DISCLAIMER: This is what works for me. It probably won't work for anyone else, but it works for me.
Let's start with the couch to 5k program. I've been all the way through this, or very nearly, three times now. At the end of every one, I just couldn't run a 5k. I couldn't do it. Now I think I've figured out why.
The program is designed to get you running not so much for distance, but for time. At least the way I did it. Every run/walk interval is broken into sections. Eventually the walk sections are discarded and you just run for a solid chunk.
This probably works great for the vast majority of people. But, right now, running in one long continuous chunk like that just doesn't work for me. To try and do a 5k like that would take me well over 40 minutes, as eventually I would be running so slow that I might as well be walking.
I have found what works for me, though. I ran 5k in 35:56 this morning using it. And I've used it for 2 weeks now. I've actually run 6 5k lengths like this in the last 2 weeks, including the Race for the Cure.
The key for me is 10-minute sections. For every ten minutes of running, I walk for at least 30 seconds. This morning, for instance, I ran 10, walked 1, ran 10, walked 1, ran 10, walked 30 seconds, then ran to finish. This pattern actually let me get my fastest time yet this morning. In retrospect, Wednesday, I skipped the two middle walking portions, and ended up at 37:00. I was thinking about the pattern this morning during the run, and really noticed that I was able to really keep a good pace during the running sections, where if I was just running constantly, my pace would drop continuously.
So I'm going to keep doing it this way. Until I find something better.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
More Useless Randomness
I've had some good running times this week. 36:10 on Monday morning for a 5k-equivalent, and 37:00 Wednesday morning. Wednesday morning I ran in a thick fog, which was very interesting. It was actually one of my best feeling runs ever, and I was surprised that it wasn't my best time ever, honestly. Be interesting to see what time I put up tomorrow morning.
Next, eating healthy is obscenely expensive. Fresh fruits and vegetables are pricey, where I can make a simple pasta and meatballs type dish for less than half the price using processed boxed ingredients. Especially when I'm cooking for the whole family. Well, for me and the kids. Not sure when, if ever, I'll cook for a whole family again.
Sorry...that was a bit of a downer.
I'm also working on picking the next 5k. Scheduling that is difficult, as I'm really looking for it to be a weekend where I don't have the kids, and lining that up with the 5k's that I've found is not going well.
I also need to get back into the weight training. I haven't gone back to the Chalean program for fear of that left knee pain. But I haven't tried too hard to find a replacement for it, either. Chalean was nice because it really prevented boredom while doing the workouts, which is a pretty large barrier for me. I might need to just suck it up and move on to another video-based workout, like the P90X deals.
Alright, that's really all I've got. That and me riding a motorcycle:
Next, eating healthy is obscenely expensive. Fresh fruits and vegetables are pricey, where I can make a simple pasta and meatballs type dish for less than half the price using processed boxed ingredients. Especially when I'm cooking for the whole family. Well, for me and the kids. Not sure when, if ever, I'll cook for a whole family again.
Sorry...that was a bit of a downer.
I'm also working on picking the next 5k. Scheduling that is difficult, as I'm really looking for it to be a weekend where I don't have the kids, and lining that up with the 5k's that I've found is not going well.
I also need to get back into the weight training. I haven't gone back to the Chalean program for fear of that left knee pain. But I haven't tried too hard to find a replacement for it, either. Chalean was nice because it really prevented boredom while doing the workouts, which is a pretty large barrier for me. I might need to just suck it up and move on to another video-based workout, like the P90X deals.
Alright, that's really all I've got. That and me riding a motorcycle:
Monday, May 21, 2012
Run, Jason, Run (My Experience at the Race for the Cure 2012)
So, Friday I ate pretty well, didn't go too crazy. Was really thinking about the race the next day and preparing for it well. I really thought I could get under 37 minutes for the race, although I would be happy with anything under 40, honestly.
I even got to sleep early, nodding off almost as soon as the Celtics game was over (side note...why are you trying to thread the needle on difficult passes with a 15 point lead...just make the easy pass).
I woke up a mess, though. Just a crazy bundle of nervous anxious energy.
At 4:30 am.
I tried getting back to sleep for awhile, and did, but was definitely up for the day at 5:30. I took a nice long shower, got everything together, and started getting ready to go.
At 6:30. The race started at 10:05. Yay. I wanted to get to the fairgrounds around 9, and I was already ready to go at 6:30. And FREAKING THE HELL OUT. So I made myself a small, quick breakfast of a piece of toast and a scrambled egg and killed some time.
