Run, Moon!

Totally forgot to blog a run

2008-11-12T13:24:00.000-08:00

I forgot to blog my 5.41 mile run two days ago.

So here it is. I think I did it in around 54:35 but I don't have my watch with me.

I kinda sucked but at least I did it.

Treadmill

2008-11-12T11:51:00.000-08:00

I can't remember the last time I ran on a treadmill.

Whatever the count is, it restarts as of today.

I should have gotten up early and ran before work (because after work I'm hanging out with a friend) but because I was up late last night doing laundry, getting up early wasn't so much an option.

So I packed running clothes and brought 'em to work. And since it was pouring down rain when I was ready to run, into the "Wellness Center" in my office I went.

So boring. I had CNN giving me the top stories: people wanting to ban texting while driving, whether or not Michelle Obama's mom will be moving in to the White House with them, and something about some toddler that sings the fight song for some football team somewhere were people care about that. Ugh.

But I ran 3 miles in 29:10. Started around a 10:00 pace for a mile, picked it up to a 9:14 pace for 3/4 of a mile, then bounced between the two speeds (and a short bit of walking) to finally end up with an average 9:47 pace for the whole distance. Oh, and I varied between 1% and 1.5% grade.

So sweaty. But I did it. Yay, me! Now I eat.

Eight miles, not as fast

2008-11-09T10:45:00.000-08:00

Long run yesterday. Eight miles. I wasn't as fast as I was last time, but not too bad.

I ate a large meal the night before but no breakfast, and was so-so on hydration. Oh, and it was pouring down rain almost the entire time I ran. Serious downpour. Ugh.

My Body Glide didn't do an awesome job of protecting from chafing, either. The combination of long run and rain is a bit much to overcome. If I ever run a half-marathon, I'll have to plan for re-applying the protection during the race.

Here's my mile splits:

09:51
10:27 (0:20:17)
09:35 (0:29:52)
10:52 (0:40:44)
10:55 (0:51:39)
10:21 (1:01:59)
10:46 (1:12:46)
11:09 (1:23:54)

I had to stop for traffic four times. I stopped for water three times (and Jelly Belly Sports Beans the first time). And did a bit of walking throughout. Even so, I managed to average a 10:29 pace, which, like I said, isn't that bad considering the conditions in which I ran.

I think that my last four runs, including yesterdays, was in the freakin' rain. Looks like fall and winter are here in Portland.

Dark and stormy run

2008-11-06T19:11:00.000-08:00

It was dark and rainy and stormy, and I did not mind at all during my 5+ mile run tonight.

I could tell I've been running hard lately, because it was hard to keep a 9:30-9:45 pace. I had to stop at least twice to wait for a traffic light to change, but overall I just kept going. I only had to walk, briefly for about 10-20 steps, once, right around mile 4.5. And I finished in 53:34.

My mile splits (last segment is .41 miles):

09:44
10:08 (19:52)
09:32 (29:24)
10:23 (39:47)
10:07 (49:54)
03:39 (53:34)

I wore shorts, a long-sleeved and a short-sleeved tech shirt, a hat, my Brooks, a reflector belt, and front (white) and back (red) LED lights. It was around 52° F when I left the house.

Running in the wet wet rain

2008-11-04T06:35:00.000-08:00

Since I plan on attending celebratory election night parties tonight, I knew I had to get up early in the morning and run before going to work.

When I got up at 4:30 AM, pulled on my running clothes and shoes, and opened the door, I was greeted with a downpour.

No choice. I had to go. So out into the wet, wet rain I went.

Since my fantastic speedwork on Sunday, I had been wondering if I could manage two miles at an 8:00 pace. Or even one consecutive mile. Or even alternating 4:00 half-miles with 4:45-5:00 half-miles.

I wanted to run fast, is what I'm saying.

I also knew that today should be an easier day, because of my hard run on Sunday, and due to the weather.

But I did manage to go a bit faster today.

