Easy Run + Hill Sprints

This morning's run on my training schedule was a 50 minute easy run plus 6x100m hill sprints.  It was actually scheduled for yesterday, but I was still really sore from the massage the day before and really tired from watching the MLB All-Star Game the night before.

I have been noticing that my heart rate on my easy runs has been higher than where it should be.  I'm not sure if this is due to me losing some aerobic capacity during my post-marathon, nursing the hamstring injury rest period, or perhaps still some lingering effects from my blood donation last week.  So this morning, I decided that I would do what I could to keep my average heart rate in the 140s during the easy part of the run - no matter how slow I slogged along.  The plan - no music (I sometimes get "lost" in the tunes or match the cadence of my gait to the beat of the music), go slow and if my heart rate goes up to 155 or higher I need to walk until it gets back down to about 147.

Well...I kept to my plan, and it was the slowest I have run in a long time.  I had six walking breaks - mostly during the hills where my heart rate started to creep up.  Luckily, these breaks were all short.  My final pace was 11:59/mile.  OUCH!   My average HR was 148, which is where it should be for these runs.

I'm hoping that by keeping at this pace I'll build up my aerobic capacity again in the next few weeks.  I remember how frustrating it was for me when I first started HRM training - slowing down to get in the HR range, when all I wanted to do is run at the pace that I knew I could.  However, after a few weeks, my pace at the lower HR improved - and my race pace got much faster - so I'll slog it out for a few weeks.

After the slow, easy part of the workout, came the hill sprints.  Today there was 6 of them.  After number 2 I was ready to quit!  Geez, those are not easy.  When I first saw them on the training plan I thought, "Oh, it's only 100m - piece of cake".  Now I know better.  So, after the second hill sprint, I said to myself "OK, one more and I'm half way through".  After that I kept counting down "I can do 3 more / 2 more / 1 more...".  It was definitely a tough workout.  I'm glad I slowed down for the easy run beforehand.

The best news - although my hamstring is still tender and sore from the massage on Tuesday afternoon, I did not feel the pain/discomfort that I had been feeling behind my knee.  Thank goodness!

Since I'm still trying to "rehab" this tendon / hammy / calf injury, I think I am going to skip tomorrow's short easy run plus Short Strides, and instead I'll do yoga or cross training.

Semi-Scheduled Rest Day

I did not run today.  I'm scheduled to run either today or tomorrow, so I decided on tomorrow.  Two big factors contributed - I stayed up waaaaaay too late last night watching the MLB All-Star Game (I watched through the 11th inning - I can't believe it went to 15 innings!  and hooray for Michael Young for hitting the game winning RBI for the second time in three years!), and I'm still hurting from yesterday's massage.

Good news on the massage front, though.  I had a chiro appointment today and although I'm really sore, the chiro mentioned that the muscles in back of my leg are much looser than before.  So the massage therapist definitely did her job well!

I had hit a lull at work this morning around 10am, and I was considering going for the run that I could have done earlier in the morning.  However, then I stepped outside and realized it was already really hot and humid...no way I'm running in that if I don't have to.  I'd rather wake up at 5:00am tomorrow.

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I finally posted some marathon pictures on my family website.  I actually have finally updated the family website - the last pictures that were on there were from January...now I'm "current" through May.  I still have my son's sixth birthday party and our trip to Michigan for June pages and then I'll really be caught up.  I don't think I'm going to do those tonight, though.  I have to wake up at 5:00am tomorrow to run, remember???

Lunchtime Massage

Sounds relaxing, right?

NOT!!!!

I went to the massage therapist in my neighborhood that I have been to before, in order to work the muscles in my leg - hoping to help the healing process with the tendon/hamstring/calf issues.  So, this was not slated to be a relaxing, stress-release massage.  However, I was thinking that there may be some "ooohs" and "aaahs" of relaxation, and not so many "YOWWWs" and "UGHs" of pain.

She spent the entire hour working my legs - probably 45 minutes on my right leg (where the pain has been mostly) and 15 minutes on my left leg.  She told me that my left leg was almost as tight was the right leg and it was just about a matter of time before that leg got to where the other leg is now.

Truth be told, I needed this badly.  I needed someone to dig into those tight knotted muscles and loosen them up - or else the discomfort that I was feeling during my runs over the past few weeks could become much worse.

Maybe the next time I go for a lunchtime massage it will be for relaxation....

Tempo Run

Today called for a 25 minute tempo run.  I decided on my plan for the run by using heart rate instead of pace.  With the injury, I know I've lost a good deal of my training base so I'm not sure what speed my 5K/10K/half-marathon race paces are right now...but the HRM gives me an idea of how my body is responding to the pace I'm running.

Today's plan:  run on my 4 mile neighborhood loop - the first mile at a slow pace (HR <>

I do not do many tempo runs.  I'm normally either slogging away at a nice, slow pace or hitting the track to throw in faster intervals.  So this was definitely a nice, welcome addition to my training.  Unfortunately, on the training plan I only do Tempo Runs during the first three weeks - and I missed last week's - so again, I won't be doing these often during the next few months.

My first mile was awesome!  I kept my HR low (avg 143) and finished the first mile in 10:21.  I then pushed the pace up a bit and got my HR to 160 pretty quickly.  It was really great to be "running".  About 1/3 mile into my tempo pace, there is a really steep hill, so I had to slow my pace quite a bit in order to keep my HR in the 165 range.  After that, I think the high temperatures/humidity along with the hill got to me, and my pace started to slow while trying to keep my HR in the 165 range.  I ended up covering 2.5 miles in the 25 minutes of "tempo run" which is a 10:00/mile pace.  I slogged out the last .85 miles of the loop in 11:13 - in a desperate attempt to bring my HR back down to 150.  I couldn't do it - my avg HR during that last part of the run was 163.

My finishing time was 46:37 for the 4.4 mile loop - a 10:32/mile pace.  Looking in my training log, I found that in April I was running this loop as an "easy run" in under 44 minutes with an average heart rate in the low 150s.  Of course, the temperatures were in the 40s - not high 70s!

Tomorrow will be a rest day - and a scheduled massage!!!  I hope the massage therapist can work out the knot and other issues in the tendons behind my right knee.  I want to run without discomfort again!

Weekend Run

My schedule this weekend was Saturday rest day and Sunday "long run" of 60 minutes.  I definitely needed the rest day as I had re-aggravated the tendon injury in the back of my right knee with last week's training.

Today almost turned into another rest day.  My oldest son - who is the early bird of the house - was sleeping at my mother-in-law's house last night.  Since "the rooster" wasn't in the house to wake everyone up, we all slept in.  I woke up at 7:10am and got out the door for my run at 7:30.  Luckily, the weather was not too hot yet - and the humidity wasn't too bad.  I ran 5.5 miles at a slower than 11:00/mile pace - however, I was starting to get pains in the back of my legs again, so I did not want to push it.

I may try to get in with a massage therapist this week and see if that will help the tendon thing.

This week's runs include a 25 minute Tempo Run, a 50 minute easy run followed by six Hill Sprints and another 4 x 50m Short Strides.  Next weekend's "long run" is 70 minutes - not a long run compared to a few months ago, but it should be fine for a 5K program.

Speedwork - Short Strides

Today was a speed workout of what the training plan I'm using is calling "Short Strides". This plan says to run these short intervals (today was 6 x 50m) at "near max speed". So I ran to the QOHS track this morning, and did six sets of 50m sprints with a 2 minute jogging rest between intervals (RBI).

