UW Parkside New Year's Eve 5K

Today was so fun! My New Years Eve travels took me to Chicago last night and on to Milwaukee for New Year’s Eve. So I thought it would be fun to find a NYE race to run somewhere, and what better place than Kenosha Wisconsin. Why… well it was the only place I could find that was actually having a race.

What was fun you ask… First of all I did not do all the necessary research for directions. I thought… How big can Kenosha be? How hard can this place be to find? Well let me tell ya…. It’s big and hard to find. So after getting really lost, running a couple of red lights and getting very lucky we finally found the race location. We jumped out of the car and as we approached the sign-up table they sent a messenger out to tell the starter to hold the race. How cool is that? So we slapped on our number and scurried out to the start line. No warm up, no stretching, I’m still amazed no-one hurt anything.

The other fun thing is that Stacy and my friend Kim joined me for the run. I didn’t expect either to run with me, but somehow conned them both into running. After all this training on my own it was nice to have some running partners. They funny thing is they both warned me that they were out of shape and hadn’t run in months and I would need to really hold back. When the starting gun sounded they were off at a near sprint. Our first mile was sub 8:30 and it was all them, not me. Thanks for the warning girls:)

Anyway, we all had great time, and every finisher received a 2006 calendar. Woo Hoo! Below is a picture of Stacy(left), Kim(right) & myself with our celebratory calendars!

3.2 miles/28:01/Avg 8:45

10 miles down... My homework for the week is mostly done!

Arg…. No I mean it! Arg…. 10 miles is far! How did I ever do these every week in my marathon training?

Of course there could be some extenuating circumstances. Friends of mine (DIG, Chris & Brandon) invited me out for a night on the town last night after my 5 miler. And who am I to turn down a beer with friends, especially during the holidays. Also, there is the fact that I had just run 5 miles 12 hours earlier. And of course the lack of sleep may have played a role. I thought I was suppose to get smarter and wiser as I got older…. When does that start kicking in?

All things considered it was a good run. I mean I was really (really really) spent after 10 miles but they are in the books. I could definitely do 13 right now if I had to, but I’m not sure in under 2 hours (maybe with proper rest and sleep). I’ll be working on my speed a bit more these next 4 weeks, and trying to rest a bit more. I slowed my pace today given all of the above and the fact that I’ve not had any days off since Monday. The good news is my homework for the week is mostly done. 3 miles tomorrow and I am free to celebrate the New Year.

I am so looking forward to the rest of the weekend. Celebrating the New Year with friends and a New Years Eve 5K to boot!

Have a great New Years all!

10.0 miles/1:24:30/Avg 8:27

5 Miles... Back on Track!

5 Miles tonight… I’ve jumbled this week’s workout schedule so I can get most of my mileage in before the New Years weekend. Unfortunately this mean a lot of days of running a lot of mileage all in a row. Tonight I was suppose to phone in a 3 miler, but instead substituted my Saturday 5 miles run. Tomorrow, when I suppose to be off, I’ll run my Sunday 10 miler. If I stick to this plan I will only have to run 3 miles over the weekend, and I’ve found a New Years Eve 5K in Kenosha WI that will do the trick. (I’m spending the weekend in Chicago & Milwaukee.

So about tonight run. Actually I felt pretty good. I was flying along at a 8:13/M pace and felt very strong until about the last mile. I remember thinking that I didn’t have a lot left in the tank though so I have no idea how I’ll run 10 miles in the morning. But that’s a problem for another day.

Also, I’ve noticed with these new shoes that sometimes I feel like the skin o the bottom of my foot is tearing a little. Its not, and its not an overwhelming pain, but worth noting. Tomorrow’s run will be on my old pair as I am cycling my shoes every other run.

I finally feel like I’m back on track after taking most of Christmas Week off.

5.0 miles/41:05/Avg 8:13

Freaking Old Bat!

So this morning was all about speedwork.  My program called for a 40 minute Tempo Run.  Basically you start out at a moderate pace, build to a fast pace, and then slow back down.

I actually was having a much better run than last night so I decided to push it a little.  I started out at 8:30/M and pushed it all the way up to 7:30/M and held that pace for 4 minutes.  But after 4 minutes I started to feel queezy to the point where I actually got off the treadmill and went to the locker room in anticipation of hurling.  But not to worry, I did not hurl and was kicking myself on the way back to the treadmill for pushing too much.