Around 7:45 I got in the car and headed to Rite Aid to grab some energy chew things for the race, to have while I was doing my walking breaks. Rite Aid opens at nine. I ended up at the Kinney Drugs and was able to find something.
Still freaking out a little, by the way.
I ended up at the fairgrounds around 8:40 or so, and walked in. First thing I did was head for the bathrooms and quite possibly made that poor bathroom stall uninhabitable for the rest of the day.
Yeah, my stomach was a little...umm...well...the Edmund Fitzgerald wouldn't have made it through those waters either...
I ran into some work friends (Tim and Julie) and stopped to chat for a bit, then Terrie and Stacey. I met up with Mike and Heather in the front of the Center of Progress building. We hung out for a bit, watching the yahoos warming up on the stage, then found a nice grassy spot to do some stretching of our own. Mike showed me a couple good stretches to try, and we lined up for the race.
This is where the wheels started to come off for the planners, in my opinion.
When you line up for the race, the runners line up according to their per-mile pace. I lined up pretty far back, figuring around a 12-minute pace, which is what I've been doing.
The walkers were SUPPOSED to line up on the intersecting road, leaving the main road for the runners. EXCEPT NONE OF THEM DID THAT. There were over 1300 or so runners, I believe. At least twice that number walking, from what I saw, as well. They were all interspersed among the runners. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them were lined up at or very near the front.
Mike, Heather and I all wished each other good luck, and they moved up farther in the starting area, as they are significantly faster runners than I. I got my music started (I always try to start with "Hard Sun" by Eddie Vedder...not sure why...just really like that one), got runkeeper ready on the phone, and waited for the bell.
They sent us off, and it took me at least 3 minutes of walking through the miasma of walkers to get just to the starting line. But I couldn't even start running there, not yet. Waaaay too much traffic from the walkers. In fact, I'd say it was at least a good two-tenths of a mile in before I could even get to my normal running pace, and throughout the whole race I wasn't able to keep that pace up without bobbing and weaving through the walkers. A 5k is 3.1 miles, I actually ended up running 3.14 miles, just from dodging all the people throughout the race.
My plan was to keep the routine I had kept recently, run for 10, walk for 2, 10, 2, 10, 1 then run to finish.
After the first ten minutes I slowed down to walk, which also happened to be right at the first water station, a mile in. I decided to pass on any water, but via all my dodging through traffic, I had managed to end up right next to the water table.
And I almost got taken out. By a woman walking. She had started on the other side of the road, and just turned and walked perpendicular to the flow to get to the table. THEN SHE LOOKED AT ME TO GIVE ME A DIRTY LOOK when I almost had to do a diving tuck and roll just to avoid getting plowed by her.
Sheesh.
Once I picked up running after my two minutes, it was time to move out of the fairgrounds proper and into the parking areas along State Fair Blvd and Interstate 695. The sun by that point had really cranked up the temperature, a much higher one than I had run in during any of my training sessions. It had an effect, definitely slowing me down somewhat, and I was losing pretty much any hydration I had achieved pre-race. I grabbed water at the next station about 1.5 miles in. Still passing walkers...shows you how many had lined up waaaaay ahead in the pack...I had run for roughly 1.3 miles of this route or better, and was still passing walkers, including one group that was like 8 wide walking arm-in-arm across the entire roadway. It was with this water station that I learned that running and drinking at the same time is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO PULL OFF. Seriously. I was holding the water up to my face with one hand, and trying to just smash my mouth into the cup in hopes of ingesting some of the splash while running. I'll probably stop to drink next time.
At the end of that 10 minutes I walked for only a minute thirty, this time remembering the energy chew things from Kinney's. Evidently 'Energy' tastes like 'Regurgitated Dog Feces' to the people making these things. Yikes. I won't be bothering with those particular ones again.
At the end of my next ten minutes, I was around the 2.5 mile mark...well behind my training sessions. It was hot, I was STILL PASSING WALKERS, and feeling a little dehydrated. Evidently my 'smash mouth into cup while running' method hadn't worked out very well. There were some positives. I've had some cramping issues with my training sessions. No cramps in this race. I also had been keeping pace with an older gentleman who seemed to be doing a 3 minute run/30 second walk type routine, and he and I ended up going through almost the entire race within 10-20 yards of each other. It felt like I had a running partner, somewhat.
