Today Hal Higdon had me run 3 easy miles. I ran at 6.5 mph at 0 incline and felt really good. I wanted to run more, but decided to follow the plan. I followed up the run with a little upper-body strength training.
I think my energy was good today because we had spaghetti and meatballs for dinner last night, and I had the leftover spaghetti with broccoli today for lunch. Lots of carbs to power my run!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
5 Miles on the Treadmill
Exercise
Today I ran 5 miles on the treadmill at the community center (it was raining outside). I ran the "hill" program. I started at 6.3 mph at level 10, but quickly dropped down to level 7 (probably after about 8 minutes). After about 15 minutes of that I dropped down to level 4 and then dropped to 6 mph. Basically I was feeling pretty tired and low-energy. I'm not sure why as I slept pretty well last night (although I woke up early at 4:45) and I ate well too. At least I think I ate well. Maybe I need to start thinking about increasing my carb load?
Total on the treadmill... 5 miles, 800 calories burned, 450 feet climbed. A good workout for Wednesday of Week Two, Intermediate Level 1 in the training program.
Nutrition
Last night I had more of Handan's Chicken, Chick Pea and Veggie dish followed by a bowl of cereal for dessert. This morning I had my usual oatmeal with raisins and walnuts. At 10 I had an apple snack and at 11 I had a tuna fish on bagel sandwich. I had a banana for a 1:00 snack and then before I went to the gym I ate a PowerBar. I'd hoped the PowerBar would give me energy for the workout, but I think I didn't eat it long enough before the exercise to be effective. Take note Jeremy... don't repeat this mistake.
Today I ran 5 miles on the treadmill at the community center (it was raining outside). I ran the "hill" program. I started at 6.3 mph at level 10, but quickly dropped down to level 7 (probably after about 8 minutes). After about 15 minutes of that I dropped down to level 4 and then dropped to 6 mph. Basically I was feeling pretty tired and low-energy. I'm not sure why as I slept pretty well last night (although I woke up early at 4:45) and I ate well too. At least I think I ate well. Maybe I need to start thinking about increasing my carb load?
Total on the treadmill... 5 miles, 800 calories burned, 450 feet climbed. A good workout for Wednesday of Week Two, Intermediate Level 1 in the training program.
Nutrition
Last night I had more of Handan's Chicken, Chick Pea and Veggie dish followed by a bowl of cereal for dessert. This morning I had my usual oatmeal with raisins and walnuts. At 10 I had an apple snack and at 11 I had a tuna fish on bagel sandwich. I had a banana for a 1:00 snack and then before I went to the gym I ate a PowerBar. I'd hoped the PowerBar would give me energy for the workout, but I think I didn't eat it long enough before the exercise to be effective. Take note Jeremy... don't repeat this mistake.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
4 Easy Miles
Exercise
Today is Tuesday, and I'm on Week 2 of Hal Higdon's Intermediate I training program. That means an easy run of 3 miles. But I ran four because I felt like it. So there!
I don't know why I pushed myself to run four. I guess one reason is that it wasn't much of a 'push' at all. It was pretty easy. Also I had such an easy week last week I feel like I 'owe' some extra miles this week. But in the long run I'm better off if I follow the plan and don't push myself to do much above-and-beyond what's called for. That's a sure way to get fatigue injuries. And we don't want those. :-(
I'd set my Garmin for a 9:30 mile pace, but I ran around 9:23 minute miles. I was happy to find that my foot feels fine, as does the rest of my body. My legs were, perhaps, a bit tired after yesterday's 90 minute recumbent bike exercise. But my energy was good. Last night I had a good night's sleep and that certainly helps.
Nutrition
Last night I made a great low-fat tuna salad. It had chopped carrots, celery, pickled jalapenos and red onion. I used non-fat yogurt to bind it and added spicy brown mustard, salt and pepper to season it. I ate it as a wrap with lettuce and tomato last night for dinner and again for lunch today. Along with the fruit snacks during the day and the oatmeal for breakfast I think I had a nice energy reserve for the run. Still... probably not enough carbs for longer distance running. Eventually I'll have to start adding more breads and pastas to my diet (which seems anathema to my diet sensibilities).
Lastly, I want to end today's blog with a big...
Today is Tuesday, and I'm on Week 2 of Hal Higdon's Intermediate I training program. That means an easy run of 3 miles. But I ran four because I felt like it. So there!