But when I returned to my treadmill some old bat had hopped on it and cleared my workout.  Never mind that my towel, MP3 player, and water bottle where still on the treadmill, and that fact that I had been gone all of 2 minutes.  I was seriously annoyed!

So then she actually said… “Oh is this your stuff?  I didn’t see it when I hopped on.  Would you like to move so you can finish your workout….”  In my head I was screaming yes you $#%%^&&*!  I know, not very “happy runner” of me, but it is what was gong on.  I was so annoyed that I just “No… looks like I’m done” and left.

On the upside I had a better run than yesterday even though I did feel ill.  On the downside I only got 32 minutes in.  Oh well!

3.69 miles/32:00/Avg 8:40

Wow, That Sucked!

So after taking most of last week off you’d think I’d be rested and ready to go today. Not so much. Uncle Hal called for 4.5 miles, and so I started out planning to do 5. But I quickly realized 4.5 would be a struggle.

I actually attribute it to skipping lunch and all the crap I’ve been eating lately. I was just busy today and forgot about eating. So when I busted out of work to go for my run it occurred to me that nutrition could be a problem. On top of that my MP3 player died about 5 minutes into the run. Were I outside I would have been fine, but on the boring treadmill I need the music.

So the moral of the story is that it was a tough run but I got it in the books. We’ll see how the rest of the week goes.

4.5 miles/39:00/Avg 8:40

Vacation Over!

So I have not run since Tuesday night. I was starting to feel and sick and with all the festivities I just couldn’t work it in. How sad is that. On top of it I was thinking I’d be OK as long as I could get my long run in but it is sooo sloppy out I don’t want to run outside. I think were it a short run, but I don’t really want to be outside for 90 minutes in this soup. So I’m calling it a day.
I’m thinking I’ll put 9 in Monday night and then pick back up with my normal training. That makes for a long week next week but I think I’m up for the challenge. I’ll keep you posted.

In any event Merry Christmas to you all. Miami is just 5 weeks away. I think I’m off target a bit but with some hard work and a buckling down I should be able to get back on track.

Soooo Fun

So tonight the spinning class started up again. But before class I ran through campus. I started out too fast. I don’t know what I was thinking but I was seriously sucking air by the time I was 2 miles in. I actually stopped just for a few seconds to catch my breath.

I was surprised by how dead campus was. Normally I look forward to seeing a gaggle of other runners and walkers out but there was no-one. It was very quite. Frankly I could have used the distraction on the last few miles. But oh well… it was a good run anyway.

After my run was the new spinning class. I don’t think the new instructor is as good as Nikki on the spinning part, but boy did she kick my ass on the core part. I mean seriously, she really made my core hurt. I though I was getting stronger but now I really question. I think this will be good, especially with Miami just a month away.

Still feeling good about my progress. I am definitely on track.

5.35 miles/46:02/Avg 8:36 + 60 minutes of Spinning & Strength

8 Miles... Is that long or short?

Today was a “long” run. It’s funny how my long runs now seemed like relatively short runs a few months ago. Although I am running considerably faster than last summer. Today was 8 miles on the treadmill. While the treadmill is boring I find it easier to run faster because I can just set my pace and go.

Since I took Saturday off to hang out with the boys and go to the basketball game I thought I was probably well rested and could bump the speed a little. I felt good through most of the run and at mile six was even thinking of running an extra mile. That thought quickly left my brain somewhere around mile 7. The last mile was a bit of an effort, but I still felt strong.

Miami is just 5 weeks away, and although I’d really like to be running a little faster I think I’m on pace to beat the 2 hour mark. Of course this is barring injury or complete melt down.

The other exciting news is that the Spinning Class is back on at the MAC. I’ve really missed this the last few weeks. I’ll report more on that on Tuesday.

8.00 miles/1:05:44/Avg 8:13

New Shoes!

No training today. Uncle Hal says Friday is a day of complete rest!

I have exciting news to report. I picked up my new pair of shoes, the Brooks Adrenaline GTS6. Evidently I pronate slightly (Pronation, Explained in Runner’s World) and these have just a little bit of extra support on the inside. I ran Detroit and most of my training with them and have not had any problems at all.

I try to have two pairs of shoes at any given time and alternate runs with them so they have enough time to recover. I was told that this was a good idea, probably by a shoe salesperson.

Anyway I’ve included a link below.