One small problem - my calf/hamstring tendon issue started to flare up again. It started to get worse on the jog back home (it's about 1.7 miles from my house to the track), so I ended up walking the last half mile or so.

Luckily, I had a chiro appointment set up for this morning. And a rest day on the calendar for tomorrow.

First Hill Sprints

Today's workout on the new training plan was a 45 min easy run and then 4 X 100m hill sprints.  There is a hill right near my house - I measured it out on RunningAhead's mapping tools and it was longer than 100m, so I ran part of the hill (after my run I re-measured the part that I sprinted and it ends up it was closer to 120m).

I had never done Hill Sprints before.  My thinking was - "what's another 100m after a 4 mile run - right?".  Well, sort of.  First of all, it is really tiring to run fast uphill.  I felt very winded after each sprint, but by the time I walked back down the hill I was ready for another.  The feeling I had while sprinting up the hill was "I'm doing this so I can finish strong in a race that ends uphill" - although I'm sure there will be other benefits as well.

I'm definitely feeling the effects of the workout more NOW - a few hours after the run.  My legs are more sore now than usual (a good sore - not an injured sore that I endured for 8 post-marathon weeks).  Next week when I conquer the hill it will be 6 x 100m.  In two more weeks it will be 8 times (with walking back down the hill, that's a full extra mile!).

Tomorrow is a short, easy run (probably my 3-mile lake run) and then short strides 4 x 50m.  I'll have to find a flat 50m piece of sidewalk to do those on - or I'll head to the track.

Mac Ownership

I took a trip to the Apple store today to visit one of the techs at the Genius Bar (that's their FREE in-house tech support).  I have been trying to update the Operating System of our household "flagship computer" - a 5 1/2 year old iMac G4.  This computer has all of our photos and videos on it and I create our family webpage and DVDs on this computer.  I have tried the OS update multiple times and the computer has locked up or had an error.

Since the computer is so old, I am out of my extended warrantee period.  However, I can still get free tech support at the Apple Store with the Genius Bar.  Hooray!

I backed up the computer last night and I schlepped the iMac into the store this afternoon.  The first thing the tech did was run a disk utility which showed there were unrepairable errors on the hard drive.  YIKES!  In order to proceed we were going to have to erase the hard drive - which meant, if that didn't fix the problem than I wouldn't be able to get any OS on the computer and I was looking at a $300-$400 hard drive replacement (or more likely a new iMac...I was secretly hoping this was the case, although I know we can't afford it right now).  Luckily, the reformatting of the hard drive worked and I was out of the store in about an hour with a new OS on my iMac!  The best of all...NO CHARGE for the tech support.

I know I paid for that support up front - Mac computers are much more expensive than PCs.  However, I also paid for a computer that had features that most PCs did not have at that time (Firewire ports, a card slot and antenna for a wireless card, etc.) which makes the computer still relevant today.  How many 5 1/2 year old PCs can run the latest Windows OS (that's Vista) without a major overhaul?

So tonight I was busy restoring my documents, data and applications on the iMac.  While I was restoring from the backup, I took some time to do yoga again.  I'm now nice and relaxed and ready to hit the sack!

Training Plan Tweaks

Yesterday, I posted my training plan for a faster 5K.  I took a look at what was posted and made a few changes which I've implemented.

First, I added some notes to the bottom as to the plan's definitions of Short Strides, Long Strides, Hill Sprints, etc.  I also corrected some spelling mistakes (nit-picky, I know...but I didn't like looking at the work aeorbic)

Most importantly, I shifted the schedule one day of the week.  Originally, the schedule had runs on both Saturday and Sunday with a rest day on Monday.  However, that doesn't work in my house - if I'm going to run on Saturday morning, I like to have my wife take Sunday morning.  So, now my "long run" is on Saturday and my rest day is on Sunday.  I was used to this schedule from my marathon training and I think it will do much better for "shalom bayit".  It also makes sense since the race is on a Saturday - but that was a very weak reason to shift the schedule...I could always just move a few workouts around the week of the race to make things fall into place.

Since I gave blood on Monday, I did not run my scheduled workout today.  I also didn't do a tempo run on Monday morning like the plan says (OK...I didn't realize I was going to follow this plan until yesterday - so give me a break!).  I will get with the program starting tomorrow - either by running 3 days in a row or by running Thursday, Friday and then on Sunday, taking Saturday off.  Either way, I'm not going to expect a stellar week given the blood donation and the lower mileage leading over the past two months due to the hammy injury.

New Training Plan - Fast 5K

I think I have settled in on my next running "adventure"...a faster 5K.

I don't have a particular time in mind yet - although with my PR at 26:21, I'm assuming it will start with a 25 (or smaller).  That means I'll have to average an 8:00 to 8:30 per mile pace over the 3.1 miles.  For me, that will not be easy - but I'm up to the challenge!

The race I have my sights on is my neighborhood 5K - the Kentlands/Lakelands 5K - on August 30.  The training plan that I'm going is use is from July's Runner's World.  It is not posted on-line, so I posted my copy here.  The plan has four main runs per week - along with other days that say "easy run, cross-train or rest" - guess which I'll be doing ;-)

It's an 8 week plan, which makes this week the start.  Since I gave blood yesterday, I will miss one of the runs - most likely the run that was going to be today - a 2 x 10min tempo run.  However, I did run 5.5 miles on Monday, so I'll take that as an exchange.

The cool thing about this program is that there are many different types of runs:  Hill Sprints (I'm going to have to find a 100m hill close to me...before Thursday), Tempo Runs, Short Strides (50m bursts at max speed), Long Strides (150m runs at "mile pace"), 1 and 2 mile Time Trials, along with the Intervals and Endurance runs that I am used to.  Another interesting twist - the Interval runs are done at different length intervals - 600m, 1200m, 1600m, 400m, 1000m.

One thing is for sure...it is going to be interesting following this plan.

No More Olympic Trials...

Yesterday was the last day of the US Olympic Track and Field Trials.  I really enjoyed watching these - especially the middle- and long-distance races - and I am so psyched for the Olympics!

I watched in awe last night as Shannon Rowbury surged ahead for the last lap in the Women's 1500.  She is such an efficient runner - it almost looks like only her legs and arms are moving and everything else is still and focused.  Watching Bernard Lagat win the Men's 1500 I wondered if he was just toying with the competition in both the 1500 and 5k - holding back with the leaders until the very end when he turns on the burners.  Does this guy ever tire out?

Three notables who will NOT be going to Beijing are Alan Webb (American Record holder in the mile - and University of Michigan alumn), Gabe Jennings (featured in July's Runner's World and also ran the 1500m) and Adam Goucher (Kara Goucher's husband who was trying to make either the 5k or 10k team).  Although these athletes did not make it, the US teams look strong and I'm hoping they'll medal in August.

Now that I won't be focusing on other people's running, I'll have to start focusing on my own :-)  Since I gave blood during my lunch break today, I'll take two days off and then start running again.

Since I knew I was going to give blood today, I went out for a morning run.  I left the house at 6am and I was still soaking wet about 3 miles into the run.  I don't know how I ever trained for half marathons in the Maryland summer humidity!  I better get used to it...

I am really thinking about doing the training program from July's Runner's World to improve my 5K time.  I had my best 5K in Sept 2006 (26:21) and since then I have not been able to get near it.  I know that this PR was partially due to a beautiful fall morning, a flat course and successful training for a half marathon that I had completed a few weeks prior.  However, I should be able to equal that time now.  I'm not ready to admit that "father time" is making me slower as I get older...

Four Miles and What's Next???