I don't know why I pushed myself to run four. I guess one reason is that it wasn't much of a 'push' at all. It was pretty easy. Also I had such an easy week last week I feel like I 'owe' some extra miles this week. But in the long run I'm better off if I follow the plan and don't push myself to do much above-and-beyond what's called for. That's a sure way to get fatigue injuries. And we don't want those. :-(
I'd set my Garmin for a 9:30 mile pace, but I ran around 9:23 minute miles. I was happy to find that my foot feels fine, as does the rest of my body. My legs were, perhaps, a bit tired after yesterday's 90 minute recumbent bike exercise. But my energy was good. Last night I had a good night's sleep and that certainly helps.
Nutrition
Last night I made a great low-fat tuna salad. It had chopped carrots, celery, pickled jalapenos and red onion. I used non-fat yogurt to bind it and added spicy brown mustard, salt and pepper to season it. I ate it as a wrap with lettuce and tomato last night for dinner and again for lunch today. Along with the fruit snacks during the day and the oatmeal for breakfast I think I had a nice energy reserve for the run. Still... probably not enough carbs for longer distance running. Eventually I'll have to start adding more breads and pastas to my diet (which seems anathema to my diet sensibilities).
Lastly, I want to end today's blog with a big...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY POPS!!!
I always think of the days you tried to get me to jog back when we lived on Third Street. It seemed like torture then and I could never have imagined that anyone (and surely not 48 year old Jeremy) could ever find it enjoyable. Well, you were on to something. It just took another 35 years or so for the message to sink in. Thanks for trying back then. :-)
Recumbent Bike - 1.5 hours
Yesterday was an off day on the schedule I'm following. I decided to do some cross-training on the recumbent bike (and to catch up on some saved TV shows). I spent 90 minutes doing a "hill" program and felt pretty good. TV helps the time pass quickly and now I'm all caught up on The Amazing Race
.
My foot is healing nicely and today I plan on running a few miles (per the schedule) after work.
.My foot is healing nicely and today I plan on running a few miles (per the schedule) after work.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
5.5 Miles on the Treadmill (approx)
This morning I wanted to running faster on my injured foot and see how it felt, so I headed to the gym (hey, it snowed last night and was COLD this morning... I couldn't run outside!). I set the treadmill for 1.0 incline and 6.5 mph and started running. I felt OK, but I accidentally hit the STOP button on the treadmill after approximately 20 minutes running. I reset the treadmill and then ran at 6 mph. I felt tired after half an hour and though I wanted to do more I stopped, but at least I had no problems with my feet (knock wood). I think my total was around 5.5 miles or so.
This week I will go back to the Week 2 routine on the Hal Hidgon Intermediate I plan.
This week I will go back to the Week 2 routine on the Hal Hidgon Intermediate I plan.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
6.5 Miles - Testing Out My Damaged Foot
My foot is damaged, but since I felt OK walking around on it I decided to see how it would feel jogging. Handan wanted to go for a run this morning so I went with her at her pace which is about 5 miles per hour. Last time she ran outdoors she went a little more than four miles. We were going to do the same today, but by the time we got to mile 3 she said she was feeling good and wanted to do 10 kilometers (6.2 miles). So we did.
She really impressed me. Her pace was very steady and her form was good. I reminded her from time to time not to bend forward too much, but other than that she was a 'real runner'. Amazing... she's ready for the MCM 10K already and there's half a year to go before the race!
My foot feels alright and tomorrow I'll try a faster run of the same distance.
I'm very proud of my beautiful, athletic wife! :-)
She really impressed me. Her pace was very steady and her form was good. I reminded her from time to time not to bend forward too much, but other than that she was a 'real runner'. Amazing... she's ready for the MCM 10K already and there's half a year to go before the race!
My foot feels alright and tomorrow I'll try a faster run of the same distance.
I'm very proud of my beautiful, athletic wife! :-)
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Medical Updates (plural)
It's been a tough week. :(
On Monday I gave blood. I gave a double-red donation knowing full well that I wouldn't be able to do any exercise for a couple of days afterward. But that was OK since I had made an appointment for my third treatment of my plantar wart for Tuesday. I knew this was going to sideline me a few days as well, so why not put them back-to-back.
Well, today was going to be my first day running again. I got home and tried to take off my work socks carefully so as not to disturb the bandage on my wart. But it started to pull away with the socks, so I pulled it off completely.