Adrenaline GTS™ 6

3 Mile + S&S

Today was three miles plus strength & stretching. I really had to hurry through my lifting because I woke up late. OK it’s not so much that I woke up late as I laid in bed trying to figure out how I could get my workout in later in the day. Eventually I had to face facts and drag my lazy butt out of bed and off to the gym.

I felt OK during the run and the lifting but was very sore afterwards. I could really feel it in my quads. Some of this I chalk up to the fact that I ran last night and then again this morning, not even 12 hours apart. Normally I try to avoid running so close together so my body can get a little break, but this is just how my week fell.

There is one particular machine at the gym that really works my quads… I mean I can really feel it! Also I’m trying to develop my glutes for two reasons… first I read in Runers World that often runners gluts are under developed, and two who doesn’t want to have a nice ass… or any ass in my case.

3.00 miles/25:21/Avg 8:27

I think the strength training is paying off

Tonight Uncle Hal prescribed a 40 minute tempo run. As you may recall from earlier posts a tempo run starts out at a moderate pace and then increases gradually to a fast pace.

I ran tonight on the treadmill. While in general I find treadmills boring I kind of like it for speed work. I can easily control my pace over specific periods of time or distances. Tonight I warmed up for about 15 minutes at 8:30/M and then gradually increased to a maximum of 7:30/M and held that pace for 5 minutes. At one point about a minute in I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to keep the pace up and then for some strange reason I really started swinging my arms. Boy did that make a difference so I started swinging my arms more. It really seemed to help. And my arms felt strong. I really got the feeling that the strength training I have been doing has helped.

I’m still nervous about being able to run Miami in less than two hours, but I am definitely a stronger and faster runner than I was.

Two asides...
1) Indianapolis is filled with over 35,000 runners. Yikes!
2) My new Adrenalins are in at Playmakers. They have to order them because my feet are so freaking wide!

4.65 miles/40:00/Avg 8:36

Back on track!

Back on track! Thank God last week is behind me. It’s Tuesday and I am back on track with my training program. Last night I cross trained a bit and then did Strength & Stretching. Tonight I went for a 4 mile run. It was somewhat in question in that I didn’t get home until about 9:30. I toyed with blowing the run off but decided to go for. And boy am I glad I did. It was a beautiful night and lots of people had their Christmas lights out. Those jerks on Green Street still don’t know how to shovel, but other than that all was right with the world.

I felt pretty good, although would like to be running faster. I was hoping to be averaging 8:00/miles by now, but I guess I just have to be patient. Those of you who know me should stop laughing at the idea of me being patient.

4.15 miles/34:57/Avg 8:25

Arg.... Must get Food and Sleep!

Arg…. So evidently eating is an important part of any training program.

So I have been really working a lot of hours this last week, and have not been getting enough sleep to be sure. Just a lot going on. Well that combined with the fact that I didn’t really eat much today made for a crappy run.

I was suppose to run 8 miles. I started off at 8:12/M pace and went through my normal first mile stiffness. I kept waiting for it to get better but no luck. I was also on a foreign treadmill and kept tripping on it. Obviously the fault of the stupid engineer who’s probably never run before in his/her life. Well maybe after a doe nut truck!

So anyway after three miles I started to feel woozy and decide to stop to get a drink of water. That’s when I decided I was in really bad shape. So I said to myself…”Tom, you don’t have to prove anything to anyone so lets just call it a day”. I of course said this in my head as I didn’t want the people around me to think I was a crazy in addition to being a wimp.

Pretty much I writing off this whole week. I will be back on track on Tuesday, better fed and ready to go!

3.00 miles/24:36/Avg 8:12

Power Walking

So today was my first experience with power walking. In lieu of a 3 mile run I did a three mile power walk around Hastings. So the first problem is I have very short legs, and so the power walking is a little difficult. At one point I was compared to the little Marsion (sp?) guy on Looney Toons. I’m not sure what I think about that. The other problem is I had no idea what to wear. I’ve got my running garb pretty well dialed in when I clipping along at 9:00/miles but this walking thing is a whole new ball game.

All in all it was a good workout but I must say I prefer the running. You stay a little warmer and the workout certainly takes less time.

3.15 miles/44:02/Avg 13:59

A Make-Up Day

A nice brisk run…

So this week has been really ugly in terms of free time. We are cutting over to a new server and I have been putting in really long hours. So much so that I had to blow off my speed work on Wednesday and my short run and lifting last night. I hate veering off Hal’s schedule.