Here are my half-mile splits:

05:06
04:02 (09:08)
05:01 (14:09)
04:53 (19:01)
04:34 (23:35)
05:03 (28:38)
04:39 (33:18)

(I finished with another .19 miles, just to reach my normal start/finish point - total time running was 34:54)

So for 3.5 miles, I averaged a 9:31 pace! That's several seconds faster per mile than I have been running. And I might have done better if I hadn't had... digestive difficulties... during my run (I blame the bacon cheeseburger and fries for dinner - a large meal for me, and way more calories than I really needed). And I had three half-miles at a better than 9:30 pace!

I am getting faster, I really am.

Interval run

2008-11-02T15:52:00.000-08:00

I haven't done any speed training in a while. Last time I did anything other than long runs or tempo runs was August 23rd this past summer, when I attempted an interval run, and (according to my log) failed to live up to my expectations.

Today I planned another interval run, along a different section of the Springwater Corridor Trail. Again, a mile or so of warmup, then alternating half-miles of slow, then fast, then return to start again as a cooldown.

I use the Springwater Corridor because there are handy mile posts for most (but not all) of the half-mile sections. The catch today was, since I was using the part of the trail that runs eastward from my neighborhood, I didn't really know how far out to the first marked half-mile, so I didn't know how long my warmup was going to be.

From my starting point, with a loop around a couple of blocks in my neighborhood, to the first marked half-mile post (the 6.0 mile one, just past where the trail runs under SE 39th Ave.), was a total of 1.28 miles. I ran it in around 18 minutes - nice and slow for my warmup. Then another half-mile out to find the 6.5 mile post, and I was ready to begin the fast part, back towards home.

I set my timer for 4:30, which would be a fast (for me) 9:00 pace, and then pushed myself on the run. Imagine my surprise when I reached the milepost with 30 seconds left! That's an 8:00 pace!

I jog-walked back to start, and repeated three more times. Each time, I was able to turn in around an 8:00 pace:

04:00
03:56
03:52
03:58

That totally rocks! I didn't even have to rest that much before beginning each fast segment (although I did take short breaks, I did not time them).

My total time, including the fast sections and rest breaks, was 1:11:18, and my total distance was 6.56 miles, including warmup and cooldown, making my overall average pace 12:10. But my average pace for the fast parts is 7:56!

That just blows me away. I have a sneaking suspicion that I don't push myself as hard as I could for 5K races.

Contributing factors for my success today are the weather - it's around 58° F right now, it's a bit damp but not actually raining, and no wind. Perfect running weather. I had a small breakfast around 10:00 AM (around 520 calories), and lots of water - and I've had lots of calories in the past couple of days, mostly carbs (it being Hallowe'en and all that candy). But, damn!

One more note for future reference: I used Body Glide to prevent the normal nipple chafing I get on long runs and in damp weather, and it appears to have worked fine. No chafing. I guess that beats using duct tape to protect them, huh?

Hallowe'en Run

2008-11-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

I love running on Hallowe'en. I'm not sure why. It's not the weather, which is usually damp, if not raining. I think it's the idea of being out on the streets in a "costume" - my running clothes. Maybe, psychologically, I still don't think of myself as a runner, after almost five years, and I get that thrill of being someone I'm not. Hard to say.

At any rate, I went out for a short-ish run last night, and I tried to be quick about it. As is evident from my splits, I succeeded in the two things I'm working on: sub-9:30 miles, and starting out slower. (Times are: split / cumulative / cumulative pace. First segment was only .19 miles; last segment was .5 miles)

01:55 / 01:55 / 10:05
09:59 / 11:54 / 10:00
09:27 / 21:20 / 09:44
09:28 / 30:48 / 09:39
04:43 / 35:31 / 09:37

See how my average pace gets faster and faster? That's exactly right and what I'd like to see on my longer runs, too. Finish fast. I give myself a "good job!" for last night's 3.69 mile run.

Uninspired medium run

2008-10-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

Five-plus miles tonight. Started out slow-ish - for the first half-mile. Then felt myself fall into my "normal" pace and saw 9:40 for the first full mile. Around 9:50 for the second mile, then sorta lost track of where my mile-markers were and just kept going as best I could. Two or three 10-15 second stops for traffic. Total time was a slow-ish 53:25, for an average pace (over 5.41 miles) of 9:52 per mile.

Nice weather - around 58° F when I left the house, no rain, slight wind. Wore short sleeves and shorts. Oh, and a reflector vest - it was dark by the time I got back.