OUCH!!!
Unfortunately the Target brand bandage is made with super glue (apparently). A small bit of my skin was really stuck to the bandage and as I pulled the bandage off a BIG chunk of skin came with it. The torn flap of skin got wider and deeper the more it was pulled until finally I realized what was going on and stopped pulling. But it was too late... I'd pulled enough so that I now have a bleeding 'gash' (for lack of a better word) on the bottom of my foot a few inches away from the wart. I'll spare my reading audience any photos of the wound. Suffice to say, it ain't pretty.
So now I'll be sidelined a few more days while this heals.
The marathon is still a long way off and I have more than enough time to recover from this set-back. But it worries me that stuff like this can happen at any time! What if it happens the week of the race?!?!
I think I'll lock myself in a padded cell the week before the race and keep all sharp objects away from me.
On Monday I gave blood. I gave a double-red donation knowing full well that I wouldn't be able to do any exercise for a couple of days afterward. But that was OK since I had made an appointment for my third treatment of my plantar wart for Tuesday. I knew this was going to sideline me a few days as well, so why not put them back-to-back.
Well, today was going to be my first day running again. I got home and tried to take off my work socks carefully so as not to disturb the bandage on my wart. But it started to pull away with the socks, so I pulled it off completely.
OUCH!!!
Unfortunately the Target brand bandage is made with super glue (apparently). A small bit of my skin was really stuck to the bandage and as I pulled the bandage off a BIG chunk of skin came with it. The torn flap of skin got wider and deeper the more it was pulled until finally I realized what was going on and stopped pulling. But it was too late... I'd pulled enough so that I now have a bleeding 'gash' (for lack of a better word) on the bottom of my foot a few inches away from the wart. I'll spare my reading audience any photos of the wound. Suffice to say, it ain't pretty.
So now I'll be sidelined a few more days while this heals.
The marathon is still a long way off and I have more than enough time to recover from this set-back. But it worries me that stuff like this can happen at any time! What if it happens the week of the race?!?!
I think I'll lock myself in a padded cell the week before the race and keep all sharp objects away from me.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
9 Mile Long Run
Exercise
Today was my second long run of my training. Last week was 8 miles and today was 9 miles. I set my Garmin's pace to a 9:30 mile but I found that I had trouble keeping my pace that slow. I was feeling pretty good even after my run yesterday and a windy bike ride with friends yesterday afternoon. I stopped to eat a Gu gel
(Chocolate Mint... very good) at the halfway point and drink some water; that's the spike in the graph at mile five. I think the Gu contained caffeine because by the middle of mile six I started getting a new wave of energy that carried me through the rest of the run.
Nutrition
Last night Handan made ground turkey enchiladas and a simple corn and peppers salad. I had some cereal for dessert and some yogurt too. This morning I had a Clif bar
(Peanut Butter Crunch) which was pretty good. After the run I enjoyed some of Handan's Lentil Noodle Soup.
Today was my second long run of my training. Last week was 8 miles and today was 9 miles. I set my Garmin's pace to a 9:30 mile but I found that I had trouble keeping my pace that slow. I was feeling pretty good even after my run yesterday and a windy bike ride with friends yesterday afternoon. I stopped to eat a Gu gel
(Chocolate Mint... very good) at the halfway point and drink some water; that's the spike in the graph at mile five. I think the Gu contained caffeine because by the middle of mile six I started getting a new wave of energy that carried me through the rest of the run.Nutrition
Last night Handan made ground turkey enchiladas and a simple corn and peppers salad. I had some cereal for dessert and some yogurt too. This morning I had a Clif bar
(Peanut Butter Crunch) which was pretty good. After the run I enjoyed some of Handan's Lentil Noodle Soup.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Another Tempo Run
I stopped at Safeway again on the way home last night. I bought about 15 or so different types of energy bars of different makes (Clif and PowerBar) and different flavors. I'm going to try them out over the next few runs and see which ones I like best. Today I'm having a Power Bar Triple Threat Long Lasting Energy
bar in Carmel Peanut Fusion. The taste is pretty good. This is my before-exercise meal. It's 8:00 am now and I'll go running at 9:00. Let's see what happens...... (time passes)...
