Jan 31 2009
Getting back into a comfort zone is good. Today, I was able to get in an easy 3 hour ride and it felt great! About an hour in, I ran into a couple of regular riding buddies and we cruised for about an hour before I split off. There really isn’t anything special to report. It was just a fine day to be out and a fine way to spend 3 hours. Beats the stuff out of running.
Jan 31 2009
The other day during my five-mile run my left foot started to hurt. I think it was my flexor halucis longus tendon (I had to look that up—running might end up helping me with my anatomy class). The next day when I did three miles (29:33, w00t!) it was fine and it hasn’t bothered me since. I’m going to try for 9 miles tomorrow, and if it’s a problem I may look into getting some more specific running shoes.
I’m wearing New Balance 873s now, which are trail runners, meaning they’re not as cushioned. I also picked them out based on their looks, because they lack that certain running-shoe butt-ugliness and when I got them I didn’t think I’d ever actually be running unless somebody tried to rob me or something. Unfortunately this means I skipped the whole gait-analysis thing so not only do I have the wrong shoes for the surface I run on, they also might be just wrong for me altogether. I will, however, be using them in that half marathon because that sucker includes “a combination of singletrack hiking trails, fire roads, pavement and a beach crossing.”
It being the last day of the month, I went back and read some of my older posts. It’s really encouraging to see how I’ve improved—A couple of weeks ago I was really proud of myself for doing 2.54 miles in 30 minutes. I guess that’s what this blog is for, good to know it’s working!
Jan 30 2009
In today’s installment from the asylum, I had a nice little 6-miler at a blistering 13:30 pace. The program that I’m following assigns values to each training session. Today’s assignment was for 6 miles at “easy” pace. That’s compared to say next Tuesday’s scheduled 4-miler at “race” pace. The only problem for me right now is that there is no difference between “easy” and “race” paces. Maybe that comes later on? I have this dream of running 9 minute miles. Apparently, I can do an 8 minute mile right now. That’s AN 8 minute mile as in ONE mile in a row. Not 1.5 miles. Or, 2 miles. Or, well, you get the idea. Hopefully tomorrow will be a nice day for something civilized – like bike riding!
Jan 28 2009
I know this is not Chicago, but it was 28 degrees out there officially today. I think in the shade by the river (where I was) it was much colder than that. Today was scheduled for an easy 6 miles. I did a moderate, okay maybe it was easy, 5. All I know is that I was freezing at the end as well as in the middle and at the start. I think the new shoes help. I think the training is beginning to help. I think the activity is still ridiculous. Give me a bike any time! It’s been over 4 hours since I finished and I’m still cold. Please tell me that it gets better.
Jan 28 2009
I just ran/walked five miles in exactly an hour. 7 minutes fast, 3 minutes slow, five times with a ten-minute walk at the end. New record! Two weeks ago 7 minutes at 6 mph would have knocked me flat on my back, and today I averaged 6.5 mph for the running intervals.
Spending an hour on a treadmill is BORING. Until I get the hang of running though, it’s the only way I can accurately pace myself and keep track of distances and intervals. It’s also nice to be able to track my heart rate. I can tell a huge difference in how quickly I recover compared to two weeks ago. I can go from 187 bpm to 120 bpm in just over two minutes now.
School has started, which means an adjustment in my schedule. I walk about 3 miles on Tuesdays getting to class and back, so that’s my new day off. This way, I get some kind of exercise every single day.
Jan 25 2009
In an effort to loosen up after yesterday’s insanity, I hit the rollers for about 40 minutes. It was a good spin; just the ticket to warm up some tired muscles and get the kinks out.
But, my toe is pretty sensitive. Guess this nail is coming off. It took having the bike shoes a little loose and some easy spinning to get comfortable, but at pace everything was fine. A little post-ride stretching and all’s right with the world.
Jan 24 2009
I bought some new shoes today – New Balance, size 15 (!) with some sort of insole to help with my latter stage pronation (or something like that). To stay on schedule, I needed to complete 12 miles.
So, OK, it’s a nice day – chilly, breezy, and sunny. I forgot my headphones! grrrrrrrrr but otherwise was in good shape with my kit. Did the usual 10 minute walking warm-up. I then alternated running with walking on a 60% running, 40% walking mix. That worked out pretty well, mostly.
So the 12.14 miles took 2:54:32 – it appears that I maintain a pace of about 14:20.
No blisters, just some tender feet and one very black toe nail.