This morning I finally got out the door at 7am for a run.  The neighborhood loop that I run I can do either 4 miles, 5.5 miles, 6.5 miles or 7.5 miles - depending on where I re-enter my neighborhood.  So I went out this morning and decided that I'll make the run as long or short as need be, depending on how I felt.  Well...I only did the 4 miles.  I didn't feel horrible - or injured (thank goodness) - however, I didn't feel great either.  It could have been the two pints of Hoegaarden during last night's dinner, or the fact that I'm not drinking enough water lately, or the fact that I didn't take a pre-run GU, or that I was just tired from not sleeping enough, or the fact that it was really humid - but I just didn't want to continue my run.  So I took the turn to make it a 4 miler and that was that.

As I was finishing my run, my thoughts turned to the fact that I don't have a definitive running goal right now.  I have a few races on my calendar - but I'm not really training for them, per se.  I'm going to mull over it during the next week as to what I want my goal to be.  Here are a few potential goals:

• Train for a sub-2:11 half marathon (2:11 is a 10min/mile pace and my race PR is 2:16)
• Train for a new 5K PR (my current 5K PR is 26:21, but I haven't run a sub-28min 5K in 2 years)
• Run 2 (or 3) half marathons between now and the end of the year 
• Hit 1,000 miles for the year
• Just run to enjoy it

I believe that if I choose either of the first three goals, I'll reach the fourth one.  I'm already on pace for 1,000 miles for the year, but the pace bunny is slowly creeping up behind me (I'm foxeygoblue - and only 26 miles ahead of Mr. Bunny on the 1,000 mile chart right now)

The 5K option wasn't even on the radar until I read an article in last month's Runner's World.  There is an 8 week program for a faster 5K that looked pretty interesting.  The nice thing about training for a 5K is that the mileage doesn't have to be so high.  And my community's 5K race is only 8 weeks away - hmmm....

Rest Day and Olympic Trials

Today was a scheduled rest day since I ran the 5K yesterday.  Also, my chiropractor told me to take it easy for the next week or so - I was originally hoping to run long tomorrow, but I'll either do a short run or cross-training at the gym (rower or elliptical).

This morning - since I wasn't out for a run - I watched the Olympic Track and Field Trials from the night before (you gotta love DVR!  What did we ever do beforehand?).  It still amazes me how much I am getting into the longer distance races - where years ago I never paid attention to them and I only watched the sprint events.  It also amazes me how fast the elite runners finish these races - 5Ks in 14-15 minutes / 10Ks in less than 30 minutes - it takes me twice as long to finish races at those distances.  They are truly unbelievable.

Watching the trials, I am getting so psyched for the Olympics!  I can't wait!!!

Best of Both Worlds

No...it's not a post about Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana :-)

For this morning's 5K, I decided to run with my sister.  It was very nice to hang out with her since when we see each other lately it is usually with the kids (she has two daughters - a 3 year old and a 9 month old).  We started out at a nice 10:30/mile pace.  The weather was in the mid-70s and about 75% humidity, so it was definitely enough to break a sweat - but not get too tired out.

At about the halfway point to the race, my sister wanted to slow down a bit and told me just to go run.  So, that's what I did!  I probably did the rest of the race in a sub-9:00/mile pace to cross the finish line at 29:42 (watch time...it took us a good two and a half minutes at the beginning to cross the starting line).

So, today I got the best of both - I did half of the run with my sister and the other half at more of a race pace.

The best thing - NO HAMSTRING PAIN.  NONE AT ALL.  NADA.  שום דבר

It's amazing.  After 8 weeks of resting, icing, stretching, taking Ibuprofen, etc. for my injured hamstring the thing that worked was a trip to the chiropractor.  Lesson learned.

Change of Plans??

I'm running in the Autism Speaks 5K tomorrow morning.

My original plan was to take it easy and run with a friend of mine who is a recreational runner but says he's not in good running shape and wanted to take it slow.  However, I got a call late this afternoon that he will not be able to run tomorrow.

So....I now have a few choices:  My sister will also be at the race, so I can run with her (I was starting to get excited about running a race with someone, since I've always run them solo), I can still take it easy but still run alone, or I can flat out race it.

It should be an interesting decision.  I'm leaning towards running with my sister and forgetting about time.  I'm still only a few days removed from the hamstring pain disappearing and the last thing I want to do is aggravate it again, so taking it easy may be the smart way to go.

After tomorrow, I'll have another decision to make about races.  I originally had the Riley's Rumble Half Marathon on my calendar.  It's July 27, which is three weeks away.  My mileage has been quite low lately due to the hammy issue, however, now that it is improving should I try to ramp up for this one?  I was really hoping to do this race, the Parks Half Marathon on September 14 and then another half marathon either in October or November.

Yoga Yesterday and 4 Miles In The

As planned, I took a rest day from running yesterday and did Yoga in the evening once the kids were asleep.  Sherry joined me in Yoga, which was really nice.  She is much more flexible than I am and has taken a lot of Yoga classes throughout the years, so I got her help - she brought me a foam brick that she had which helped me do some of the stretches that I could not do properly since I'm not very flexible.  She wasn't such a fan of the Inhale show from the Oxygen network that I have been doing - in the first 40 min of the program there is a lot of doing "upward-facing dog" pose transitioning quickly to "downward-facing dog" pose - there was no "child's pose" which is a resting pose in these segments which is a really nice stretch and makes it a bit more relaxing.  However, the last 20 min or so were seated poses and relaxation - which was very nice.  We both slept very well last night!

After Yoga, I watched the previous night's Olympic Track and Field trials on my DVR - specifically the Women's 5K Semifinals and the Men's 5K Finals.  What amazing races!  I'm a bit disappointed that Adam Goucher did not make the Olympic team for the 5K (keeping fingers crossed that he'll make it for the 10K), but I was psyched to see his wife Kara Goucher win her Semifinal heat for the 5K just two days after making the Olympic team for the 10K.  Watching these elites run is very humbling.  They finished their 5K races in under 15 minutes - I'll most likely finish the 5K I'm going to run this weekend in twice that time!

This morning I went for another easy run.  I didn't get out of the house until 6:30 (see yoga above...I slept like a rock!), but the weather was beautiful - clear skies, temps in the low 60s, very low humidity.  It was a lovely morning for a run!  And would you believe it - virtually NO DISCOMFORT IN MY HAMSTRING!!!!!  My Chiropractor is a genius!

OK - I did say virtually.  I had some pain behind my knee, but instead of the pain going up to my hammy, I had some pain in my upper calf muscle.  So either the pain is moving down my leg, or (and this is probably the case) I stretched something in my right calf too much last night doing yoga.  But the good news is that after 8 weeks of having hamstring discomfort, there is some improvement.  Hallelujah!  Score another one for the chiro!

Trying To Get Back On Track

This morning I got out of the house at 6:15am and ran my 4 mile neighborhood loop.  It was cooler than normal - we got some rain last night which helped - but still on the humid side.  I think I'll need to get out a bit earlier if I want to run in more comfortable conditions, but since I'm not training for anything right now I don't see the point in setting an alarm to go running.

My hammy still had discomfort.  GRRRRRRR!   So today I went to see my Chiropractor (OK...my neck and shoulders needed the Chiro as well after the 11 hour drive each way to Michigan!).  He basically told me the same thing that the sports doc did - the injury is where the muscle meets the tendon.  He did some electro-stim and trigger point work to get the blood flowing in that area.  The back of my leg felt better this afternoon than it had for a while, so I think he's on to something.  He wants me to come 3 times this week and 3 times next week to "attack" this area - I'm ready to try anything to get rid of this discomfort/pain!  If the chiro doesn't work, I'll hit the physical therapy center in the same office building as the chiro - however, for some reason I think the chiro may do the trick (at least I hope!)