Yay for just doing it.

Uninspired short run

2008-10-27T19:13:00.000-07:00

Ran tonight. Warm weather - around 67° F when I left the house, and hardly any wind. OK, warm for late fall.

Started out too fast, couldn't maintain that pace. Felt short of breath after only a half-mile. Not good.

Stopped at least twice for traffic, and walked a bit on the last half.

3.69 miles, 38:42 total time, average pace was 10:29. Ugh. Maybe I'm still hung-over.

Eight miles in 79 minutes

2008-10-25T13:55:00.000-07:00

It's been more than a month since I ran 8 miles, so today I headed out to tackle it again.

I had breakfast (decaf coffee and a cinnamon roll) around 10:00 AM, went shopping, then around noon was ready to go. Weather was a sunny, slightly windy 55° F - perfect. Reviewing my time from last time, I hoped to at least equal my performance.

I tried to keep a steady pace, except occasionally picking up the pace just a bit for short, 10-30 second pushes. I stopped twice for water, and a couple of times for traffic - no more than 20-40 seconds of stoppage at a time, though. All told, I think I had about a minute of stop-time.

Here's my mile splits, cumulative time and pace-so-far:

0:09:34 / 0:09:34 / 9:34
0:09:49 / 0:19:23 / 9:42
0:10:04 / 0:29:27 / 9:49
0:09:53 / 0:39:20 / 9:50
0:09:38 / 0:48:58 / 9:48
0:10:38 / 0:59:36 / 9:56
0:09:29 / 1:09:04 / 9:52
0:10:15 / 1:19:19 / 9:54

I think it's interesting seeing my average pace mostly go up as I run. I'm still not starting out slower and speeding up, no matter how much I harass myself before, during and after my runs. And it's quite clear that miles 3 and 6 are the ones that include my water stops, huh?

So in a month, I have improved my long-distance time by around 2 minutes. Yay, progress! I am happy with my performance today.

Night run

2008-10-23T20:07:00.000-07:00

Headed out tonight, into the chill autumn evening, for a nice medium long run.

I didn't time my mile splits, but the total time was 53:00 even. 5.41 miles. Average 9:47 pace.

Nice, steady run.

Short easy run

2008-10-21T20:20:00.000-07:00

3.69 miles. Around 54° F when I left, with a slight wind. All but one half-mile split under 5:00, including one under 4:30. Total time was 35:46, for an average mile pace of 9:41.

Not bad.

Seven miles

2008-10-19T16:13:00.000-07:00

It doesn't seem to be getting any easier. At least not dramatically so.

After gorging myself on free pizza yesterday (between lunch at Burgerville and dinner at Godfathers, I consumed over 4500 calories yesterday - and didn't burn much more than an average day) today, I needed a long run. Since I have already run almost 13 miles this week, I decided to do 7 miles today.

The temperature was around 51° F when I left the house. A trace of wind. Sunny. I had eaten around 250 calories so far before leaving (did I mention the pigging out yesterday?)

Last weekend I ran 7 miles in 1:13:24, for an average 10:29 pace.

This time, I held back on the early mile, right around 10:00. Then just tried to keep that pace, hoping to push hard on the second half. That push never really came. I stopped significantly 3 times for traffic, and twice for water, which seemed to add about 30 seconds or so to each of those segments.

My overall time was 1:11:57, for an average pace of 10:17. Better. But it didn't feel better.

Running hard

2008-10-17T18:12:00.000-07:00

(Or should that be hard running?)

Is warmer weather harder to run in? Does a gianormous lunch make a difference in running? How about too much sleep?

'Cause I ran this afternoon with all of those factors, and overall the run was harder than I thought I should be.

I had probably 1600 calories for lunch (ice cream is a lot of calories), the weather was around 68° F when I left, and I had slept the night before for, oh, about 13 hours.

3.69 miles in 39:54, making an average pace of 10:48. But, dammit, it felt harder than that. First mile was 9:40, which is just a shade under the average pace I ran over five miles two days ago. But then, it became harder to keep that pace and I had to take several walking breaks, and stopped once right around the 2.5 mile mark to get some water and take a minute-plus breather.