Exercise
Now it's 10:00 and I finished my run. I ran a tempo workout again today. Same as I did 3 days ago (1 mile warm-up, 3 miles tempo (it was supposed to be a 8:45 pace), 1 mile cool-down).The tempo was too fast and really lost energy by the end of the third mile. Initially I thought that I'm not paying enough attention to my pace early on because I feel so good at the beginning.
But now that I think about it the problem is my Garmin workout program. I set the pace too fast. I looked at my chart (below) and the third tempo mile was still faster than my 8:45 desired pace even though the Garmin was telling me it was slower than my goal. So clearly I programmed the tempo incorrectly. I'm actually impressed that I was able to run the three miles that fast!
Nutrition
The PowerBar I ate before running did not upset my stomach and it provided me with enough energy to finish my run (despite my miscalculated pace). I'll give it 5 stars out of 5. So far it's the winner of the bunch.
I followed up my workout with a big bowl of Kashi GoLean cereal. I've really come to like this brand that I pick up at Trader Joe's.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
5 Miles on the W&OD and Herndon Streets - Relaxed
Today I decided to run an easy 5 miles. I set my Garmin Forerunner to a 9:30 pace but I didn't really pay too much attention to it. I just ran as fast as I felt like running.
I had a turkey wrap for lunch and oatmeal for breakfast and a banana and a yogurt snack. That carried me through the run. Afterward I had another large bowl of yogurt to replenish my carbohydrates.
Feeling good... but I'm glad the marathon is still several months away. I have a long way to go.
I had a turkey wrap for lunch and oatmeal for breakfast and a banana and a yogurt snack. That carried me through the run. Afterward I had another large bowl of yogurt to replenish my carbohydrates.
Feeling good... but I'm glad the marathon is still several months away. I have a long way to go.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Tempo Run - 5 miles
Exercise
Today I tried a tempo run. I programmed my Garmin for 1 mile warm-up (6-6.5 mph), 3 miles run (7-7.5 mph) and then 1 mile cool down (6-6.5 mph). The fast part was tough since I was pretty tired today (woke up at 4:30 today) but I like the workout overall. I'll do it again and eventually add miles to the fast part.
Nutrition
I stopped by Safeway on the way home for some grocery shopping and while I was there I checked out their "nutritional supplements" section for energy bars (Clif, PowerBar, etc.). Turns out they were on sale, so I bought a PowerBar to try out before the run. However I think I ate it too close to the run as I couldn't discern any difference for having eaten it. The taste was alright, but I cannot imagine eating one during the race. I think I'll probably stick with Gu gel for now. They're lighter and easier to ingest.
Other than the power bar, I had a lunch of left-over fish and veggie stir-fry. For breakfast I had oatmeal with raisins and walnuts. In between I had an apple and a banana. Tonight we'll make turkey sandwiches.
Today I tried a tempo run. I programmed my Garmin for 1 mile warm-up (6-6.5 mph), 3 miles run (7-7.5 mph) and then 1 mile cool down (6-6.5 mph). The fast part was tough since I was pretty tired today (woke up at 4:30 today) but I like the workout overall. I'll do it again and eventually add miles to the fast part.
Nutrition
I stopped by Safeway on the way home for some grocery shopping and while I was there I checked out their "nutritional supplements" section for energy bars (Clif, PowerBar, etc.). Turns out they were on sale, so I bought a PowerBar to try out before the run. However I think I ate it too close to the run as I couldn't discern any difference for having eaten it. The taste was alright, but I cannot imagine eating one during the race. I think I'll probably stick with Gu gel for now. They're lighter and easier to ingest.
Other than the power bar, I had a lunch of left-over fish and veggie stir-fry. For breakfast I had oatmeal with raisins and walnuts. In between I had an apple and a banana. Tonight we'll make turkey sandwiches.
Monday, March 14, 2011
My First "Long Run" - 8.0 Miles
I've pretty much decided on using Hal Higdon's training plans. I'm going to use either his Novice II or his Intermediate I plan. Actually I'll probably use some sort of combination of the two, with some interval, hill and Fartlek thrown in later (since I have so much time before the race I'll finish his training routine with weeks to spare).
Exercise
In all the training programs I've found (Higdon's included) they each recommend one "long run" per week. A long run is (obviously) longer than the other training day runs; it's defined by a steady pace at anywhere from 60 to 90 seconds slower than your race pace. All the experts recommend doing the long run on the weekends since (1) it takes longer than shorter runs, and (2) (in theory) you have more time to recover.