My plan for the rest of the week is to not run tomorrow (yoga? cross-train? plain ol' rest?), run on Wednesday, rest on Thursday and do the Autism Speaks 5K race on Friday morning.  Perhaps I'll do a "long" run on Sunday - we'll see how I'm feeling hamstring-wise.

Bye Bye Bally's!!!

I went to the gym this morning for some cross-training on the elliptical.  I went earlier in the week to use the rowing machine.

I know that I have complained a lot on the blog about the gym I belong to - Bally's Total Fitness.

Well, this week Sherry and I finally decided to switch back to a local gym - Fitness First.  I was a member here a few years ago, but switched to Bally's when my company started a corporate membership plan with them, as it ended up being a lot less expensive.  As they say, you get what you pay for!

Here's a list of some of my gripes about Bally's:

• Child Care - this was the biggest gripe.  The caregiver at the child care was consistently late (posted Sunday hours started at 8am, however, she would rarely be there before 8:45am), and she did not interact with the kids much.  The room did not have many toys - and what they did have were old and not in great condition.  At Fitness First, I've been there twice now, and when my kids walked in this morning, the caregiver asked my older son how his karate class went the other day - it's a world of difference!
• Equipment - Bally's was missing one of my favorite cross-training machines - a rower.  Fitness First has two Concept 2 rowers in both of the locations that I have been to.  There are also a bunch of weight machines for abs - which Bally's did not have.
• Environment - Bally's felt like a factory.  And it was always too warm.  Fitness First has a much more relaxed atmosphere and there are fans near the cardio equipment!
• Locker Rooms - Fitness First has shampoo, conditioner and body wash in the showers - Bally's had only the industrial soap.  Another nice touch - Fitness First provides plastic bags to put your sweaty clothes in (it's simply a roll of the produce plastic bags that you find at grocery stores...but it makes such a difference).
• Television - Bally's claims their TVs are controlled by "corporate" so they can't change them.  Even if there is an important game on (i.e. Game 7 of the Celtics/Pistons Eastern Conf Finals...).  At Fitness First, if you want to change the channel and it's OK with others around you, they'll give you the remote control!  Also, a bunch of the treadmills have built-in television screens (which I don't like to use...I somehow can't run while continually looking down)
• Weekend hours - Bally's opened at 8am on the weekend; Fitness First opens at 7am.  Since my family wakes up early, this is definitely a plus.

That's some of the main issues I had with Bally's.  I'm soooo glad to not be there anymore.

Three Hot and Sweaty Miles

I slept in this morning until about 7am and left the house at 7:30am for a short, easy run.  It was my first run in 6 days - I've been resting the hammy and plus I was on vacation.

I took it easy - a 11:04/mile pace - but with the heat and humidity I came back home soaked!  Yuck!  How the heck did I train for half marathons in this stuff???  I'm just going to have to wake up a bit earlier so that it is a bit cooler when I run.

I felt a bit of discomfort in my hammy for a good portion of the run, but I kept the pace slow enough that there was no pain.  I'm running a 5K on Friday - I'll most likely take it easy but I'll go faster than my training runs for sure.  It should be interesting how my hammy holds up in the 28-30 minutes of harder running.

Down On The Farm!!!

No running for me today, however, I got some exercise (cross-training?) as a "farm hand" at our CSA farm today.  We joined the House In The Woods Farm - a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm in Frederick County, MD - and continued again this summer.  We have half a share - which means we go up to the farm and pick up a full share of vegetables every two weeks and we have to work at a minimum two "farm hand" days during the summer.

I learned so much about farming, which crops are in season at what times and was introduced to many new vegetables last summer.  Right now, greens are in season - so we have been receiving kale, chard and lettuces.  Last week we got some bok choy and tatsoi which I made into a great salad with ramen noodles and a soy sauce based dressing...yummy!

I can't wait until later in the summer when we get into tomato season.  Their heirloom tomatoes are amazing!  I won't have to worry about getting salmonella or e-coli because I know exactly where my produce is coming from.

This morning I went to the farm to work.  I helped set up some t-posts in the tomato patch to add support for the wiring holding up the cages around the tomato plants.  The contraption that I was using to knock the posts into the ground was made of metal and vibrated each time I hit the post.  My "delicate" hands took a beating and I have two or three blisters and a bunch of cuts on them.    This experience definitely gives me a great appreciation for our farmers and helps me not take for granted the food that I eat each day.

Back From Michigan

I'm back from our family trip to Michigan.  We had a nice time as a family - although there were definitely the usual stresses of traveling with two small children, staying in someone's house that is not your own and trying to coordinate plans with everyone's interests in mind.

A few of the highlights:

- Meeting my running/blogging buddy Rick.  Rick lives in Michigan right near the Ohio state line, so we met up for some ice cream on the way up.  It was great to finally meet Rick, his wife Tammy and his daughter Lindsay face-to-face...I have been reading his blog since January (we both were training for marathons at the same time) so we both felt like we know each other pretty well already.  Here's Rick's synopsis of our meeting.  He did a great job summarizing so there's really not too much to add.

- The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum.  This was a fantastic place for the kids...and I learned a bit myself (when I could actually read the placards that accompanied the exhibits instead of running after my kids who were already at the next cool thing).  Of course, while we were in Ann Arbor, we went to Pizza House for lunch - Sherry and I split a chipati (those things are HUGE...and to think I used to be able to polish off one of those solo...) - and then we went to Stucchi's for ice cream.  YUMMM!

- Seeing friends and family.  We stayed with my father-in-law (Papa and Grandma Judy).  In the three full days we were there we a bunch of Sherry's family members and good friends of ours Melissa (with her son Xavier) and Carone and Jim. 

The kids were really good car travelers so driving there and back was not so bad.

And as always - it was great to go and also great to return home!

BTW, on the running front, I did bring running clothes but I decided to rest my hamstring and not run while we were there.  I'm not sure when I'll start up again - most likely next week with a few tune-up runs before the Autism Speaks 5K on July 4.

My Body Is Telling Me That I Need To Rest

I went out for a short run this morning around 6am.  Another 3 mile lake loop.  Another beautiful morning with temperatures in the high-50s and sunny with low humidity.  I could run every morning in this type of weather!

However, I think this is a bit of my problem.  Today was the third morning out of the past four days that I went running.  They were all short runs, but I'm supposed to be re-habbing my hammy.

Well, said hammy rebelled this morning.  About 20 min into the run - which is earlier than the discomfort has started since the week after the marathon.

I believe my body is telling me to rest.  I'm really considering not even taking my running shoes with me on our trip...that way I'll be forced to rest for 5 days.

Five days of being with family and not having an "out" to go running?  Am I nuts????

Yoga, Take 2 - And a Beautiful Morning

Last night after the kids were asleep I decided to do Yoga in front of the television.  I have a few episodes of "Inhale" from the Oxygen network on my DVR - mainly in hopes that I will get off my lazy butt and do Yoga when I find the time.  Last night I had no plans and the NBA Finals are over so I decided this was the time.

My first attempt at Yoga was last week on Friday.  So this was attempt number two.  I actually felt that some of the poses were a bit easier to do this time around - however, I still am shaky on some of the balancing poses.  I'm sure that if anyone videotaped me doing these poses, it would be up on YouTube giving tens of thousands of people a good laugh in a matter of minutes!