So, after a 30 second or so walk, I was determined that I was going to be at least AROUND my training times, so for the last quarter of a mile or so, I picked up the pace, and when I rounded the last turn towards the finish line (STILL PASSING WALKERS, FOR CHRISSAKES...THIS TIME ALSO PASSING RUNNING YAHOOS THAT HAD TURNED BACK AROUND AFTER FINISHING AND WERE RUNNING BACK DOWN THE ROUTE...IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD...), I decided it was time to really try to move quickly. I moved up into full-on fat-guy sprint. It must have been a sight. Like the dog from Turner and Hooch bearing down on you. If there were any small children near the finish line, I apologize for the nightmares you'll carry into your adulthood from seeing that. It had to be all arms and legs and rolls and slobber flying everywhere. Mike assured me that I didn't look like a complete moron. Mike was just being nice, I'm sure.
As soon as I crossed, Mike (having already finished...his head shining like a lighthouse of hope...the hope of water and rest...and I mean that in a totally not-gay way, not that there's anything wrong with that...) was right there and ushered me to water and a shaded area to rest.
Mike, Heather and I hung out in the shade for a while, rehydrating and commiserating.
I had finished the race. I had set out to do it, and did it. In 37:47, which ended up being pretty much right on my training pace. I wasn't even last in my division. I was 35th. Out of 37. But hey, it wasn't last. Numbers 36 and 37 were each quite a ways behind me. And if I was in the 75-79 year old female division, I would have DESTROYED those bitches.
We headed back to the cars, and met back up at Dinosaur Barbeque for some well-deserved greasy food. It was possibly the best greasy food I have had in years.
I can't wait for the next race.
I even got to sleep early, nodding off almost as soon as the Celtics game was over (side note...why are you trying to thread the needle on difficult passes with a 15 point lead...just make the easy pass).
I woke up a mess, though. Just a crazy bundle of nervous anxious energy.
At 4:30 am.
I tried getting back to sleep for awhile, and did, but was definitely up for the day at 5:30. I took a nice long shower, got everything together, and started getting ready to go.
At 6:30. The race started at 10:05. Yay. I wanted to get to the fairgrounds around 9, and I was already ready to go at 6:30. And FREAKING THE HELL OUT. So I made myself a small, quick breakfast of a piece of toast and a scrambled egg and killed some time.
Around 7:45 I got in the car and headed to Rite Aid to grab some energy chew things for the race, to have while I was doing my walking breaks. Rite Aid opens at nine. I ended up at the Kinney Drugs and was able to find something.
Still freaking out a little, by the way.
I ended up at the fairgrounds around 8:40 or so, and walked in. First thing I did was head for the bathrooms and quite possibly made that poor bathroom stall uninhabitable for the rest of the day.
Yeah, my stomach was a little...umm...well...the Edmund Fitzgerald wouldn't have made it through those waters either...
I ran into some work friends (Tim and Julie) and stopped to chat for a bit, then Terrie and Stacey. I met up with Mike and Heather in the front of the Center of Progress building. We hung out for a bit, watching the yahoos warming up on the stage, then found a nice grassy spot to do some stretching of our own. Mike showed me a couple good stretches to try, and we lined up for the race.
This is where the wheels started to come off for the planners, in my opinion.
When you line up for the race, the runners line up according to their per-mile pace. I lined up pretty far back, figuring around a 12-minute pace, which is what I've been doing.
The walkers were SUPPOSED to line up on the intersecting road, leaving the main road for the runners. EXCEPT NONE OF THEM DID THAT. There were over 1300 or so runners, I believe. At least twice that number walking, from what I saw, as well. They were all interspersed among the runners. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them were lined up at or very near the front.
Mike, Heather and I all wished each other good luck, and they moved up farther in the starting area, as they are significantly faster runners than I. I got my music started (I always try to start with "Hard Sun" by Eddie Vedder...not sure why...just really like that one), got runkeeper ready on the phone, and waited for the bell.
They sent us off, and it took me at least 3 minutes of walking through the miasma of walkers to get just to the starting line. But I couldn't even start running there, not yet. Waaaay too much traffic from the walkers. In fact, I'd say it was at least a good two-tenths of a mile in before I could even get to my normal running pace, and throughout the whole race I wasn't able to keep that pace up without bobbing and weaving through the walkers. A 5k is 3.1 miles, I actually ended up running 3.14 miles, just from dodging all the people throughout the race.