But because I was so jazzed up about learning how to program my Garmin with interval training I didn't do my long run this past weekend. Instead I ran intervals on Saturday and had to rest on Sunday. Fortunately I had banked some extra time last week at work, so I was able to leave work early today. As soon as I got home I put on my cool-weather gear (long pants over long underwear, long-sleeve compression top over a sweatshirt) and headed out. I set my goal pace at 9:45 minute miles (60 seconds faster than my race pace goal) and headed out to run 8 miles.
I found it's hard to keep a slower pace. When I started I was feeling good and fresh so I naturally ran faster than I should have. But the Garmin kept reminding me (I'm getting to really admire this tool) and so I reined myself in. Even so, I think my initial faster speed caught up to me in mile 7 when I walked a little bit while I took some water. All in all I enjoyed my slow run. I made my distance without much difficulty at all.
Nutritution
I'd read today that the first 30 minutes after exercise is the best time to replenish your carbohydrates. The muscles absorb and store them best right after exercise. Thinking about this I decided to eat a bagel with peanut butter as soon as I got home. I followed this up with a little bit of left over sweet potato dessert. This was a mistake. I'd already eaten a full lunch (granted that was over 3 hours earlier) and the food isn't sitting well with me as I type.
Lessons learned:
1. do your long runs on weekends
2. plan your exercise around your meals better
Footnote: The Brooks continue to satisfy. Even though I'd stubbed my toe last night and ran with a bandage on my pinkie toe I had no discomfort while running.
Exercise
In all the training programs I've found (Higdon's included) they each recommend one "long run" per week. A long run is (obviously) longer than the other training day runs; it's defined by a steady pace at anywhere from 60 to 90 seconds slower than your race pace. All the experts recommend doing the long run on the weekends since (1) it takes longer than shorter runs, and (2) (in theory) you have more time to recover.
But because I was so jazzed up about learning how to program my Garmin with interval training I didn't do my long run this past weekend. Instead I ran intervals on Saturday and had to rest on Sunday. Fortunately I had banked some extra time last week at work, so I was able to leave work early today. As soon as I got home I put on my cool-weather gear (long pants over long underwear, long-sleeve compression top over a sweatshirt) and headed out. I set my goal pace at 9:45 minute miles (60 seconds faster than my race pace goal) and headed out to run 8 miles.
I found it's hard to keep a slower pace. When I started I was feeling good and fresh so I naturally ran faster than I should have. But the Garmin kept reminding me (I'm getting to really admire this tool) and so I reined myself in. Even so, I think my initial faster speed caught up to me in mile 7 when I walked a little bit while I took some water. All in all I enjoyed my slow run. I made my distance without much difficulty at all.
Nutritution
I'd read today that the first 30 minutes after exercise is the best time to replenish your carbohydrates. The muscles absorb and store them best right after exercise. Thinking about this I decided to eat a bagel with peanut butter as soon as I got home. I followed this up with a little bit of left over sweet potato dessert. This was a mistake. I'd already eaten a full lunch (granted that was over 3 hours earlier) and the food isn't sitting well with me as I type.
Lessons learned:
1. do your long runs on weekends
2. plan your exercise around your meals better
Footnote: The Brooks continue to satisfy. Even though I'd stubbed my toe last night and ran with a bandage on my pinkie toe I had no discomfort while running.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
5.5 Miles on the W&OD Trail - Speed Intervals
I don't know why I ran intervals again today. Really I should have been doing a distance run - long and slow. But this morning I learned how to program an interval workout and download it to my Garmin Forerunner and I was dieing to try it out. And I must say, it's pretty cool. I just push the button to start the workout and the Garmin tells me what to do. And it nags me if I'm going too fast or too slow. I really like it, and now I'm going to set up programs for all of my workouts and then I just have to follow the directions!
The workout itself was pretty good, except I was really tired at the end and couldn't finish the last speed interval. It shows in the chart. But I like running intervals. It breaks up the monotony of just plain running at a given pace. But I'm promising myself here and now that I will follow the schedule in the future and do my long runs on the weekends. Now (because I did the wrong run today) I'll have to do a long run on Monday after work.
The workout starts with a slow mile followed by alternating half mile intervals. In the future I'm going to program it to be a half mile warm-up and then half mile fast runs followed by quarter mile slow runs. The half mile slow runs were too long.
By the way, the Brooks continue to be very comfortable and seemingly will not require a breaking in period.