After I finished the hour of Yoga (I jumped through a few commercial breaks, so it was probably about 40-45 minutes of Yoga in total), I felt really good.  And I slept like a rock last night.  I'm not sure if I slept so well as a result of the Yoga, as a result of trying to catch up on sleep since I had been staying up way too late recently, or as a result of the 800mg of Ibuprofen I'm popping at bedtime.  Either way, I probably could have slept through an earthquake last night (OK, I've never lived anywhere that had earthquakes, so I can't be too sure about that...)

This morning I was out of the house for an easy 4 mile run at 5:45am.  It was a sunny and crisp morning - about 56 degrees...awesome weather for a run!  My hammy did start to get a little uncomfortable around 36 minutes into the run - the good news is that I'm able to run longer without the pain...the bad news is that I'm still experiencing some pain.  However, I believe it is getting better.

I may try to run tomorrow as well, since Saturday we are leaving for Michigan to visit my wife's family.  I'm not sure how much running I'll get in during the trip...I'll bring my running shoes, etc., and I'll try to budget in a run or two.  We'll see.  I'll definitely need the calorie burning as I'm sure I'm going to be eating a ton!  Especially when we head to Ann Arbor on Wednesday (I think it is pretty amazing that I only gained about 10 pounds during my 4 years as a student there)  One other exciting tidbit for the trip - I am hoping to meet up with fellow blogger (my "dot-comrade"?) - and fellow marathoner - Rick on the drive up.

Lunchtime Run

For the umpteenth day in a row, I went to bed much too late - and I know with the NBA Finals being on tonight, I'll be up past midnight tonight as well.  Basically, up too late = sleep in too late to run.

Luckily, the temperatures have fallen a bit over the last few days, making a mid-afternoon run not so unbearable.  The stars aligned - the weather was good, I had no calls between 12:15pm and 2pm, and I'm currently not swamped at work (this will change in about 6 weeks when my project ramps up in full force...) - so I ducked out and went for a short run.

I did the lake loop once again.  My HR was a bit higher than normal - probably due to me keeping up with the beat of the music - but my pace was also faster than it has been lately: 10:08/mile.  Best of all - no pain in my hammy!!!  (OK, it was only 3.25 miles and the last few runs the pain didn't start until around 3 miles into the run...but I'll take positive news any way I can get it!).

The soundtrack to this afternoon's run was Arash - a Persian singer whose songs I just downloaded from iTunes with the gift card that I received on Father's Day (thanks Sherry!).  A few of his songs have been used for some newer popular Israeli dances (there is a pretty sizable Persian community in Israel now - mostly due to the Jewish community in Tehran being virtually non-existent after the late '70s / early '80s).  Anyhow, the songs have a good beat even though I have no idea what the lyrics mean.

In other news, I signed up for my next race - the Cure Autism Now 5K on July 4th.  It's a neighborhood race, however, last year there were lots of runners from up and down the East Coast who came to run in teams to raise money for this important cause - it was very inspiring.  I'm not much of a fundraiser, however, if anyone wants to donate towards this cause, you can visit my page for the race here.

Your Kids Are Watching You...

Yesterday was Father's Day. I had a very nice day - including a 7 mile run in the morning, a family brunch with my parents, sister and her family, riding bikes with my 6 year old, swimming with the family at the community pool and then dinner with the family. It was a lot of family time and I know that my two boys - ages 6 and 2 1/2 - enjoyed the family time.

I was reminded a few times this past week that my kids are subconsciously watching my every move as they start to determine what is right / wrong, safe / unsafe, etc.

I took my 2 1/2 year old for a short bike ride to our synagogue last weekend. I put him in the bike seat, strapped him in and put his helmet on. Since it was only 1/4 mile from our house and it was really hot outside, I had decided not to wear my helmet. However, just before we were going to leave, my son says. "Abba, where's your helmet?" I knew I was sooooo busted.

My 6 year old also consistently reminds me in the car to drive with two hands on the wheel since it is safer (I'm normally driving with one hand on the wheel and the other arm resting either on the window or on an arm rest/console).

I respectfully take their reminders and put on the bike helmet or put a second hand on the wheel. I know that in a good 10 years the tables will be turned and I will be the one reminding them to be safe during their more volatile teenage years. I just hope they give me similar respect that I am giving them in terms of listening to their recommendations...

Sports Doc

I went to the sports doctor/Orthopedic surgeon this morning.

He asked about the marathon - where I was originally injured - and was very surprised that I decided to run Frederick as my first marathon. 'Wow! That's hilly for a first marathon' was his response.

I brought my running shoes - he asked where I got them (he was happy to hear that I got them at a running store), he checked the wear pattern of the soles and said that he didn't see any issues from the wear pattern. He then did some range of motion checks on my legs - pushing them, pulling them, stretching them, etc. There were no "pain points" so he said that was a good sign.

His viewpoint is that I probably still have leftover inflammation in the area where the muscles meet the tendons. He had asked if I took any anti-inflammatories and I let him know that I took some ibuprofen (Vitamin I) for a week after the marathon. When he asked about the dosage I told him I took 1 or 2 pills at night. This was met with a bit of laughter...he explained that this is fine for a "analgesic" dose, but for an anti-inflammatory, you need to take 800mg (4 pills!) 3 times a day. He wants me to take an anti-inflammatory dose of ibuprofen for a week and see if this helps clear up the issue.

So...I may be dragging a bit this week. On an Ibuprofen high :-)

Father's Day

This morning, I was reminded that I'm a father at 4am and 5:30am by my two and a half year old. He had woken up at 4am to tell us he needed to go to the bathroom (potty training has been pretty smooth for this little guy), and then did not go back to bed.  At 5:30am he was jumping in his crib asking for his brother.  I went in to quiet him down and put some stuffed animals in his crib to play with.

I did not fall back asleep, but I did lay in bed for a while.  I left the house at 6:30 for my run.

Due to some pretty severe thunderstorms yesterday afternoon, I was not going to attempt my Clopper Lake loop.  I have slipped on the loose leaves and tripped over tree roots on the trail there before and I did not want to run it in even more slippery conditions.  Since the kids were up, I decided to stay local and not drive to one of the other locations I was considering running at.  I ended up running around the larger roads that surround my community - about 7 1/3 miles around.

My hamstring did start hurting again about 3 miles into the run.  Again, the pain is not severe, however, it is noticeable.  Whereas normally the pain goes away immediately after the run when I'm only running 3 or 4 miles, today I still have some pain.  Just in time for my doctor's visit tomorrow morning :-)

I did hit a pretty major milestone during todays run....500 MILES for the year!  Since the year is not half over yet (15 days shy of the year being half over), I am definitely on pace to top 1,000 miles for the year.  WOW!

It's a pretty big progression.  Here's my mileage for the past few years:

2005 - 325 miles

2006 - 535 miles (first 1/2 marathon)

2007 - 600 miles (two 1/2 marathons...although I trained for three)

2008 - 500 miles by June 15 (full marathon!)

No Shabbat Long Run

I normally had run long on Shabbat morning. However, since tomorrow is Father's Day, I've decided to do my long run tomorrow. However, I'm not sure which route I'm going to run.

Last year, I drove down to the C&O Canal early and ran on the towpath for an hour. It was a really nice run - I love running near water for some reason. I saw a few great blue herons on the way and lots of ducks and geese. I always get a kick running under the American Legion Bridge - as I used to slog across it in my car during rush hour when I had a commute.

There are a few other ideas I have for a long run tomorrow: The Capital Cresent trail in Bethesda, Rock Creek Park trail (I would also pick this one up in Bethesda), or the Clopper Lake loop run that I can do from my house.

