran 2 miles at the local track.  Didn't run all that fast, but it felt like I had to put a fair amount of effort into each mile - more so than usual.  This could be due to my pelvis being out of alignment, causing me to be less efficient biomechanically, or this could be due to my not being used to running so often.  In any case, my splits were 7:14 and 6:53.  I have said it enough times already that I need to take my own advise and go see my chiropractor.  Will report back this week on whether I actually set an appointment or not.

Ran my standard 3 mile loop.  Prior to beginning the loop, warmed up at an easy pace (~9:00/mile) for 0.8 miles.  Had to take a short breather between miles 2 and 3 because I hit the 2nd leg too hard.  Total time for the 3 mile loop was 21:19 - average of 7:06/mile, with a 1:40 break in the middle that I did not count.  Was huffing and puffing fairly good for the last half of each of the 2nd and 3rd miles.

My wife had book club this evening, so I got to stay home with the kids.  After putting the youngest two down, I went for a run on the treadmill.  1/2 mile to warm up, starting at 8:34 pace at incline of 1.0, gradually increasing to 7:30 pace.  Stayed at that pace for the first mile, then increased the speed to 6:58 pace for the second mile.  Upped the speed again to 6:40 pace for the final mile.  I could feel my form starting to break down in the last 1/4 mile, so I worked really hard to keep it together.  The breathing started to get more labored, but nothing like Monday where I had to stop and take a break.  Total time for the run was 25:22 - average pace (including the warmup) was 7:15/mile.  If I take the warmup out, average pace was an even 7:00/mile.

Well, I ran in a different (old) pair of shoes tonight, and it was a bad idea.  I thought maybe they still had some cushioning in them, but 2/3 of the way into my run, it was obvious to me they need to be thrown out.  Warmed up 0.8 miles nice and easy, then started my run.  After the second mile, I had to stop and walk because my left calf started to cramp up.  I could actually tell during my run that my heels were quite a bit further down than normal, and think this is what caused my calf to cramp.  I don't think that I strained or sprained my calf muscle, as it was sore all evening and into the morning (less so than the evening), but by the following afternoon, it seems to be almost back to normal.  I still haven't settled on a good running shoe - I have been going back and forth between Brooks and Saucony, and think I may need to expand my search to Adidas and possibly New Balance as well.  I don't like the Nike brand.  In any case, I think it is definitely time to find a new shoe, as my old shoes have definitely had it, and my most recent pair of shoes are definitely wearing down.  I don't want to wear my shoes out to the point of risking injury.  No running on Saturday - 10 miles this week is enough of an increase in mileage.

Ran 3 miles today - warmed up for about 1/2 mile (probably not quite), then stretched out my calves and soleus.  First segment was 7:25, second in 6:56.  My calf was starting to get a little sore, so I stopped and walked about 1/4 mile, then took a different route to run another 1 mile.  Last mile I really worked on my posture, started to kick my legs up higher, and either that helped my calf to relax or I was able to run through the tightness and the muscle started to relax on its own.  3rd mile (approx.) was in 6:36.  Walked home to cool down, and then stretched out some more.  Will see how things feel in a couple days.  My wife and I are going to a specialty running store on Friday to get fitted for some new shoes.  I would love to be able to find a brand that I can absolutely stick with.

Got some great advice from Sasha while he and his family stayed with us.  Ran 1 mile with Jenny and Sasha (she looks effortless when she runs), ran another 0.5 with Benjamin (his knee was hurting him), ran about 0.2 with my son Samuel, and then ran another mile with Sasha.  He managed to talk some sense into me and help me realize that perhaps a big factor in my getting injured so often is that I am running much too fast, especially for starting back out again.  My pace per mile should really be around 8:30-9:00/mile (easy miles), and I need to be trying to run 6 times/week at this easy pace to get my body used to the stresses of running, while not over-stressing any system in my body (muscular, skeletal, cardiovascular, nervous, etc.).  Total mileage was 2.7 miles at an easy pace.  We really enjoyed having Sasha and his family stay with us over the weekend.