So today was suppose to be a day of rest, but since I have not been running for two days I decided to call it a make up day. I dragged my sorry carcass out of bed at 6:00am and was down at the gym running by about 6:30. I ran 4 miles at a pretty good clip and felt tired but strong. I figured the 4 miles made up for the Thursday run I skipped and some of my speed work I skipped on Wednesday.

4.00 miles/32:00/Avg 8:00

Good luck Nikki, let me know where you land!

Tonight was interesting… As you may recall on Tuesdays I have a spin/core strengthening class at the MAC. Usually I try to get there early and get a 4 mile run in outside before class. It’s one of my favorite training days because I get a nice long workout and also I get to see many of my Team Playmakers friends.

So tonight I am happily trucking off to class when I get a call on my cell from Nikki my spin instructor. She called to tell me that not 30 minutes before she had been fired for some stupid reason and class would be canceled. ARG!!! I really like that class. She said she would probably go to another fitness club and try to organize another class. I’m not sure what’s going to happen. Will Playmakers just let the class die? Will they follow Nikki wherever she ends up? Will they find someone else at the MAC to teach the class. More to come I’m sure!

The only good to come out of all this is that I decided to do my run anyway and without the pressure of making a 7:30 class I was able to wander a bit. I kept the first part of my run the same because I really like running along the river. There are always a lot of happy runners out and about and I generally see several Playmakers folks as well. But instead of turning around at Sparty I kept going. I ended up circling around Breslin and then through a bunch of residence halls. It was great because I wasn’t really watching Garmin that closely; instead I was just enjoying the run.

What a nice night… Well for me, not so much for Nikki. Good luck Nikki, let me know where you land!

On a side note, I've notice I've been laxed as far as what I've been wearing and how comfortable I've been. I'll start adding that under my time info.

4.55 miles/38:56/Avg 8:33
13 - light wind/Nike fleece, LS+SS shirt/comfortable to a little warm

Running in the Snow

Today was fun. I ran 3 miles around Hastings in the snow. I was able to run in the streets most of the time but was forced on the sidewalks along Green Street. For those of you who live on Green Street I have a request… Please come closer…. Closer… SHOVEL YOUR FRICKEN WALKS! Actually it wasn’t too bad. Plus it was very pretty.

Part of my route took me past the high school where I saw some HS kid attempting to do doe nuts in reverse because he/she had a front wheel drive. It was kind of funny because I’ve done the exact same thing in the exact same parking lot, albeit many years/decades ago.

I wasn’t really watching my Garmin all that closely today and was wondering why I was feeling so winded towards the end of the run. I was chalking it up to the fact that I ran 9 miles yesterday until I looked at my watch and figured out I was running sub 8 minute miles in the snow. So evidently I’m not all that bright… but at least I’m getting faster!

3.10 miles/24:25/Avg 7:53

Thank You Mid Michigan Track Club

Today was a new adventure. I was scheduled to run 7 miles and wasn't all that fired up about doing it by-myself. Then I re-read my weekly Playmakers email and saw that the Mid Michigan Track Club had a group run scheduled for Saturday AM. All welcome, running anywhere between 3 and 15 miles. So..... I joined it. Although I didn't seem to fall in with anyone else it was nice being in the presence of others. I was faster than some and slower than others.

The other neat thing is their rout started at Potter Zoo and ran along the River Trail. I've covered most of the trail on previous runs, but there is a spur that I have never made the time to check out. Well this morning's run included the spur. What luck! It's not the most scenic part of the trail, but new mileage is new mileage!

I was only suppose to run 7 miles, but by and accident of math (translation, Tom can't run and add at the same time) I ended up running 9. It was so nice because I was wondering if I still had distance in my legs. Last week's 7 mile run was less than perfect, but I felt great today and probably could have done 13 if I needed. So much fun.

Overall I'm feeling good about my training and seem to be on pace to run a sub 2 hour Half in Miami. Woo Hoo!

9.03 miles/1:16:26/Avg 8:28

Working on my legs

Tonight was a moderately faster run on the Treadmill followed by some strength work.  I’ve noticed the lifting is getting a little easier so I am ramping up the weight just a little but.  Its nice because I feel like I’m making progress.  Not sure what this is doing for my running, but my stomach is definitely shrinking a little… Woo Hoo!

Also originally I was focusing on my core and upper body, but tonight I started to add more leg work.  I always thought the running kept my legs in shape but evidently focusing on the legs a little will use build up different leg muscles and help avoid injury.

3.0 miles/25:00/Avg 8:20 + 60 minutes of strength & stretching