Muddy Calves

Sometimes a perfectly good run is ruined by nature, errrrr, nature’s call, if you know what I mean. Usually, I can feel pretty quick if I’m a little heavy in the inner caverns. Before I ever took off today, I started looking for a place to go.

My problem was I thought I had some time, so I headed to a nearby business that had a place to stop. I made it there fine, unfortunately, it was closed. So I was left somewhat stranded, from a plumbing point of view. So I rambled along, the best I could.

Finally, found a spot and was able to get on with my run, but by then, this run had been tarnished.

Prepoop:
1.35 13:07 (9:42)

Postpoop:
2.30 19:21 (8:23)
8:02
8:19
(9:36) trails

Total: 3.65 32:28

I made a Poop

Not that I am, but I knew that if I wanted to keep my chance for a perfect 365, I would either need to get up early or run late. Either way, I was gonna be stuck running with my enemy. A shame, too, because it was a balmy 36 degrees out today.

I repeated my work out from yesterday, only doing a second mile.

Stats:
2.25 miles in 10:45 (8:47 pace)
Quarter paces:
(10:09)
(9:36)
(9:20)
(7:08) 9:03 mile
(8:13)
(9:43)
(9:32)
(7:09) 8:39 mile
(7:56)

Well not my primary purpose, I’m hoping to lose a fewteen pounds. Been weighing myself on a daily basis and have been in the 161-163 range. Monday I dipped to 159, so I was excited I might actually have made some headway. To my disappointment, I came in at 163–guess I shouldn’t have and those celebratory Oreos.

I expect to get down to the 153-155 range pretty easy. But I have been stuck around there for years. Right now, not doing anything special to actually make me expect to get lower than that.

Made up a new dreadmill workout. Warm-up for the first 0.60 miles at 6 miles per hour. When the machine says I’ve run 0.61 miles, increase the speed to 6.1 mph, up to 10 mph.

Recover at the end of the mile until 1.60, repeat.

Stats:
1.25 miles in 0:08 (8:08 pace)
Quarter paces:
(9:55)
(8:19)
(7:00)
(7:08) (Not sure how this could be??) 8:05 mile
(8:00)

I could use the old line-I have a love-hate relationship with my dreadmill, I love to hate it. And it is true but cliche.

I have to begrudingly admit, though, the darn thing has a place in my running life. If I am to undertake that which should not be named, the only chance I have is to use that darn thing somedays.

My schedule was this today–up at 7:00 with the kids, leave by 8:00 to get kid #1 to school by 8:30. Sitter comes at 10:00, so I have 90 minutes to: pick up some groceries, drive home (20+ minutes), get a run in & be ready to leave. If I didn’t have the grocery stop, I could run outside with kid #2 but it is kinda cold and the extra time driving to a suitable trailhead & loading & unloading everything would make it impossible to get groceries & do the baby jogger thing.

So I settled for some millwork. Knowing I didn’t have much time, I did a quick warm-up, a half mile hard, recovered and another quarter hardish. Then I was done. While it didn’t do much for my soul, it should help my cardio a bit.

Stats:
1.50 miles in 11:46 (7:51 pace, 173 bpm)
Splits (quarter mile splits, pace listed):
(10:19)
(8:11)
(6:17)
(6:15) 7:45 mile
(9:09)
(6:48)

Last year at a physical, I asked my doctor how cold of weather I could run in with my daughter (she was 11 months at the time). He didn’t give me much of an answer and I’ve been pretty conservative about it.

Today, it was 19 degrees out when we went out. We didn’t go long and & I bundled her (she is now 23 months) up. The baby jogger also has a windshield to keep her out of the wind. I stopped a couple times to check her that her hands/ears, etc.. were still covered and warm.

Even with the slower pace, it is nice to run outside, where we belong.

Stats: 1.60 miles in 13:40 (8:33 pace)
Splits:
8:33
(8:32)
Carson (Lake St Park) 1.6

One of my prized possessions is my collection of running logs. I have them going back to my freshman year of high school cross country in 1984. Did log every mile for the first few years but have routinely logged them since 1992.

Sometimes the logging got in the way of the running. Way back when, I would run routes only on streets as too try and get an accurate mileage for my log. This was in direct contradiction to my belief that the best running is done spontaneously and, ideally, along trails.

Eventually, I got confident enough in my pace judgement and less rigid about accuracy, that I would ballpark my mileage when needed.

