So it has begun again. I have begun running outside as the weather has improved somewhat. Last year at this time I could only run inside as I did not have the proper attire for running outside in Wisconsin in early March. My first run in the great outdoors has caused me to remember things I have forgotten. There are 3 such things I have remembered. First, running outside and running inside on a treadmill are two separate things. Second, running outside in early March in Wisconsin and running inside on a treadmill are two separate things. Third, running outside in early March in Wisconsin with a stomach full of fast food and running inside on a treadmill are two separate things. So my first run outside was not a smooth as I would have hoped.
I was able to run 3 miles (3.13 actually), but it took me 29 minutes to do it. A 9:17 minute mile. Faster than last year at this time, but not what I was hoping. My lungs burned and my muscles ached as if I hadn't run at all last year. The one things that I can say is better is my mental toughness. Running 26 miles is hard to forget, so knowing that I only will be running 3 is a breeze ... mentally speaking of course. That was Monday. After an extended gap between my first and second run, thanks to a freak snow storm on Wednesday, I got back out there on Friday. It was another 3 miles (again, 3.13) and I was able to run it this time in 28 minutes, which puts me at a 8:56 minute per mile pace. At this point anything under 9 minute miles is a good thing. For this run my breathing was better and my aching muscles were not much of an issue. I hope that it will not take me too long to get back into the shape I was in last fall.
Next week I look forward to increasing my miles to 4 and to run 3 times instead of the 2 that I ran this week. Let's hope that in the future I'll remember the lessons I learned last year BEFORE I'm forced to re-learn them. Gotta Run.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
The Start of Year #2
Recovering from the marathon took a few days for me to finally walk straight again. The feeling of accomplishment hasn't diminished though it has been months since the marathon. Along with that feeling is the feeling of wanting to do better. However, I have gotten off to a slow start this year. After the marathon I took a few weeks off. After about 4-6 weeks I heard that it only takes 6 weeks for your body to forget everything it learned in training for a marathon in 6 weeks. WHAT?! So, in December I ran once or twice to make sure my body didn't totally forget everything it had done over the past year. Then in January I resolved to be better with my running. So for 2 weeks I did a good job of sticking to my plans. I ran Jan 6th, 8th, 11th, 13th, and the 22nd. Each for 3 miles and all were either 9 minute miles or below, with my best pace being 8:15 minute miles. Then a wrench got thrown into the cogs of my routine.
My wife and I were expecting our 4th child. Her due date was Jan 31st, but Deb started contracting weeks before that. So with our child possibly coming at any moment I stopped running. Our 4th daughter decided she wanted to hold out all the way until her actual due date (a first for our babies). So all that time I spent waiting, expecting her to come came and went and my wife was still uncomfortably pregnant. Eventually our now youngest came with much fanfare, but my training suffered because of it. Now that she's here I should have a better opportunity to train, well at least that was what I thought until she stopped sleeping at night. I have found it is difficult to drum up motivation to do anything much less run when you are dead tired. Even so, February came and went without me running once (well running while playing tag with my girls inside the house doesn't really count).
Well, I was able to run once this past week. I was pretty gassed by mile 2 and I figured it wasn't a good idea to try and push it too hard, so I ended up running 2.5 miles for 20 minutes and 45 seconds at a pace of 8:18 minute miles. I'm still able to keep my speed, but I'm going to have to slow it down for a few weeks to get my distance back up.
Since this is my first post of the new year my goals for this running year is to train yet again for a marathon (preferably the same one I ran last year) and run it in under 4 hours. In leading up to that race I will also run a 10K in May (the same 10K I ran last year) and run it a little faster as well as run one or 2 other races this year. Those distances are yet to be determined, but preferably they will be another 10K and a half marathon to prepare me for my 2nd marathon in the fall. To accomplish this I plan to be more faithful to my training that I was last year, slowly increase my distance as to not injure myself again and add a better diet to maximize my training routine. I feel with the success I had last year these goals are very achievable and I look forward to a great year. That is it for now. Gotta Run!
My wife and I were expecting our 4th child. Her due date was Jan 31st, but Deb started contracting weeks before that. So with our child possibly coming at any moment I stopped running. Our 4th daughter decided she wanted to hold out all the way until her actual due date (a first for our babies). So all that time I spent waiting, expecting her to come came and went and my wife was still uncomfortably pregnant. Eventually our now youngest came with much fanfare, but my training suffered because of it. Now that she's here I should have a better opportunity to train, well at least that was what I thought until she stopped sleeping at night. I have found it is difficult to drum up motivation to do anything much less run when you are dead tired. Even so, February came and went without me running once (well running while playing tag with my girls inside the house doesn't really count).
Well, I was able to run once this past week. I was pretty gassed by mile 2 and I figured it wasn't a good idea to try and push it too hard, so I ended up running 2.5 miles for 20 minutes and 45 seconds at a pace of 8:18 minute miles. I'm still able to keep my speed, but I'm going to have to slow it down for a few weeks to get my distance back up.
Since this is my first post of the new year my goals for this running year is to train yet again for a marathon (preferably the same one I ran last year) and run it in under 4 hours. In leading up to that race I will also run a 10K in May (the same 10K I ran last year) and run it a little faster as well as run one or 2 other races this year. Those distances are yet to be determined, but preferably they will be another 10K and a half marathon to prepare me for my 2nd marathon in the fall. To accomplish this I plan to be more faithful to my training that I was last year, slowly increase my distance as to not injure myself again and add a better diet to maximize my training routine. I feel with the success I had last year these goals are very achievable and I look forward to a great year. That is it for now. Gotta Run!
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