The workout itself was pretty good, except I was really tired at the end and couldn't finish the last speed interval. It shows in the chart. But I like running intervals. It breaks up the monotony of just plain running at a given pace. But I'm promising myself here and now that I will follow the schedule in the future and do my long runs on the weekends. Now (because I did the wrong run today) I'll have to do a long run on Monday after work.
The workout starts with a slow mile followed by alternating half mile intervals. In the future I'm going to program it to be a half mile warm-up and then half mile fast runs followed by quarter mile slow runs. The half mile slow runs were too long.
By the way, the Brooks continue to be very comfortable and seemingly will not require a breaking in period.
Friday, March 11, 2011
5.5 Miles on the Treadmill - Fartlek
I came home today to find my new Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11
s waiting for me on the doorstep. I'd ordered two pairs from BrooksRunning.com last weekend. Size 11.5 in 2E width... black on black. I put on a pair and headed over to the community center to try them out.
Exercise
I wanted to try a Fartlek routine today. But not knowing exactly how they're structured (or unstructured) I ran like this...
1 mile 6.0 mph, 1.0 incline
1 mile 7.5 mph, 1.0 incline
.5 miles 6.0 mph, 1.0 incline
.5 miles 7.5 mph, 1.0 incline
.5 miles 6.0 mph, 1.0 incline
1 mile 7.5 mph, no incline
1 mile 6.0 mph, no incline
OK... it looks a lot more like an Interval Workout than Fartlek. :-) The thing is, the shoes felt great and I got a good workout in after a full day of work and commuting. I'm happy with it.
Nutrition
I ate pretty light today. Some oatmeal for breakfast with raisins. 4 clementines during the day as snacks, Leftover sweet and sour tofu and veggie stir-fry for lunch along with a big bowl of yogurt with cereal mixed in, and an apple in the afternoon. It was enough to fuel me through my workout.
s waiting for me on the doorstep. I'd ordered two pairs from BrooksRunning.com last weekend. Size 11.5 in 2E width... black on black. I put on a pair and headed over to the community center to try them out.Exercise
I wanted to try a Fartlek routine today. But not knowing exactly how they're structured (or unstructured) I ran like this...
1 mile 6.0 mph, 1.0 incline
1 mile 7.5 mph, 1.0 incline
.5 miles 6.0 mph, 1.0 incline
.5 miles 7.5 mph, 1.0 incline
.5 miles 6.0 mph, 1.0 incline
1 mile 7.5 mph, no incline
1 mile 6.0 mph, no incline
OK... it looks a lot more like an Interval Workout than Fartlek. :-) The thing is, the shoes felt great and I got a good workout in after a full day of work and commuting. I'm happy with it.
Nutrition
I ate pretty light today. Some oatmeal for breakfast with raisins. 4 clementines during the day as snacks, Leftover sweet and sour tofu and veggie stir-fry for lunch along with a big bowl of yogurt with cereal mixed in, and an apple in the afternoon. It was enough to fuel me through my workout.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Plantar Wart, second treatment
Maybe you're wondering why I haven't posted since last Sunday's treadmill run?
I didn't run on Monday because I was sore. And then on Tuesday I had the second treatment for the plantar wart on my left foot. The doctor scrapped away the dead skin and applied a second coat of acid to the wart. This time it hurts a little more than last time. After the first treatment I was able to run two days later. This time I'm not sure if I'll be able to do the same. I packed my gym bag and I'll head to the community center after work. But I may only do weights if I don't feel up to running. I'll post later with an update.
UPDATE
I didn't head to the gym after work. Instead I came home an napped. I'll hit the gym tomorrow instead.
Here's my wart... such as it is. There's not as much pain today when I walk on it, so I'm hoping tomorrow to run for an hour on the treadmill.
I didn't run on Monday because I was sore. And then on Tuesday I had the second treatment for the plantar wart on my left foot. The doctor scrapped away the dead skin and applied a second coat of acid to the wart. This time it hurts a little more than last time. After the first treatment I was able to run two days later. This time I'm not sure if I'll be able to do the same. I packed my gym bag and I'll head to the community center after work. But I may only do weights if I don't feel up to running. I'll post later with an update.
UPDATE
I didn't head to the gym after work. Instead I came home an napped. I'll hit the gym tomorrow instead.