As I was thinking about it yesterday, I was really leaning towards Clopper Lake - however, around the lake is a trail through woods and I don't like running it alone (although I normally do...yes, I know I'm pretty stupid that way - but at least I'll bring my cellphone if I do run it alone). I called up a friend of mine yesterday who is getting back into running to see if he wanted to join me, but he's not available.

Either way, it should be the perfect way to start Father's Day. And if my hamstring starts to flare up mid-run, no issues - I'm going to the Sports Doc the next day :-)

Yoga - Finally

I know that I've posted in this blog a few times that I should really try Yoga.

I really need to work on my flexibility and I don't stretch nearly enough - so either taking a weekly Yoga class or doing a Yoga video should really help. With my hamstring issue, I looked into it a little more on RunningAhead - there are a few threads with which DVDs people had success with, etc. However one poster mentioned the show "Inhale" on the Oxygen Network - I saw that it is on at 6am every weekday, so I decided to record it on my DVR.

This morning I woke up at 6:15am (a bit late for me...I was watching the Boston Celtics' improbable comeback last night - after being down by 24 early in the third quarter, they won the game!), I grabbed my wife's Yoga mat and started to do Yoga.

Ouch!

I thought this was supposed to be relaxing!

It was not easy for me. I did not have the strength or balance to hold some of the poses as long as they were doing on the show, and I did not have the flexibility to even do some of the poses without some type of "modification". We kept on going back to the "downward dog" pose, and I can't get my heels on the ground (yes...I'm THAT inflexible!)

I'm going to chalk it up to being my first time. It was definitely a humbling experience, however, so were some of my first runs, right? I remember my first few 5K "races" when I couldn't complete them without walking, and look where I am now...

I will definitely try to bring Yoga into my routine. My tight, inflexible muscles need it.

Five and a Half at Half Past Five!

It was so wonderful to run this morning.  By the time I walked out the door at 5:30am the sun was shining, but it wasn't too hot - 63 degrees - although the humidity was still on the high side, so it was still a sweaty run.

I decided not to do speedwork...I'm still not 100% with my hamstring so I don't want to push it.  However, I did run longer today than I did earlier this week:  5 1/2 miles.  10:32/mile pace with average HR of 152 - nice and easy.

Unfortunately, my hammy did start to get uncomfortable somewhere in the 3-4 mile range.  Pain of 3 or 4 on a scale from 1 to 10.  Not enough to stop me from completing the run, but definitely enough to not cancel my sports doctor appointment on Monday.

This morning I listened to a bootleg of a Billy Joel concert from May 1977.  A shout out to my friend Norm for lending it to me!  I was a HUGE Billy Joel fan in High School - I played piano and sang, and I have fond memories of banging out many of these tunes in my teenage years.  What was great about this recording is that it was very early in Billy Joel's career - his voice is still very pure and he still has a very distinguishable New York accent when he speaks.  Many of the songs he played were "deep tracks" from Streetlife Serenade and Turnstiles albums that he would not play in concerts nowadays...this show was before his breakthrough album The Stranger was released.  I got a kick out of him introducing one of the songs - "This is a new song....A Premier!....It's called 'Scenes From An Italian Restaurant'"  If you went to a Billy Joel concert today everyone would be singing along - but at this show, it was the first time anyone had heard the song!

A Break In The Weather!

Hooray - today's high temperature will only be 87 degrees!

Unfortunately, my schedule today does not allow me to run :-(  Of course, if I didn't stay up until midnight watching the basketball game last night, perhaps I would have gotten a morning run in...

I will plan to run tomorrow morning.  Maybe even some speedwork?  Jog to the track, do 3X800 with a 200 recovery in between, and jog back for a full 5 miler???  It sounds WONDERFUL!!!  I hope my hamstring doesn't kill me...

Four at Five-thirty

For some reason my body woke up at 5:18am this morning.  The sun was starting to rise, the birds were starting to chirp, the rest of the house was quiet.  Definitely, a great time for a run!

Since my last two 3-mile runs were successful in the sense that I did not have the hamstring pain, I decided to go for a longer run this morning.  I did my regular "4-mile loop" run (which is really 4.43 miles).  It was nice to run a bit longer - however....

It's UNCOMFORTABLE out there!

At 5:30am, it was 71 deg F with 91% humidity.  I was drenched at the end of my run.

How the heck did I ever train for half marathons in the stuff?  It's almost unbearable!  I know I may have complained about running in sub-20 degree weather a few months ago, but I'm starting to thing that I may prefer cold winter runs to melty summer ones.

The good news is that my pace on the run was pretty good for an easy run 10:38/mile which means I haven't lost too much while resting my hammy injury.

The not so good news is that I had a bit of discomfort in my hammy around 24 minutes into the run.  It came and went throughout the run, but didn't get too strong.  So it's not at 100% yet.  I guess I'll keep the sports doc appointment just to get an opinion on what's really going on and if I'm prolonging the healing by continuing to run...

Another Run With No Hamstring Pain!

I'm not saying I'm out of the woods yet - this was only another 3 mile easy run this morning. However, my right hamstring did not have the pain that I've been experiencing in all of my other post-marathon runs.

That's two days in a row pain-free!

I'll try to run a little longer this week and see if the pain returns. If so, I'll keep my appointment with the sports doc. Otherwise, I'll cancel.

No Pain!!!

I ran The Race For The Cure this morning (OK...it was a slow jog) and I made it through the full 3 miles with NO PAIN in my hamstring!  Hooray!

I'm convinced it's because I already made an appointment with a Sports Doc :-)

I'm not giving myself a full, clean bill of health yet.  However, it was definitely a step in the right direction.

Race For The Cure Tomorrow

My body is in no shape to run a race tomorrow. I'm still getting that hamstring pain about 25 minutes into a run (BTW...I have made an appointment with an Orthopedic Surgeon / Sports Doc for the week after next - we'll see how that goes...). So for tomorrow's 5K in downtown DC, I won't be going for a PR, but I will not miss this race.

I will be running Race For The Cure tomorrow in memory of my friend Barbra.

Barbra and I were very close friends during our teenage years. We became friends through a Jewish youth group we both were active in - the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization - and during our senior years in High School we were co-presidents of DC Council. The two of us would spend many hours together in the BBYO office and on the phone, and we went to a few semi-formal dances together throughout the years. During the first few years of college (she went to Duke and I went to Michigan) we spoke off and on and saw each other over the summers. Interestingly enough, I believe the last time I spoke with her may have been after the NCAA Basketball Finals in 1992...Duke creamed Michigan and I recall our conversation being a bit on the obnoxious side.

After college, I moved to Dallas, TX and I started to grow apart from many of my high school friends. When I relocated back to the DC area 5 years later, I got back in touch with a few of my old friends, but not many...I had new friends that I had made at college, work and with other activities and just didn't make keeping up with these old friendships a priority. I thought of my old friends from time to time, but I rarely picked up the phone or sent an email to reach out.

In early 2001, I received an email that Barbra has passed away. She had fought off breast cancer successfully, but then had a relapse that was not caught in time to treat. I was in shock! How could this happen?? We were so young for something like this to happen (30 years old).

It was at that point that I realized that if I really cared about my old friends, that I needed to reach out. I have been making an effort over the past few years - calling and emailing some of these friends now and then and also set up a few play dates for our kids to get together and play. I've even reconnected with some friends via Facebook.

Unfortunately, it is too late for me to ever reconnect with Barbra. However, when I started running a few years ago I decided that I could run Race For The Cure in her memory each year.

Still Feeling Pain...