My plan was to keep the routine I had kept recently, run for 10, walk for 2, 10, 2, 10, 1 then run to finish.
After the first ten minutes I slowed down to walk, which also happened to be right at the first water station, a mile in. I decided to pass on any water, but via all my dodging through traffic, I had managed to end up right next to the water table.
And I almost got taken out. By a woman walking. She had started on the other side of the road, and just turned and walked perpendicular to the flow to get to the table. THEN SHE LOOKED AT ME TO GIVE ME A DIRTY LOOK when I almost had to do a diving tuck and roll just to avoid getting plowed by her.
Sheesh.
Once I picked up running after my two minutes, it was time to move out of the fairgrounds proper and into the parking areas along State Fair Blvd and Interstate 695. The sun by that point had really cranked up the temperature, a much higher one than I had run in during any of my training sessions. It had an effect, definitely slowing me down somewhat, and I was losing pretty much any hydration I had achieved pre-race. I grabbed water at the next station about 1.5 miles in. Still passing walkers...shows you how many had lined up waaaaay ahead in the pack...I had run for roughly 1.3 miles of this route or better, and was still passing walkers, including one group that was like 8 wide walking arm-in-arm across the entire roadway. It was with this water station that I learned that running and drinking at the same time is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO PULL OFF. Seriously. I was holding the water up to my face with one hand, and trying to just smash my mouth into the cup in hopes of ingesting some of the splash while running. I'll probably stop to drink next time.
At the end of that 10 minutes I walked for only a minute thirty, this time remembering the energy chew things from Kinney's. Evidently 'Energy' tastes like 'Regurgitated Dog Feces' to the people making these things. Yikes. I won't be bothering with those particular ones again.
At the end of my next ten minutes, I was around the 2.5 mile mark...well behind my training sessions. It was hot, I was STILL PASSING WALKERS, and feeling a little dehydrated. Evidently my 'smash mouth into cup while running' method hadn't worked out very well. There were some positives. I've had some cramping issues with my training sessions. No cramps in this race. I also had been keeping pace with an older gentleman who seemed to be doing a 3 minute run/30 second walk type routine, and he and I ended up going through almost the entire race within 10-20 yards of each other. It felt like I had a running partner, somewhat.
So, after a 30 second or so walk, I was determined that I was going to be at least AROUND my training times, so for the last quarter of a mile or so, I picked up the pace, and when I rounded the last turn towards the finish line (STILL PASSING WALKERS, FOR CHRISSAKES...THIS TIME ALSO PASSING RUNNING YAHOOS THAT HAD TURNED BACK AROUND AFTER FINISHING AND WERE RUNNING BACK DOWN THE ROUTE...IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD...), I decided it was time to really try to move quickly. I moved up into full-on fat-guy sprint. It must have been a sight. Like the dog from Turner and Hooch bearing down on you. If there were any small children near the finish line, I apologize for the nightmares you'll carry into your adulthood from seeing that. It had to be all arms and legs and rolls and slobber flying everywhere. Mike assured me that I didn't look like a complete moron. Mike was just being nice, I'm sure.
As soon as I crossed, Mike (having already finished...his head shining like a lighthouse of hope...the hope of water and rest...and I mean that in a totally not-gay way, not that there's anything wrong with that...) was right there and ushered me to water and a shaded area to rest.
Mike, Heather and I hung out in the shade for a while, rehydrating and commiserating.
I had finished the race. I had set out to do it, and did it. In 37:47, which ended up being pretty much right on my training pace. I wasn't even last in my division. I was 35th. Out of 37. But hey, it wasn't last. Numbers 36 and 37 were each quite a ways behind me. And if I was in the 75-79 year old female division, I would have DESTROYED those bitches.
We headed back to the cars, and met back up at Dinosaur Barbeque for some well-deserved greasy food. It was possibly the best greasy food I have had in years.
I can't wait for the next race.
(Post-race crazy hair...Mike decided to point it out...had to take a picture. I think it's more jealousy that I have such a beautiful thick mane of luxurious hair.)
Friday, May 18, 2012
Ok, So I've Been Lazy on Posting
There really hasn't been too awful much going on to write about. I'll be doing some more Where's Potty? pictures soon, and another Masterpoo Theatre is in the wings. And a couple weeks off (at least) there's a VERY SPECIAL Masterpoo Theatre coming, which I've been practicing for.
Mostly I've been training for this weekend's 5k at the NYS Fairgrounds. It's the Komen Race For The Cure, and it'll the first 5k that I've done since the Great Race in the summer of 2010.