Too sleepy to write more…crash…
Jan 23 2009
Today was my weight workout. No bike, no treadmill, no cardio at all. Just a full-body weight routine, emphasising areas that don’t really get targeted otherwise.
I’m trying to pay close attention to my legs in particular—a major cause of knee problems is having overbuilt quadriceps and weak hamstrings. The muscles should work in tandem, so that the knee joint doesn’t become misaligned. Being genetically susceptible to knee injury, this is something I really have to watch! I’m working on my squats, something I’ve never been good at, and trying to keep my legs flexible as a countermeasure against the trauma of running. And yes, running is traumatic for me.
I’m not just working on the legs, though. Gotta have some upper body strength if I’m going to start swimming in the Bay, which I guess I’ll have to do eventually. I tried to hit every muscle group at least once today, and I’m going to regret it tomorrow! Good thing it’s my day off. I’m pretending it’s because I don’t want to overtrain and hurt myself, but the truth is all my workout clothes are dirty.
In other news, I’ve lost three pounds in the last week. So that’s going well.
Jan 22 2009
Two-thirds of the time I mention this triathlon idea to someone, they say something along the lines of “I hear you get beat up pretty badly in the swimming part.”
Bearing this in mind, my tri training for the past two weeks has consisted of two one hour TRX classes and at least one Krav Maga class per week. I know I won’t out-swim everybody, so I figure I ought to be able to hold my own in this underwater Mortal Combat I’ve been hearing about.
Other than that, my training schedule has been mostly about avoiding injury. Seeing as how slow and steady wins the race, I will be going on four 2 mile walks this weekend, partly to get ready for that running portion but mostly to get to work and back. I might start jogging soon, and not just when I’m trying not to be late for work. I’m keeping my eyes open for a place to run that’s easily accessible and won’t require dodging regular pedestrians.
Jan 21 2009
Sorry, I’ve been wanting to use that headline since we launched this thing.
Did 5.75 miles in just over an hour today. I started out with a 4-mile run (46 minutes) and then did 20 minutes of interval running. 1:30 at 7+mph, :40 at 2-3mph. Intervals like that are supposed to be the best way to increase your VO2 max, which Wikipedia tells me is “the maximum capacity of an individual’s body to transport and utilize oxygen during incremental exercise.” In other words, it’s crucial.
I’m not on any sort of “program” as yet. That Hal Higdon guy seems to know what he’s talking about, so maybe I’ll take a look at his marathon training schedules. The thing is, I don’t want to get caught up in training for a marathon. I want to train for a triathlon, and be able to do a marathon as a result of that. Whether that means a different training schedule, or additional stuff on top of the marathon schedule, I’ll have to figure out.
Tomorrow’s another 6 AM spin class followed by a short run and, if I can last that long, some easy weights. And lots and lots of stretching.
Jan 21 2009
In 1966, The Byrds recorded 8 Miles High, supposedly about a flight they made to London. It was dropped from radio stations because of the not so subtle lyrical inferences to the band’s drug use (especially LSD, according to lore).
So today, for the first time in over 30 years, I went 8 miles on foot and was not high, although LSD might have made it a more pleasant experience. I slogged through 8.21 miles in 1:57:13. Not brilliant, but I was out there.
Jan 21 2009
This morning, as I was out for my 8-mile run (27 degrees; 1:13:24), I saw something that I’ve never seen during a Chicago winter. Around North Avenue, at the place where, in the summer, older men gather to play chess, I saw two guys walking towards me. They were wearing wetsuits and full scuba gear, and were dripping with water. They were a bit red in the face, which isn’t surprising, because, unless they had been diving in a snowbank, they had just emerged from Lake Michigan.
At this point, I would like aver that at no point during the future years of triathlon training will I go swimming in Lake Michigan when the air temperature is below 32 degrees.
Jan 20 2009
I did spin class for an hour today (at 6 AM, suckers!) and warmed down with a mile on the treadmill. I’m told it’s important to practice that transition if one wants to do a triathlon. It actually wasn’t too trying, but MAN I am not used to the saddle on a spin bike. Next time I may wear bike shorts, but I’m not sure about running with a chamois.
I can already tell a major improvement in my general fitness. A mile on the treadmill used to be a challenge, and now I do it to loosen up after spinning for an hour? At this rate I’ll be a pro triathlete, like, next year.
Tomorrow’s a “long” run. I’m shooting for 4 miles at a continuous jog, hopefully about 5.5 mph. After that, interval training! We’ll see how that goes.