My interest, however, did drive my into my current industry, if not profession. In 1994, I found out about geographic information systems (GIS). GIS links a database to a map–basically what Mapquest, GoogleMaps, and their kind use. While those are actually pretty simplistic applications, the first application I saw was measuring my runs. So I now use my accounting degree to write mapping applications.

Later, cheap GPS (Thanks honey for the eTrex back in 1999!) and Nike Footpod technology allowed me to measure completely hands-free.

But I still continued to write my mileage down on paper. A couple years ago, I even designed my own running log, which can be bought at cafepress.com (click picture below). It still has a 2005 calendar in it, but the individual pages are still usable, but I’m not really plugging it.

This year, I am again using the freebie that Runner’s World gives away, although they have switched to much thinner cover, which makes me want to check the bookstores for discounted Running Journals but until I get a chance, I’ll use what I have.

A drastic change, for me, is I have finally decided to switch counting methods–before I rounded every t the nearest quarter mile. I am now rounding to the nearest tenth of a mile. I use a modified rounding down method, today I logged:

Stats:
2.50 miles in 23:22 (dreadmill)
(9:23 pace)
Splits:
10:16
8:53
(8:36)

While I look forward to weekends, they also raise my frustration level. I have things I want to do and I always think I’ll do them on the weekend. Then the weekend comes and either I have other commitments, got chores to do or I’m just plain lazy. I was hoping to go for a long run today but never got to it.

Ended up back on the dreadmill. I’m logging way too many miles on the darn thing. In an effort to not want to stick my head into the belt as to put myself out of my misery, I set up our 7 inch portable DVD player and watched Lord of the Rings (Fellowship of the Ring).

I made if for 3.25 miles, which is the longest I’ve gone for awhile on it but still it was tedious. I am constantly changing the pace and incline, hoping that straining will at least make it interesting.

It doesn’t

Stats:
3.23 miles in 28:55 (8:49 pace)
Splits:
9:31
8:40
8:23
(8:19)

With no other purpose than to extend what may be a streak, I ran 1 stinking mile on my dreadmill. Oh, the shame…

10:12

As a Packer fan, I cann’t, in good faith, be thinking about attempting a 365 day streak without at least mentioning one Brett Lorenzo Favre. Favre is the Packers’ Ironman who has started 237 straight games at quarterback. Just in case you don’t know, that is just under 15 years of playing football–having 11 professional players who want to hurt you on every play.

My measily 4 day streak is probably like Brett playing one play in his first game–nothing. Actually, let’s figure it out. To tie Brett, lets say I streak for 15 years. Each year of running would equal 16 games. 365 days divided by 16 is about 22 days–lets round off to 21 days. So I’m 1/3 of the way through my first game.

I guess every streak starts with 1.

Favre Records

Stats:
3.2 miles in 28:55 (8:38 pace)
Splits:
8:27
9:13
8:05

Did 1.8 on the dreadmill today. I hate the dreadmill. But it serves a purpose. Instead of dragging my almost 2-year-old along in the baby jogger, she got to play inside, in the warmth of out house while I sweated and gruntted. Honestly, though, I see three real advantages of the treadmill for me.

First, it allows me to get in runs when my schedule/weather don’t permit it. Don’t get me wrong, I live in Wisconsin and enjoy running in the cold, the snow, etc… Blizzards are awesome to run in. Problem is I have moved out into the country and sometimes it just isn’t safe. I don’t run at night because it would be to easy for someone to not see me and smuck me. When I lived in town, I would run an nearly any hour. The treadmill allows me to safely, if inhumanly, do that still.

Second, it lets me run fast during th winter. I’ve always slowed down during the winter because the poor footing and extra clothing slows you down. Once spring comes and I shed the extra clothes, takes the legs some time to remember how not to trudge along.

Finally, it allows me to work on heat aclimation. Don’t think I’ve seen 50 degrees for a long time. But it is in the 60-something in my basement and if I don’t turn the fan on, it is actually hotter than normal because on the ‘mill, you don’t get a breeze.

We bought a portable DVD player for car trips, I’m planning on using that to watch some movies while on the treadmill and see if I can forget how much I hate the darn thing.

The streak, if it is one, is at 3. Did a half mile warmup then did 0.05 at 8/9/10/9/8 mph with .05 recovery 6mph . Then did .13 hard sessions of 8/9/10 mph, 7 mph recovery.

Stats:
1.80 miles in 15:43 (8:43 pace)
Splits:
9:15
(8:07)

peak pace: 6:21