I won't get into what happened there, just know that it ended up being a horrible experience, and was one of the worst days I had ever happened before Amy left. I'm trying not to think about it, as it's causing some anxiety for me for this weekend's race.
Now, let me get out there and say I'm not planning on being truly competitive. I have a goal. I want to be under 40 minutes (which is slow, sure, but my Great Race time was muuuuuch higher than that). If I'm under 40 minutes I'll be extremely happy. I've done two full-length 5k training runs in the last week or so, finishing one in 37:07 and the other in 37:48. So I think being under-40 would be an attainable goal.
I do have an ambitious goal for this. I'd like to be in the 35-36 minute range, ideally. That's ambitious for me. I think I could do it, but I'm not going to kill myself to make it happen, or beat myself up when it doesn't.
I have a running plan. This has worked for me in my training runs extremely well. I run for 10 minutes, walk for 2, run for 10, walk for 2, run for 10, walk for 1, then run to finish. It has kept me pretty well energetic through the entire distance, which is important. I might try to reduce those walks to 1 minute, but again, I will not push it. I'm going to go completely by feel. I won't go past 2 minutes, but if I'm not feeling good after 1 minute, I'll walk the full 2.
I also had the chance to play some basketball again last night. My outside shooting was poor, at best, but I was able to get to my spots on the post and could get pretty much whatever shot I wanted inside. My rebounding has also improved by being lighter and stronger. I can get to many more rebounds now than I was before. I'm also able to extend my defense out farther on the wings, as well, instead of goading guys to drive inside and put up blockable shots.
As far as the Chalean program, I haven't been doing it. Every time I've tried to start it, the sumo squats burn up my left knee, and it's quite painful. Once this weekend's race is done, I'm going to schedule the next race and continue the training for that. In addition to that training, I'm going to cherry-pick some workouts to get back into the weight training. I just can't do those sumo squats anymore, for whatever reason.
I might make a doctor's appointment, just for the heck of it, to see if there's something going on with that knee, although I'm sure it's just temporary and probably more about my form than anything else. I'll also have the doc check out that left arm, which still gives me problems from time to time.
Anyway, until next time...
Mostly I've been training for this weekend's 5k at the NYS Fairgrounds. It's the Komen Race For The Cure, and it'll the first 5k that I've done since the Great Race in the summer of 2010.
I won't get into what happened there, just know that it ended up being a horrible experience, and was one of the worst days I had ever happened before Amy left. I'm trying not to think about it, as it's causing some anxiety for me for this weekend's race.
Now, let me get out there and say I'm not planning on being truly competitive. I have a goal. I want to be under 40 minutes (which is slow, sure, but my Great Race time was muuuuuch higher than that). If I'm under 40 minutes I'll be extremely happy. I've done two full-length 5k training runs in the last week or so, finishing one in 37:07 and the other in 37:48. So I think being under-40 would be an attainable goal.
I do have an ambitious goal for this. I'd like to be in the 35-36 minute range, ideally. That's ambitious for me. I think I could do it, but I'm not going to kill myself to make it happen, or beat myself up when it doesn't.
I have a running plan. This has worked for me in my training runs extremely well. I run for 10 minutes, walk for 2, run for 10, walk for 2, run for 10, walk for 1, then run to finish. It has kept me pretty well energetic through the entire distance, which is important. I might try to reduce those walks to 1 minute, but again, I will not push it. I'm going to go completely by feel. I won't go past 2 minutes, but if I'm not feeling good after 1 minute, I'll walk the full 2.
I also had the chance to play some basketball again last night. My outside shooting was poor, at best, but I was able to get to my spots on the post and could get pretty much whatever shot I wanted inside. My rebounding has also improved by being lighter and stronger. I can get to many more rebounds now than I was before. I'm also able to extend my defense out farther on the wings, as well, instead of goading guys to drive inside and put up blockable shots.
As far as the Chalean program, I haven't been doing it. Every time I've tried to start it, the sumo squats burn up my left knee, and it's quite painful. Once this weekend's race is done, I'm going to schedule the next race and continue the training for that. In addition to that training, I'm going to cherry-pick some workouts to get back into the weight training. I just can't do those sumo squats anymore, for whatever reason.
I might make a doctor's appointment, just for the heck of it, to see if there's something going on with that knee, although I'm sure it's just temporary and probably more about my form than anything else. I'll also have the doc check out that left arm, which still gives me problems from time to time.