Jan 20 2009
I’m now on Week 11 of Hal Higdon’s Intermediate I marathon training program. Things are starting to get intense — this week features the most miles of any week in the program. (The weeks with 20-mile long runs have less mileage because of shorter weekend pace runs.) I started off the week yesterday with a short swim; I only stayed in the pool for half an hour and didn’t try to go very far, mostly because my entire body felt like a rock after Sunday’s long run. Today I hit the ‘mill for a 5-mile recovery run (45:55), and then the weight room for some upper body work. The rest of the week — 8 miles tomorrow, 5 on Thursday, 8 on Saturday, and 18 on Sunday. It’s actually forecast to get above freezing tomorrow, so I’m excited about running outside and not freezing my face off.
Jan 20 2009
In baseball circles, the catcher’s equipment has been called the “implements of ignorance.” (Apologies to Joe Garagiola, Bob Uecker, Yogi Berra, or Tim McCarver for a misquotation or misattribution.) If whoever said something like that thought they were describing the ultimate in athletic futility then they obviously had never ridden bicycle rollers. I wish I could spout off some pithy Elizabethan curse about the inventor of these things. If working a sudoku is an intellectual Sin of Onan (which it just may be), then riding rollers has to be the athletic version of old Onan’s bad habit.
Apparently, engaging in riding rollers helps one’s cycling – balance, stroke (sorry Onan), smoothness, etc. You can also kill yourself. You might not go blind, but you can sure mess yourself up.
Today the score is: Rider 1, Rollers 0. I rode those bad boys for 50 minutes and didn’t have a single wreck or close call (very unusual!).
So much for my day off….tomorrow is a 6 mile run day.
Jan 19 2009
OKAY, today it was 39 degrees with a 20 mph wind. Not Chicago, but dang! it was cold out there. Anyway, I was shooting for 4 miles today.
I did it! 4.4 miles in 1 hour! A blistering 13:30 pace! 30 minutes of running and 30 minutes of walking. I followed the usual pattern of 10 minutes of walking, 15 minutes of running, 5 minutes of walking for the first 30 minutes. Then I ran for 10 minutes, walked for 5, ran for 5, and walked for 10. It felt very good and I have no known issues with knees, feet, ankles, toes, shin splints, etc.
I can’t quite walk as fast as I run, but nearly. The main thing is that the time and distance were easy and felt good.
Now if I just had some shoes, maybe this would be easier.
Jan 19 2009
Today was my personal trainer session, and it was very informative. I got some new workout routines that are going to kick my butt. Circuit training, cardio, weights… Basically focusing on increasing my VO2 max and dropping a good 20 pounds. For the first time in my life, I’m getting serious about my diet. Not “dieting” per se, but also not eating a whole package of Timtams at once.
I’ve set my first incremental goal. I plan to do a half marathon! If I can do that, there’s a marathon in July that I may shoot for. They say if you set a goal, it’s best to tell other people about it. I guess that’s what this blog is for. I also want to get my weight down to 190 lbs. I’m at 210 right now. There, I said it. Now I have to do it.
Jan 18 2009
It was a beautiful day here in Chicago — clear skies, not too much wind, and a balmy 18 degrees. After what seemed like a grueling 8 mile pace run yesterday, I overslept and didn’t get to start my long run today as early as I’d planned. But when I finally hit the road about 2:00, the air was crisp, and all engines were go.
Surprisingly, most of the lakefront path has been cleared of snow, so the bulk of my run was really quite easy. There was, of course, this one mile, from around Oak Street south to Navy Pier (see map), where Lake Michigan likes to vomit itself up onto the path — it was about 8 inches deep in snow and ice, and very difficult going. When I passed Navy Pier (Mile 6), the big sign there told me it was 16 degrees. Around the Museum Campus there was a poorly marked detour, because a bunch of the path is being rebuilt, and I got lost for a little bit. Of course, I got lost again on my way back, and the map I attach I think only approximates what actually happened down around there. When I hit Navy Pier again on the way back (Mile 12), the temperature was down to 11 degrees.
The last four miles or so, I was running into the wind, and it was starting to get dark. I thought my face was going to freeze. In my final mile, when I re-enter the city streets, I had a couple unfortunate run-ins with pedestrians, a few of whom were walking dogs. After two and a half hours of running, one doesn’t want to break pace because others are mindlessly taking up the whole of a sidewalk, unaware of what is going on around them. In any case, I dug in, gritted my teeth, and shuffled on home. My total time: 2:43:02. Split times after the jump.