I went out for another easy 3 mile run today at lunchtime.  I took it easy due to the weather, and still again - around 25 minutes into the run - the pain behind my right knee came back.

Perhaps it is time to consult a Sports Doctor, eh?

Luckily, the pain isn't excruciating.  I was able to finish the run and the pain goes away within a few minutes after I stop running.  I just want to be able to run more than 3 miles at a time again!

It has been over 4 weeks since my marathon and I have only run a little over 18 miles in that span.  A few months ago, I ran more than that before 9am on a Saturday morning!  Needless to say, I'm a bit discouraged...

How To Get Back Into A Groove?

On both the blogging and running fronts, I am no longer "in a groove".

On the running front, I know it is because I'm trying to rest my hamstring. I'll try to take a few short runs again this week - but I have been going to bed too late each night and the thought of waking up at 5:15am to run is not palatable. I also have The Race For The Cure on my schedule this Saturday, and although this is not a 5K that I'll be "racing", it is still an easy jog that I have in my schedule (more about Race For The Cure in a future post this week...)

I'm not sure why I've hit a blogging "funk". Perhaps it's due to the fact that I'm not running (this is mainly a running blog, right?). Most of my physical activity over the past two weeks has revolved around Israeli Dancing - which is another reason I'm not running as much.

So, I'm a bit stuck here - now that the marathon is over, will I continue this as a mostly-running blog? Will it become a "the life of Mike Fox" blog? Will I retire the blog? Time will tell. I know that other recent first-time marathoners are having the same issues with their blogs.

Flying Solo

This weekend I gave my wife the weekend off.  It was her Mother's Day present from me - and she definitely deserves it after me deserting her last weekend.

She's only about 10 miles away - in a hotel in downtown Bethesda with a girlfriend - however, she'll be able to relax, sleep in, go for a run, see a movie or two (the "Sex In The City" movie is opening this weekend...something tells me that they'll be going to drink some cosmos and see that film...).

Anyhow, this means that I will not be getting a run in.  Unless I take the kids to the gym and put them in babysitting while I run on the treadmill.  I've done this before, but I doubt it will happen this weekend.

Tomorrow I have morning and mid-afternoon plans - synagogue and our monthly "lunch bunch".  After that I'll most likely take the kids to the pool and then maybe out for dinner.  Hopefully after all the excitement of the day they'll crash :-)

Wish me luck!

Quick Lunchtime Getaway!

Thursdays are always a time crunch of a day for me at work.  I have standing conference calls at 9am, 12 noon and 2pm.

Today's 12 noon call went short - only 30 minutes.  I had already prepared for my 2pm call.  It was a beautiful 70 degree sunny day outside.  Time for a quick run!!!

I did my usual 3-mile lake route again.  Just like yesterday, I took it easy (10:55/mile pace today vs 11:11/mile pace yesterday)...I had no pain in my left knee (hooray!), however, the pain on my left leg - starting around 27 minutes into the run in my lower hamstring - was back again.  UGH!

I'm hoping this isn't a serious injury as I miss my long runs!

Back To Blogging

First of all, I apologize to those loyal readers who have been checking my blog to find no updates.  There was no internet access where I was over Memorial Day weekend, and when I got back I was exhausted and did not feel like blogging.

Since this is mostly a running blog I'll spare everyone the details about the Israeli Dance workshop weekend.  However, I will say the teenagers that I brought to the weekend performed beautifully and behaved nicely.  As a result, the weekend was enjoyable for me.  The one thing that was missing for me was running.  Last year I managed to get a 5 mile run in on Saturday morning, but this year I was still trying to rest my legs from the post-marathon aches.

I did get out for a 3-mile run this morning...my normal "to the lake and back" route.  I did much better.  I kept the pace slow (11:11/mile) and my left knee did not hurt at all during the run.  Hooray!  However, the back of my right knee - from the top of my calf to the bottom of my hammy - did start to hurt again about 2.5 miles into the run.  I finished out the run though and then stretched out my legs.  The pain stopped a few minutes after I stopped running.

I'm going to start to stretch these muscles on my non-running days as well and see if that helps.  I may even try to visit a Yoga class at the gym - I've never done Yoga, but I'm reading a lot of articles on how it helps runners with their flexibility.  We'll see if I actually do it.

I'll also try another 3-mile run later in the week...perhaps Friday morning.

Memorial Day Weekend Plans

For the past four years, the Israeli Dance troupe that I co-direct has performed at an Israeli Dance weekend "camp" - Hora Aviv. For the second year in a row, my co-director is not able to make the trip so I'm "flying solo" with 10 teenagers. UGH!

It ends up that I stay up really late with the teens (OK...even without the teens I'm sure I'd stay up late!) and my kids still wake up super early. As a result, I'm leaving the rest of my family home...I'm really grumpy on 3 hours of sleep, so I think this will be the best for everyone around me.

Last year, I brought some running gear and mapped out a 5 mile route near the campus to run one morning. Since I'm still in my post-marathon "rest period" from running, I won't be bringing my running shoes :-(

I'm hoping to go for a few short runs next week and see if my knees feel better. Maybe a 3 miler on Tuesday and a 4 miler on Thursday. We'll see...

Enjoy the long weekend everyone!!!

Running Times?

I am all caught up with my Runner's World subscription.  Hooray!

Well, sort of.

Now I feel like don't have anything to read :-)

I picked up the June edition of Running Times at the bookstore this evening.  Does anyone read this?  How does it compare to Runner's World?

Monday Weigh-In

I had started counting calories again this week. Earlier in the week I was very diligent (and HUNGRY!) and it kind of tailed off during my business trip on Thursday and over the weekend. Neither day did I go "hog wild", but I'm certain I ate more than I normally would have in a losing-weight mode.

I decided to get an elliptical workout in yesterday, since I'm trying to be more conservative with returning to running due to the aches and pains I'm still feeling when I run. Even though I'd rather be running outside, getting the blood pumping felt good.

One thing that took me off course a bit were brownies. My wife recently became a Pampered Chef consultant (if you like Pampered Chef products, you can now order them directly from her website!) and she had a cooking show yesterday morning. For the demonstration she made these delicious chocolate, caramel, nut brownies - and unfortunately she brought the leftover brownies home. I only ate two of them yesterday...but that was two more than I really should have eaten.

Nevertheless, I stepped on the scale this morning to good results. I had lost a pound since last week. I now weigh 162.5 pounds according to my home scale. 7.5 pounds to go to...

I Miss My Long Run :-(

This is the third Saturday in a row with no long run.  (OK - two weeks ago it was the day before the marathon, so I did get a LONG run in that weekend, but it was not on Saturday morning).

I had gotten in a really good groove of waking up early on Saturday morning, going for a long run and then going to synagogue.  Ironically, I felt like I had a lot more energy on Saturdays than I do now...and I felt better and more relaxed.

I want to get back into that routine - even if it is not in training for a marathon.

Hopefully I'll be able to run more than 2.5 miles without pain soon....the lack of miles is really getting on my nerves!!!

Run/Walking

As 2pm hit this afternoon, I hit a lull at work.  I had eaten lunch at my desk while participating in a conference call (in other words - no lunch break), and I was waiting for information from colleagues before I could go forward on a few of my activities.

I looked outside and the rain had stopped.  It's a cool, overcast day...perfect for a short run!

I went inside the house (my office is above our garage with is detached from the rest of the house) got in my running clothes and took off!  Woo hoo!!!!

I decided on the 3-mile lake loop once again.  And due to the pain I have been getting in my left knee and behind my right knee, I decided to do a run/walk regimen...run 7 minutes and walk 1 minute.  Even with the walking, my pace was under 11min/mile - not too bad.