Damn. Oh, and the reason I'd slept in? Chronic depression. Just sayin'. Maybe mental energy saps my running energy, too.

Long-ish

2008-10-15T19:01:00.000-07:00

I very nearly did not have the energy to run tonight. Just felt blah, really. Had to keep talking myself into doing more than just 3 miles. In fact, I was over a half-mile into my run before I even considered the possibility of my 5+ mile loop. For the next half-mile or so, I wavered between doing 4 or 5 miles, and it wasn't until I passed the corner where I would have to turn to do 4 miles when I realized I was going to do 5+.

I tried not to push hard, just to keep up the nice steady pace. It was already kinda hard just for the distance; I didn't want to make it hard for my speed, too.

Weather was warm-ish once I got warmed up; temperature was 54° F when I left the house, sky was overcast, and it was getting dark when I got back. I walked for 5-6 minutes afterward for a cool down.

Didn't stop unless I had to (traffic), and then only a few brief times. Total time was under 53 minutes, for around a 9:45-9:50 pace overall. Good, steady, run.

Leg feels fine - 3+ miles

2008-10-13T18:18:00.000-07:00

Tonight was nice and warm (63° F when I left the house), and hardly windy at all. Perfect for a nice fall run.

I did my 3.7 mile loop, and tried, oh, how I tried, to keep a nice fast pace. I watched my leg and my right heel, which has been sore yesterday and today, but nothing felt out of place. I'll ice my heel tonight just in case.

This really was an unremarkable run. 3.7 miles, 35:28 total time, average pace 9:36.

A twinge during 7 miles

2008-10-11T21:34:00.000-07:00

After a big breakfast of strawberry hotcakes (mmmm...) and a couple hours wait, I headed out Saturday for my weekend long run. Decided on 7 miles (my 3.5 mile loop, out and back again) and aimed for a 10:00 pace. Yes, I know, last time I went long I ran a 10:53 pace average; my early miles were right around 10:10 or so but I got progressively slower.

I did not review my past long runs, though, before heading out. I just went out and ran.

Weather was sunny, windy, but nearly the perfect temperature: 57° F. I wore shorts and a short sleeved shirt, a hat to keep sweat out of my eyes, and, of course, my trusty Brooks shoes (which likely need replacing but I don't care).

As usual, I went out too fast on my first mile, and then struggled to keep up. I stopped twice for water and one of those included some Clif Bloks for electrolytes. And somewhere during the 5th mile I felt an odd twinge in my right thigh, right where the IT band is - I'd been running sloppy because I was tired, and was running on uneven grass, so maybe I twisted my leg a bit.

After my run, I walked for 6-7 minutes as a cool down, concentrating on making sure my leg wasn't sore. Today my leg feels fine - no odd pains or anything. But walking and sleeping aren't the stressors; running is. I'll be careful on Monday. Don't want to aggravate something that will prevent me from running all winter. That would suck.

Oh, and how did I do overall? I averaged a 10:29 pace. Decent, better than before, but still not as good as the 8 miles in 81 minutes I did back in September, just three weeks ago.

Here are my mile splits for Saturday's run:

09:35
10:23 (0:19:59)
10:04 (0:30:03)
10:55 (0:40:58)
11:15 (0:52:12)
10:10 (1:02:23)
11:02 (1:13:24)

Just ahead of the rain

2008-10-09T18:36:00.000-07:00

I didn't want to run in the rain.

It was raining.

I needed to run.

I considered "running" inside, as I did earlier this year, in the spring. But I didn't wanna. I wanted to run outside.

Just not in the rain.

I got home from work, I put on my running clothes, I bitched about the rain to my friend Tracy... and finally headed out.

3.7 miles. My plan was to aim for a 9:30 pace, steady, all the way to the end.

I was about 11 seconds per mile slower than that on average.

I broke the splits into the first half mile, then mile increments, then the final .2 miles, and here are my times:

04:56
09:49 (14:45)
09:22 (24:06)
09:54 (34:00)
01:47 (35:47)

My average pace was 9:41. At least I ran fast in the middle part!

And even though it was a bit cold at first, and it sprinkled a little bit on me, the heavy rain didn't start until I was walking back from my finish line. Yay!