Sunday, March 06, 2011
6.5 Miles on the Treadmill - Speed Intervals
Yesterday I picked up a copy of The New York Road Runners Club Complete Book of Running at the local Goodwill. It was brand new. Lucky me. :-) It has a lot of good advice on a variety of topics, and some pretty inspiration writing as well. I've only read a few chapters. I particularly liked the chapter on training techniques which include Hill, Speed Intervals, Fartlek and Tempo Runs. Fartlek sounds like the most fun (Swedish for "speed play") since it's basically intervals without the rigid timings. I won't go into detail about how each technique is done since I'm hardly the expert. I'm still learning.
Exercise
Today at the community center gym I ran intervals. I started with 10 minutes at 6.0 mph. Then I alternated 2 minutes at 7.5 mph and 2 minutes at 6.0 mph. I did this 10 times, but a few times I dropped down to a 4.0 mph walk for my slow intervals near the end. I finished up with another 10 minutes at 6.0 mph. Then a 3 minute cool down walk at diminishing speeds. It totaled somewhere around 6.5 miles in one hour's time (I really forgot to make note of the distance... I was beat).
I felt good doing this workout. I think there's something to this interval training! :-)
Nutrition
This morning I ate 1.5 scrambled eggs on whole wheat thin bread rounds with some ketchup and hot sauce. Last night was left over chicken and veggies and some mixed fruit with yogurt (courtesy of my wife Handan!). It was sufficient fuel for today's run. Eventually I'll need to start adding more carbs to my diet as my distances get longer.
Health
Feeling good today. We had a good night's sleep and my body is cooperating with my brain which came up with this ambitious idea of running the marathon.
Equipment
My new shoes (Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11) have shipped and should be here by the middle of the week. Woo hoo... I'm excited.
Other News
Handan and I will probably join the Reston Runners club this spring. They have group runs, training programs and races which all sound like fun. I think running in a group is a good way to stay motivated. And for Handan it's a good safety measure as well.
Exercise
Today at the community center gym I ran intervals. I started with 10 minutes at 6.0 mph. Then I alternated 2 minutes at 7.5 mph and 2 minutes at 6.0 mph. I did this 10 times, but a few times I dropped down to a 4.0 mph walk for my slow intervals near the end. I finished up with another 10 minutes at 6.0 mph. Then a 3 minute cool down walk at diminishing speeds. It totaled somewhere around 6.5 miles in one hour's time (I really forgot to make note of the distance... I was beat).
I felt good doing this workout. I think there's something to this interval training! :-)
Nutrition
This morning I ate 1.5 scrambled eggs on whole wheat thin bread rounds with some ketchup and hot sauce. Last night was left over chicken and veggies and some mixed fruit with yogurt (courtesy of my wife Handan!). It was sufficient fuel for today's run. Eventually I'll need to start adding more carbs to my diet as my distances get longer.
Health
Feeling good today. We had a good night's sleep and my body is cooperating with my brain which came up with this ambitious idea of running the marathon.
Equipment
My new shoes (Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11) have shipped and should be here by the middle of the week. Woo hoo... I'm excited.
Other News
Handan and I will probably join the Reston Runners club this spring. They have group runs, training programs and races which all sound like fun. I think running in a group is a good way to stay motivated. And for Handan it's a good safety measure as well.
Friday, March 04, 2011
6.75 Miles on the Treadmill
Exercise
I ran on the treadmill at the community center again. I started at 6.5 mph and 1.0 incline. Then every 5 minutes I added one mph until I was running 7.2 mph. Then I dropped down to 7 for another 5 minutes and then walked a bit (10 minutes?) and then finished up at 6.5 again. The machine said I burned 1,000 calories. I could have done better but at the 35 minute mark I started getting a pain in my shoulder and needed to walk until it went away (which it did pretty quickly).
Nutrition
Oatmeal for breakfast. Fruit (clementines) as a 10:00 snack. Left over Kung Pao chicken for lunch followed by a banana and an apple in the afternoon. I felt like I had enough fuel for my run today. :)
Health
Nothing of note. The pain in my shoulder when I was running was probably tension from being on the computer all day at work. I'll need to stretch out my shoulders more during the day.
Equipment
I ordered two pairs of Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11s today. Size 11.5 in 2E width. Black on black. I went to a shoe store in Reston yesterday and had my stride analyzed and tried on about 5 pairs of shoes with support for my pronation. Of all the shoes the Brooks were clearly the best. I look forward to breaking them in.