Jan 18 2009
Yesterday I had a major personal best on the treadmill: 2.54 miles in 30 minutes! I had never managed to keep a jogging pace for more than 10 minutes at a time before. No sign of that “runner’s high” I keep hearing about, though. I just felt like my calves and lungs were conspiring to kill me. Now that I’ve done it, I guess I have to do it every day until it’s easy. Starting, uh, tomorrow. Or Tuesday.
Tomorrow I have a session with a personal trainer. New members at the gym get a free one. I’m curious to see how that goes… stay tuned!
Jan 18 2009
In the last post, I was optimistic about the beautiful day and the promise it held for strong training. That was the triumph of hope over experience! By the time I made it to the parking lot down by the river, the wind was brutal. Naturally, I was not completely kitted for the conditions. At any rate, I logged a decent ride with a nice climb and some tough head winds. It was a good day to get the cadence up and keep it smooth.
After a short break to give a driving lesson to a friend’s daughter, I got back out to do the running.
It was slow and sloggy, but it’s done now. The good news? No injuries. 
Jan 18 2009
It’s beautiful out there today! As soon as the aquarium water change is finished, I’m getting out to ride and run.
The danger is in trying to do too much. Ideally, I’ll get about 3 hours of cycling in plus the ever-present 30 minutes of running/walking. Three hours of cycling right now is a load though,so we’ll see how it goes.
Jan 17 2009
Today I went to my gym to do an 8-mile pace run on the treadmill. I like doing pace runs on the ‘mill, because I can control my pace very exactly, which I don’t always do so well when I’m running in the world. But today it was very, very, very warm in the gym, and the difference between my pre-run weight and my post-run weight was 5 pounds. And I even took three water breaks! Given the warmth inside today, and general fatigue after a tough week in training and a tough week of living in Chicago, today’s run was pretty brutal. But I came in, as expected, at 1:11:55.
Jan 17 2009
You gotta love a place where the temperatures vary by 30 degrees from one day to the next. Thursday’s run in 23 degree weather was pretty special. That was Thursday wasn’t it? Well, today it was 50 and windy.
Today’s plan was to stick with the 30 minutes of walking and running as prescribed by Hal Higdon – sort of. I’m not a slave to his program, but I am being careful since it’s been a long, long time since I ran seriously. I completed 2.23 miles at a 13:30 pace and didn’t feel as though it was a push at all. That’s probably as it should be. These old knees were just a wee bit cranky at the end, but not too bad. (A doc looking inside my knees once said that I had the knees of an 80 year old man! And that was over 25 years ago.) This is my biggest concern, but I figure that in the final analysis, it’s just pain. And, pain can be overcome.
Being able to finish up the run and get on my bike was a fine reward. Slammed down a banana, aired up, and got to rolling. Had a nice 1:45 with some hills and lots of wind. Plenty of opportunity to work on smooth stroke and balance.
I’m lovin’ this!
Jan 17 2009
So, Lance Armstrong has announced that once he’s made his comeback in the cycling world, he’ll be doing an Ironman. How cool would it be if we were in the same one?
Also, according to that article the winner usually finishes in around 8 hours. I did the math, and that’s an average speed of about 16.7 mph. Right now I can sustain speeds of about 6 mph running, 18 mph biking, and I don’t even know about swimming. I guess I have my work cut out for me.
Oh, one more thing. I sucked it up and ran on the treadmill yesterday. One whole mile, and it only took me 10 minutes. One day we’ll all look back at this and laugh, unless of course it’s at my funeral after some fatal treadmill-related accident.
Jan 15 2009
Today I started with a bike ride to the Mission. Just a short one, but I did climb the hill next to Dolores Park. According to the SFBC bike map, it’s a 10-18% grade for about six blocks. It varies quite a bit, so it’s closer to 10% at the start and maybe 15% or so at the end. I’m just getting over a cold so my lung capacity is not 100%, but I did it!
Today was also my first workout at 24-Hour Fitness. I did the elliptical machine for 30 minutes (144 strides per minute, 157 heart rate, 442 calories) and finished up with a weight circuit. I’ll start running on the treadmill when I’m in better aerobic shape and this cold is totally gone—I’m shooting for the end of next week.
Oh, and those of you who are concerned that I don’t wear a helmet when I’m riding—I won’t mention any names here—those days are over. I got a brand-spankin’-new Bell Volt off eBay, and it arrived today. Only two words to describe this helmet: Friggin’ sweet. I want to go for a ride right now just so I’ll have an excuse to wear it. Or I guess I could just wear it around the apartment…
We're a father and three sons that have agreed to compete in an Ironman-length triathlon to celebrate Dad's 60th birthday in 2013. Read more...
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