Almost a week since my last run

2008-10-07T19:59:00.001-07:00

Sigh. I haven't run in almost a week.

Tonight I got home just after 5 PM, and wanted to watch the presidential debate at 6 PM (local time), and yet still wanted to run.

So I went out and back for 2 miles. I tried to go fast. And pretty much succeeded! First mile: 8:54. Second mile: 9:21. Total time: 18:16. Average: 9:06.

Nice!

Short run

2008-10-01T22:01:00.000-07:00

Ran tonight. Yes, if you're counting at home, I skipped a day - didn't run on Monday. Plus, I've been eating a lot. Like 2200-2500 calories per day. Apparently, so far, that's enough to keep my weight steady, not gaining or losing. Tomorrow, though, we'll see.

But, I did run tonight. My 3+ mile loop, in the dark. Felt like I started out a bit too fast... but my first half-mile was 4:54, not that fast at all. Total time was 37:12, for 3.69 miles, making my average pace 10:05.

I did stop for water between the 2.5-3.0 mile mark, briefly. Also had to stop for traffic a couple of times, also briefly. But overall my legs felt like wood, and my breathing was hard. I think my late fall allergies have kicked up. And it was muggy. And I'm depressed in general, so, yeah, whatever.

Ambition

2008-09-27T13:40:00.000-07:00

I'm almost embarrassed to post the results of today's run; I did not come close to the goal I set in the previous post.

My first mile, warmup, was about what I expected: 10:22, a nice, steady pace.

But then I did not even delay or rest before starting the fast section, and I'm afraid I pushed too hard: 9:10. Yes, I know I said that I wanted to run between a 9:00 and a 9:30 pace, but the idea is to start slower and get faster as the miles go by. This, I did not do.

I had to stop to walk at least twice on my second fast mile, which told me I was not going to do well today. Second mile was just over 10 minutes. And then, I just got slower and slower, with more and more walking breaks. Stopped for water and a couple Clif Bloks twice. And finished with a slow jog-walk for my cooldown (which was only about 3/4 of a mile).

Here's my mile times:

10:22 warmup
09:10 (0:19:33)
10:07 (0:29:40)
10:11 (0:39:51)
11:38 (0:51:29)
12:39 (1:04:08)
09:20 (1:13:29)

My average pace for the whole run (6.75 miles, including warmup/cooldown) is 10:53; my average pace if I only count the "hard" workout is 10:45 (53:47 for 5 miles).

Ugh.

What went well? Weather was nice and a perfect temperature (now, 45 minutes after getting back, it's still only around 65° F), it was a bit humid out but not overly so. Ate a lot last night - almost 2600 calories, which is "maintenance" level, not "losing weight" level.

What went wrong? I had lots of sleep last night - maybe too much. Woke up with a bit of a stuffed up nose - fall allergies? And maybe a bit of mental fatigue. I have been running hard all week. Next week I will push less and give myself a bit of a break. I really want to be faster, but if I over-train, that's just going to delay my improvement.

Still, if I don't push myself, who will?

Shorter, but faster, long run

2008-09-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

My plan for this morning's long run is as follows: a mile or so warmup, then 5 miles of fast-for-me running, then a mile or so of cooldown.

"Fast-for-me" means between a 9:00 and 9:30 pace, also known as my current 5K pace. I think, with the miles I've put in since running the Pints to Pasta a few weeks ago, that I can do this.

We shall see. As soon as I finish this glass of water I'm heading out.

Hard easy run

2008-09-25T18:55:00.000-07:00

Went out tonight for a short run. Probably should have been an easy one, but with the stress I've felt the past two days, it turned into a "beat myself up to forget the troubles" run.

Around 65° F when I left. Overcast, gray sky. Warm enough for short sleeves and shorts (once I warmed up).

3.69 miles. Total time 35:07. Average pace 9:31 per mile.

Personal records

2008-09-24T17:58:00.000-07:00

I have gone back over my posts and compiled all of my races into one spreadsheet. It's in Google Docs. When I get less bored I'll use the spreadsheet to create a web page, and I'll post it here.

But looking over all my races and times, a couple of things stand out.