Anyway, until next time...
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Friday, May 11, 2012
The One Where I Didn't Intend to Run a Pseudo-5k...But Did
Yeah. Kind of a 'holy shit' morning.
Let's backtrack. Yesterday, when work was over, the rain was spitting a little. I also knew that I was going to be running this morning (provided I didn't keep hitting 'snooze' for 2 hours). So instead of trying to fit in a run between raindrops, I decided to just shelve the idea for last night.
I set the DVR for the Celtics game (nice win...I honestly was never really worried..I've seen this edition of the Celtics win exactly this type of game so many times in the last 4 years) and met a friend to catch a movie. After the movie, I got home, watched the C's game, and went to bed.
After only an hour of pushing the 'snooze' button this morning, I decided to get up and bang out this run. I sat at the computer long enough to polish off a tall glass of water, a couple ibuprofen and the morning vitamin, then got dressed for the run. The bluetooth headphones weren't cooperating, so I had to use regular wired ones (sooo 2006...how do I manage?).
So I started off from my house with a decent walk for about 5 minutes with some stretches here and there, get blood moving. During that time I was thinking about my run. I knew I had said two 15-minute runs with a 3-minute walk in between, but that 10 minute interval from the previous run had just worked so well. I decided to do a 10-minute run with a 2-minute walk break (instead of 3) then another 10.
I did just that. It felt...well...it felt great. Just incredible. So, after the 2nd 10 minutes, I decided to take another 2 minute break then run some more.
I did that. And it felt great. When that 10 minutes was over, I thought "Well, eff it. I've run this long and this far, I still feel good...I'll take a 1-minute walk break and keep going. Maybe I'll do a full 5k".
And that's totally what happened.
http://runkeeper.com/user/cheeseisalifestyle/activity/87309793?&mobile=false <-- view the map! (runkeeper's embed code doesn't work)
I'm really....realllllly pumped right now about it. I finished in a shade over 37 minutes, a time which, seriously, I'd be ecstatic about for the 5k in a little over a week. Seriously, I would be really happy about it.
So I think I might have found my running technique. 10-minute intervals seem to be my magic number right now. I never got that back soreness...never felt overly-fatigued...just went amazing. I think my 5k plan will be 10-minute intervals with a minute or two walk in between.
I'm freaking pumped. So here's me riding a space unicorn again:
Let's backtrack. Yesterday, when work was over, the rain was spitting a little. I also knew that I was going to be running this morning (provided I didn't keep hitting 'snooze' for 2 hours). So instead of trying to fit in a run between raindrops, I decided to just shelve the idea for last night.
I set the DVR for the Celtics game (nice win...I honestly was never really worried..I've seen this edition of the Celtics win exactly this type of game so many times in the last 4 years) and met a friend to catch a movie. After the movie, I got home, watched the C's game, and went to bed.
After only an hour of pushing the 'snooze' button this morning, I decided to get up and bang out this run. I sat at the computer long enough to polish off a tall glass of water, a couple ibuprofen and the morning vitamin, then got dressed for the run. The bluetooth headphones weren't cooperating, so I had to use regular wired ones (sooo 2006...how do I manage?).
So I started off from my house with a decent walk for about 5 minutes with some stretches here and there, get blood moving. During that time I was thinking about my run. I knew I had said two 15-minute runs with a 3-minute walk in between, but that 10 minute interval from the previous run had just worked so well. I decided to do a 10-minute run with a 2-minute walk break (instead of 3) then another 10.
I did just that. It felt...well...it felt great. Just incredible. So, after the 2nd 10 minutes, I decided to take another 2 minute break then run some more.
I did that. And it felt great. When that 10 minutes was over, I thought "Well, eff it. I've run this long and this far, I still feel good...I'll take a 1-minute walk break and keep going. Maybe I'll do a full 5k".
And that's totally what happened.
http://runkeeper.com/user/cheeseisalifestyle/activity/87309793?&mobile=false <-- view the map! (runkeeper's embed code doesn't work)
I'm really....realllllly pumped right now about it. I finished in a shade over 37 minutes, a time which, seriously, I'd be ecstatic about for the 5k in a little over a week. Seriously, I would be really happy about it.
So I think I might have found my running technique. 10-minute intervals seem to be my magic number right now. I never got that back soreness...never felt overly-fatigued...just went amazing. I think my 5k plan will be 10-minute intervals with a minute or two walk in between.