I ran on the treadmill at the community center again. I started at 6.5 mph and 1.0 incline. Then every 5 minutes I added one mph until I was running 7.2 mph. Then I dropped down to 7 for another 5 minutes and then walked a bit (10 minutes?) and then finished up at 6.5 again. The machine said I burned 1,000 calories. I could have done better but at the 35 minute mark I started getting a pain in my shoulder and needed to walk until it went away (which it did pretty quickly).
Nutrition
Oatmeal for breakfast. Fruit (clementines) as a 10:00 snack. Left over Kung Pao chicken for lunch followed by a banana and an apple in the afternoon. I felt like I had enough fuel for my run today. :)
Health
Nothing of note. The pain in my shoulder when I was running was probably tension from being on the computer all day at work. I'll need to stretch out my shoulders more during the day.
Equipment
I ordered two pairs of Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11
s today. Size 11.5 in 2E width. Black on black. I went to a shoe store in Reston yesterday and had my stride analyzed and tried on about 5 pairs of shoes with support for my pronation. Of all the shoes the Brooks were clearly the best. I look forward to breaking them in.
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Recumbent Bike - 1.5 hours
Briefly... I spent 90 minutes on the recumbent bicycle in front of the TV after work. I'm supposed to do cross-training as part of the marathon preparation, so this is one such activity.
Handan prepared a great salmon and spinach dinner tonight which I followed up with a bowl of cereal for dessert. Yum!
Sorry for the brevity. Maybe more tomorrow. :-)
Handan prepared a great salmon and spinach dinner tonight which I followed up with a bowl of cereal for dessert. Yum!
Sorry for the brevity. Maybe more tomorrow. :-)
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
6.75 Miles on the Treadmill
Exercise
I ran the "Hill" program on the community center treadmill again today. Again I ran the "Hill" program at 6.5 mph. I ran at level 10 (1-20) for the first half hour and then dropped down to level 3. Last night I did not sleep well and it really affected my energy today. Fortunately I did eat well last night and today. I never felt like I ran out of fuel. My total was 6.75 miles including warm up and cool down.
Nutrition
Last night Handan cooked a nice casserole with lots of veggies, potatoes and chicken in it. Today I had left over spicy chicken and veggie noodle soup and just a little chicken in peanut sauce for lunch. I was bad about breakfast though, only having a few clementines with coffee. I need to prepare something the night before to bring in - either scrambled eggs or oatmeal or maybe even cereal.
Health
My plantars wart is getting worn away by the treatment and some skin has been peeling off too. Today I peeled a big chunk and it bled a little. I hope that won't become an issue.
After running one hour today I had a little nipple chaffing (is this too much detail?). I'll have to see about getting something for that too. Band-aids won't work. I sweat those off in 5 minutes. Maybe some ointment will work.
Equipment
I really need to go to the running store this weekend and get fitted for some good shoes. My current New Balance and Asics shoes are OK but getting old and they might not be the best for my stride either. Only an expert analysis of my stride will tell me if I pronate or not, and if I need more or less support.
I ran the "Hill" program on the community center treadmill again today. Again I ran the "Hill" program at 6.5 mph. I ran at level 10 (1-20) for the first half hour and then dropped down to level 3. Last night I did not sleep well and it really affected my energy today. Fortunately I did eat well last night and today. I never felt like I ran out of fuel. My total was 6.75 miles including warm up and cool down.
Nutrition
Last night Handan cooked a nice casserole with lots of veggies, potatoes and chicken in it. Today I had left over spicy chicken and veggie noodle soup and just a little chicken in peanut sauce for lunch. I was bad about breakfast though, only having a few clementines with coffee. I need to prepare something the night before to bring in - either scrambled eggs or oatmeal or maybe even cereal.
Health
My plantars wart is getting worn away by the treatment and some skin has been peeling off too. Today I peeled a big chunk and it bled a little. I hope that won't become an issue.
After running one hour today I had a little nipple chaffing (is this too much detail?). I'll have to see about getting something for that too. Band-aids won't work. I sweat those off in 5 minutes. Maybe some ointment will work.
Equipment
I really need to go to the running store this weekend and get fitted for some good shoes. My current New Balance and Asics shoes are OK but getting old and they might not be the best for my stride either. Only an expert analysis of my stride will tell me if I pronate or not, and if I need more or less support.
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