I've run in 41 races since March 2004, 27 5Ks, 10 10Ks, and four non-standard races. Those four non-standard races are all "fun runs", non-timed.
My personal best 5K was the Race for the Roses, on 15 April 2007 (27:12, an 8:45 pace), and it came at a time when I was running like clockwork every other day, and also racing a lot - it was my 5th race of the year. And three weeks later, I ran my personal best 10K - the Cinco de Mayo, in 58:40 (9:26 pace).
My best times also came at a time when I wasn't dieting. I was eating without keeping track. Obviously, restricting my caloric intake also negatively impacts my running speed. I will keep that in mind next year. I've noticed that this year, too. Increasing my caloric intake right before a race or long run helps me very much.
2007 was also the year I ran in the most 10Ks - three of them.
The largely-downhill Mt. Tabor Challenge
The only races I've run every year since I started running is the Shamrock Run, and the Pints to Pasta. That's mostly because of this year, because those are the only races I've run this year.
Of the races I've run more than once, my fastest 5K overall (averaging all official times) is the Race for the Roses - not surprising since it's a very flat out-and-back course. My fastest average 10K race is the Pints to Pasta - also duh since it's almost all downhill.
Why did I get two decent 10K times in my first year of running (2004, the Nike Run Hit Wonder @ 1:00:06 and the Pints to Pasta @ 0:59:54), then kinda lose it for a couple of years? Again, I wonder if diet and regular training are the key.
My 5K times have generally gotten faster over time - with the exception of this year. Last winter was teh suck. Also, my times in the Shamrock Run generally sucks, due to the large amount of people (10,000-15,000 entrants means a lot of slow moving at the early parts of the race), and the fact that until this year, they didn't even use chip timing (this year's Shamrock Run sucked because I hadn't run all winter).
I did pretty good in my first 10K, though, even though there were thousands of people, mainly because I was saved by chip timing.

As a goal, I think next year I'm going to run in every race I've run before and try to beat my time in each race. Where I've run in races at two different distances (I've run the Running With The Wolves, the Bridge to Bridge and the Cinco de Mayo races at both 5K and 10K), I'll pick the longer distance. I think that's a challenging but achievable goal.

...although that wouldn't challenge me for distance. I've never run the Lake Run 12K, for instance. Do I want to extend my distance, or work on speed? I lean towards increasing my speed, but...

I know I say this every year, but maybe I'll try a half-marathon next year. I'd have to see how to work that in. I've also considered running in the Hood to Coast Relay... Hmmm.

Also, there are still some races to consider this year! There's the Run Like Hell 5K or half-marathon, for instance. I wonder if I could run a sub-9:00 pace 5K? My training runs around around 9:30 at 3-4 miles right now. Could I shave a half-minute per mile in just four and a half weeks? May-be...

Early morning fast

2008-09-23T06:03:00.000-07:00

Got up in the wee early hours of the morning today to burn off the caloric overage from yesterday (I ended up with nearly 3000 calories for the day, ugh - my inner child was in charge).

It was around 45° F and dark out. I got into my running clothes (long-sleeve shirt and shorts, hat, Brooks shoes and reflector vest) and headed out. I wanted to push myself to a 9:30 pace or better for 4+ miles.

There was a cool fog over the casting pool in Westmoreland Park. I sped fast two ladies walking right around the 1-mile mark. Didn't stop for water. Pushed up the first hill, along Tolman from 22nd, past Milwaukie Blvd. all the way to 14th. I missed tagging the 2-mile point by a couple of seconds, ugh.

Near the 2.5-mile point, along SE Sellwood Ave., I sped past a man and woman couple talking while leaning on their car. It looked like a goodbye from my brief glimpse - as if they'd spent the night together and one of them was now going off to work.

The girl saw me coming, and raised her fist. "Yeah, girl!"

I was breathing too heavily to respond - either with laughter or a correction. I just kept running.

She realized her mistake as I pulled even with them. "Oh... sorry!"

I wonder if she was still drunk.

Just kept going. Didn't have to stop for traffic at any point, although I did slow a bit crossing SE 17th on Umatilla.

The verdict: 4.17 miles in 39:19.

9:25 pace.

I totally rocked it.