My knees did eventually start hurting again - this time 26 minutes into the run.  I haven't been good about stretching or icing.  And I haven't been using Vitamin I either (that's Ibuprofen for any non-runners reading...).  I probably should do these things to reduce the inflammation which would aid my recovery.

During my run it started to rain a bit.  I used to dread running in the rain and now I don't mind it at all (OK...I do mind a drenching storm or hail - but a light rain is almost soothing).

One nice thing I saw on my run is that some of the geese who live at the lake in our neighborhood had goslings.  It was sweet to see a few families of geese waddling around the lake - while I waddled along with them!

Exhausting Trip

Yesterday's Total Calorie Intake:  ????

I made my flight yesterday morning in plenty of time.  I pretty much tossed and turned all night - anxious I was going to oversleep and miss the flight - so I rolled out of bed at 3:25am (my thought was "what's the use of trying to sleep for another 40 min?") and made it to the airport by 4:30am.  Surprisingly, there were lines at the baggage check / ticketing counters and at security at that time.  Wow!  Luckily, I only had a carry-on bag so I only had to deal with the security lines.

On the flight I caught up on some pleasure reading.  I don't read often enough (OK...my schedule is a bit manic, so I don't make much time for it).  So far this year I read Hal Higdon's Marathon book and I had started the Alan Sillitoe classic The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner.  I had been a few months behind on reading my Runner's World subscription and had started to catch up over the past two weeks.

When I originally picked up The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, I thought it was a novel and not a collection of vignettes.  So I was a bit surprised when I finished up what I thought was the first "chapter" of the book and in the next "chapter" an entirely different character and situation was being described.  So far, I'm finding the book enjoyable - but not riveting, so after a while I put it down and read some of the RW magazine.  I found the style of the first vignette - about a teen delinquent who is sent to a reform school - similar to the writing style of Catcher in the Rye (at least what I remember of Catcher...I mean, I read it almost 20 years ago!)  When the main character arrives at the reform school, they force upon him the sport of long distance running.  At first he resists it, but then he realizes how free he feels while running those long distances each morning that he starts to long for those runs.  Needless to say, I was able to relate to much of the narrative about those frosty, morning runs.

I am happy to say I am now on the current month's edition of Runner's World - hooray!  The feature article is on Kara and Adam Goucher.  If I would have looked at the cover weeks ago and saw Kara Goucher there I'm sure I would have dropped everything and read it on the spot - she is awesome!  She bronzed in the 10K at the Osaka World Championships, came in first at a big HM in England - beating Paula Radcliffe, and won the mile at this year's indoor Millrose Games...oh, and she's extremely attractive to boot.  I'm crossing my fingers that she'll do well at the Olympic Track Trials next month, because I'd love to see her at the Olympics this summer.

The article got me thinking about this summer's Olympics.  In the past, the only Olympic track and field personalities that I had heard of were sprinters - Carl Lewis, Ben Johnson, Michael Johnson, Marion Jones, etc. (I'm a little young to have cheered on Steve Prefontaine...).  I guess I had heard of Joan Benoit Samuelson before the '84 Olympics, but that was most likely due to the Women's Marathon being new that year and she was the favorite to win the first one.  This year, I really don't know who the sprinters are, but I am familiar with - and somewhat following during the past year - the middle and long distance runners.  I believe this is the first year since I was a youngster that I'm psyched to watch Track and Field at the Olympics.

As for the rest of my trip, the course was useful for the networking and face time with my Director, however, I felt the material was a bit of a review for me.  A lot of Stephen Covey ideas and strategies on how to influence others and budget time.

And I always eat horribly while traveling - food with higher fat content and larger portions than necessary - so I'm glad I'm back home and ready to get back in the "eating right" routine.

Temptation Averted

Today's Total Calorie Intake: 2100
(Exercise Calories: 400)
Net Calorie Intake: 1750

This evening I was coming home after a performance of the Israeli Dance Troupe that I lead and I was feeling hungry. I remembered that it is Wednesday...which means 2 for 1 sundae day at my neighborhood Carvel. YUMMMMMM.

However, I've been logging my calories - and I knew that I had no room for 640 additional calories (yes, one Carvel caramel sundae has 640 calories!). So instead I opted for a Skinny Cow vanilla and caramel ice cream cone that we have in the freezer - only 150 calories.

Temptation Averted!

Tomorrow is my whirlwind trip to RTP for a training course for work. Flight leaves the airport at 6am. My alarm is set for 4am - and that's going to be cutting it close. Good night everyone!

I'm HUNGRY!!!

Yesterday's Total Calorie Intake: 1736

I felt HUNGRY yesterday. It was a tough reminder to my body that I was going from a "maintain your weight while logging 35 running miles a week" diet back down to a "lose weight while logging 10 running miles a week" diet.

I pretty much felt hungry the entire day. However, I made it through; and I know that today will be easier. And so will tomorrow. By next week it will feel like a natural way to eat. The pounds will gradually come off and then in about 6 weeks I'll be able to bump the calories up again.
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I also went for a run this morning. It was a beautiful morning - crisp and clear, about 45 degrees when I stepped outside the door at 5:45am. The sun was starting to rise, so I decided to go on my 3.25 mile lake loop (I don't like running this route in the dark).

I knew that my run was going to be slow - or my heart rate would be elevated at a normal pace - since I donated blood on Monday. I ended up keeping an 11min/mile pace for most of the run and my HR was in the high-150s/low-160s which is about 10 bpm higher than what it normally should be at this pace for me.

There is definitely a good amount of "rust" that I need to get out of my system before logging the miles again. My knees started hurting again during the run - this time about 2.5 miles into the route. On my right knee, the pain was behind the knee - in the lower hamstring area. On my left knee, the pain was on the front in the lower/outside corner of the knee. I ended up walking the last quarter mile to give my knees a break. Within 10 minutes of me being back in the house, the pain went away...so I'm thinking this is just something that is being aggravated with the motion and pounding and not a full-time injury. I may try to ice these spots later, though. Some stretching would do me good as well.

It was wonderful to be running again - even if it was just for 3 miles. I'm looking forward to getting in a rhythm of running 3 to 4 times a week again!

Calorie King, Here I Come!!

I see it coming, and I'm frightened.

Yesterday, I gave blood and decided to grab the bag of Famous Amos Chocolate Chip cookies. Later in the day, I attacked a bag of Doritos that were on top of the fridge. Last night, I chilled in front of the basketball game with a bottle of Saranac Black & Tan and some Cheez-Its.

As the kicker, I'm going out of town for a quick out-and-back business trip on Thursday (in other words - three consecutive meals out) and then have lunch plans of Friday (strike that - four out of five meals out).

The pattern sounds eerily familiar.

To add further insult to injury, I won't be running many of these additional calories off this week.

So...I have decided to start counting calories again. TODAY. I may take a pass on Thursday since it's not easy to be so calorie conscious on the road - but I'll try to be careful anyhow.

No Run Today

Cold, rainy morning. Still recovering. No run.

If the morning was nicer, I probably would have run since I'm planning to give blood later today. Which means I won't be running tomorrow either. Perhaps an easy run on Wednesday morning? Or at least I'll hit the elliptical that morning...

Also, since today is Monday, it's an official weigh-in day. 163.5 lbs. Not bad after a week of no running and after Mother's Day (larger brunch and dinner than normal). I'd like to get down to 155 lbs for the summertime, but I know I'll have to count calories closely to get there. Will I find the motivation to do it???