I'm freaking pumped. So here's me riding a space unicorn again:
 |
| I really like this one... |
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Finally Got Out for a Run
The planets all finally aligned yesterday. No rain (it held off until about an hour after I ran), didn't need someone to watch the kids (they were with Amy, which sucks), and I had the time.
Now, I've basically had two weeks off from running. When I had the time it was raining. When it wasn't raining, for whatever reason, I couldn't run. I've done a couple small runs in there, but nothing like I should have been doing.
Especially with a 5k in a week and a half.
So anyway, with the couch to 5k plan pretty well shot, I'm kinda winging it now. I decided last night, that instead of trying to do a solid 25 minute or so run, which I probably couldn't do and would piss me off that I couldn't, I would do 2 10-minute runs at a decent clip, with a 3-minute walk in between.
That's exactly what I did. And about half-way through that second run, I hit that magic moment where your body just starts going on automatic. You don't even realize that it's happening until you realize that you've spent the last 5 minutes thinking about anything other than running, and not on purpose.
For instance, last night, my mind wandered to arcade cabinets. Which it often does anyway, but last night I think I actually nailed down a design for my next arcade cabinet. While running. Once my mind got back to the running, I had efficiently burned off about 7 minutes worth of running.
So, here's my plan. I basically have 8 days before the 5k.
Thursday (today): Might fit in a one-mile 'fast' run. I've done a couple of these, and I love them. It's just one mile, but at a much faster pace than I normally run. Might not have time today as I have something going on tonight, but I might be able to squeeze it in.
Friday (tomorrow): This depends on if I can get my butt up early enough in the morning. I really don't like running in the morning, but it's the only time I'll have to do it. I'd like to do something similar to yesterday, this time two 15-minute runs separated by a 3-minute walk.
Saturday: I might be able to get a one-miler in. Maybe.
Sunday: This will be another long one. I'm thinking 20 minutes, 3 minute walk, 10 minutes. This should end up being ALMOST a full 3 miles.
Monday: One-miler.
Tuesday: Same as Sunday. This might be the plan I use for the 5k, except with a one-minute walk.
Wednesday: Taking it off.
Thursday: This will be my 5k dress-rehearsal. I'll do 3.1 miles. No matter how long it takes me.
Friday: Taking it off, lots of water. Maybe a pasta dinner.
Anyway, that's my plan. Now I've never had a plan actually work, but I'm going to try hard with this one. Here's to hoping.
Now, I've basically had two weeks off from running. When I had the time it was raining. When it wasn't raining, for whatever reason, I couldn't run. I've done a couple small runs in there, but nothing like I should have been doing.
Especially with a 5k in a week and a half.
So anyway, with the couch to 5k plan pretty well shot, I'm kinda winging it now. I decided last night, that instead of trying to do a solid 25 minute or so run, which I probably couldn't do and would piss me off that I couldn't, I would do 2 10-minute runs at a decent clip, with a 3-minute walk in between.
That's exactly what I did. And about half-way through that second run, I hit that magic moment where your body just starts going on automatic. You don't even realize that it's happening until you realize that you've spent the last 5 minutes thinking about anything other than running, and not on purpose.
For instance, last night, my mind wandered to arcade cabinets. Which it often does anyway, but last night I think I actually nailed down a design for my next arcade cabinet. While running. Once my mind got back to the running, I had efficiently burned off about 7 minutes worth of running.
So, here's my plan. I basically have 8 days before the 5k.
Thursday (today): Might fit in a one-mile 'fast' run. I've done a couple of these, and I love them. It's just one mile, but at a much faster pace than I normally run. Might not have time today as I have something going on tonight, but I might be able to squeeze it in.
Friday (tomorrow): This depends on if I can get my butt up early enough in the morning. I really don't like running in the morning, but it's the only time I'll have to do it. I'd like to do something similar to yesterday, this time two 15-minute runs separated by a 3-minute walk.
Saturday: I might be able to get a one-miler in. Maybe.
Sunday: This will be another long one. I'm thinking 20 minutes, 3 minute walk, 10 minutes. This should end up being ALMOST a full 3 miles.
Monday: One-miler.
Tuesday: Same as Sunday. This might be the plan I use for the 5k, except with a one-minute walk.
Wednesday: Taking it off.
Thursday: This will be my 5k dress-rehearsal. I'll do 3.1 miles. No matter how long it takes me.
Friday: Taking it off, lots of water. Maybe a pasta dinner.
Anyway, that's my plan. Now I've never had a plan actually work, but I'm going to try hard with this one. Here's to hoping.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Where's Potty #6
Flying blind on a Rocket Cycle.
FLASH!!! AHh AHHHHhhhh
(come on, you know you're singing that one in your head now)
Monday, May 7, 2012
Freaking Frustrated and Floundering
I have a 5k in two weeks. I'm almost ready. I should be ready by now. Surprisingly, it's not due to laziness. It's actually mostly out of my control. It has rained lately.
Tons.
Shit-tons.
Pretty much every time I try to run.
I want to be ready for this 5k. I really want to be able to knock it out of the park, which for me would mean running the whole thing with no walk breaks. I am so close to that, but the weather has completely stymied my efforts.
Sure, I could have paid for a gym membership or something, but they don't take masterfully created mid-poo dramatic readings as payment. At least, not any that I've found. That would be pretty awesome.
This floundering affects my mood greatly. I see myself failing at something I want so badly yet again. It's a cycle I want to break so badly, one that I just can't seem to shake. That floundering gets me back into my head. Makes me dwell on my past. The viscera of a ruined marriage and parenting mistakes and losing scholarships and all the rest of my failures attack my mind. It's a like one of those 'these actors died this year' montages that they show at award shows, except it can go on for 35 years. But all done in an instant.
Not an attack. More like a blitzkrieg.
I just want to feel successful. For more than a few fleeting moments. To be able to point to something that was hard, that was a struggle, and say "I did that. It was difficult and trying and I shouldn't have been able to do it, but I did".
I had that once, with my marriage. It was us against the world. We nailed it. At least, that's what I thought. I guess at some point for her it became her against me. I never knew. Not until it was so far gone for her that she wasn't even willing to try.
It's such a loss. So painful. Another moment for the montage.
I don't like that montage. I want a new one. One with my successes. That montage used to be my marriage and my children. It was all I ever wanted. It would always overpower the other. Is it wrong when a man's real life goal is to be the best father and husband he can be? I've been told that lately. It feels wrong. What's more noble than that? Sure, I'd like to be a better basketball player and to pursue photography more, but that's not who I want to be. That's secondary. I want to be the best father and husband I can be. That's the greatest legacy I can think of. What's wrong with that?
I don't know. And I guess I'm rambling now.
Tons.
Shit-tons.
Pretty much every time I try to run.
I want to be ready for this 5k. I really want to be able to knock it out of the park, which for me would mean running the whole thing with no walk breaks. I am so close to that, but the weather has completely stymied my efforts.
Sure, I could have paid for a gym membership or something, but they don't take masterfully created mid-poo dramatic readings as payment. At least, not any that I've found. That would be pretty awesome.
This floundering affects my mood greatly. I see myself failing at something I want so badly yet again. It's a cycle I want to break so badly, one that I just can't seem to shake. That floundering gets me back into my head. Makes me dwell on my past. The viscera of a ruined marriage and parenting mistakes and losing scholarships and all the rest of my failures attack my mind. It's a like one of those 'these actors died this year' montages that they show at award shows, except it can go on for 35 years. But all done in an instant.
Not an attack. More like a blitzkrieg.
I just want to feel successful. For more than a few fleeting moments. To be able to point to something that was hard, that was a struggle, and say "I did that. It was difficult and trying and I shouldn't have been able to do it, but I did".
I had that once, with my marriage. It was us against the world. We nailed it. At least, that's what I thought. I guess at some point for her it became her against me. I never knew. Not until it was so far gone for her that she wasn't even willing to try.
It's such a loss. So painful. Another moment for the montage.
I don't like that montage. I want a new one. One with my successes. That montage used to be my marriage and my children. It was all I ever wanted. It would always overpower the other. Is it wrong when a man's real life goal is to be the best father and husband he can be? I've been told that lately. It feels wrong. What's more noble than that? Sure, I'd like to be a better basketball player and to pursue photography more, but that's not who I want to be. That's secondary. I want to be the best father and husband I can be. That's the greatest legacy I can think of. What's wrong with that?
I don't know. And I guess I'm rambling now.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Where's Potty? #3
Getting attacked by a bear while falling down a waterfall.
Seriously...I'm a complete dipshit...but these are cracking me up.
Where's Potty? #1
So...my son's potty chair seems to get around...showing up in pictures all over the place. This time, he's out west with Mike and Heather!
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