Christmas, for all its wonderful qualities, can begin to play on you. The visiting, the eating, the lying around, the eating - today I was just happy to wake up and head back to work.
I've been back on the treadmill lately, the last time being Christmas morning. I've slowly been working myself back by doing a walk run combination for about 25 minutes each time. I plan to start the Runner's World 5-K training plan next week and then begin the half marathon plan after that. I'm hoping to run in the Halifax event in the spring, and now is the time to start preparing.
At least there's no boxes of chocolates or cherry pound cake around my office.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Happy New Year!...
Do yourself a favour. Pretend today is January 2nd and day one of your new fitness program on the road to the improved you.
If you're like me, you'll use this time to overindulge in everything except physical activity while leaning on the "I'll get in shape in the New Year" crutch. Just because you plan to lose weight in 2006 doesn't mean it's okay to stack on an extra 10 or 15 pounds over Christmas.
Start today and believe me, you'll feel terrific about yourself as you enjoy the holidays and all the sites, sounds and tastes of the season.
If you're like me, you'll use this time to overindulge in everything except physical activity while leaning on the "I'll get in shape in the New Year" crutch. Just because you plan to lose weight in 2006 doesn't mean it's okay to stack on an extra 10 or 15 pounds over Christmas.
Start today and believe me, you'll feel terrific about yourself as you enjoy the holidays and all the sites, sounds and tastes of the season.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Almost there...
My basement renovation is a lot closer to be being completed than I ever thought it would be. In fact, my mother moved in this past Sunday. While there a few odds and ends to finish up, I was able to begin cleaning up what remains of the basement and begin claiming my house back from the clutter monster. Having done that, I moved the treadmill into 'our' room downstairs, a little reassembly and a lot of dusting, and it's good to go.
It'll be great to get the legs moving again, although I dread to think how far I have slipped over the past couple of months.
It'll be great to get the legs moving again, although I dread to think how far I have slipped over the past couple of months.
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Plastered...
It's been a while - nearly two months in fact.
Happy to report that there is light at the end of the renovation tunnel - plastering starts today. Unfortunately, a regular exercise routine has played second fiddle to the renovation racket. I haven't run once in the last month, but I have been on my recumbent cycle a few times. It's incredible how all-consuming a major reno can be, especially when you're doing it yourself.. This morning I made time to put away the patio furniture and hang a few Christmas lights outside, but now I've got to head down to the basement to clean up so we can start plastering - getting plastered might be a better idea.
Happy to report that there is light at the end of the renovation tunnel - plastering starts today. Unfortunately, a regular exercise routine has played second fiddle to the renovation racket. I haven't run once in the last month, but I have been on my recumbent cycle a few times. It's incredible how all-consuming a major reno can be, especially when you're doing it yourself.. This morning I made time to put away the patio furniture and hang a few Christmas lights outside, but now I've got to head down to the basement to clean up so we can start plastering - getting plastered might be a better idea.
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Training to become unfit
September 8th - that's the last time I blogged...it's also close to the last time I ran. It's not that I don't like running anymore, it's just the reno has taken a lot of my time so much so that even in my spare time I've been too tired to consider pounding the pavement.
That being said, I have been in the weight room with regularity over the past few weeks. I head in there lunchtime for an hour or so and I'm feeling pretty good about that. I want to burn off a few more pounds and the weight room, along with some running, is the way to go for me - must convert fat to muscle, must convert fat to muscle, must convert fat to muscle.
I did hit the streets this morning and clocked 17 minutes at an easy pace, which again, is the same as my hard pace. All-in-all, I felt pretty good. I wanted to run for 15 minutes so mission accomplished.
Going to try a 5-K tomorrow, to see if I still have it in me. They say it takes three times less time to become unfit than it does to become fit - I'll let you know if that's true after tomorrow.
That being said, I have been in the weight room with regularity over the past few weeks. I head in there lunchtime for an hour or so and I'm feeling pretty good about that. I want to burn off a few more pounds and the weight room, along with some running, is the way to go for me - must convert fat to muscle, must convert fat to muscle, must convert fat to muscle.
I did hit the streets this morning and clocked 17 minutes at an easy pace, which again, is the same as my hard pace. All-in-all, I felt pretty good. I wanted to run for 15 minutes so mission accomplished.
Going to try a 5-K tomorrow, to see if I still have it in me. They say it takes three times less time to become unfit than it does to become fit - I'll let you know if that's true after tomorrow.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Real Renos
It has been a busy few days, mostly because of the basement reno. I am happy to report that about half of the new apartment has been framed-up and I hope to have it fully-framed by early next week. I've made some great progress over the past few days.
Unfortunately, the time spent in the basement is cutting into my running time. I have not run this week, although I am planning on a little 5-k jaunt tomorrow morning. I did make it to the gym today for a chest workout, just waiting for the muscle pain to set in, shouldn't be long now - could be a tough weekend swinging the hammer.
Unfortunately, the time spent in the basement is cutting into my running time. I have not run this week, although I am planning on a little 5-k jaunt tomorrow morning. I did make it to the gym today for a chest workout, just waiting for the muscle pain to set in, shouldn't be long now - could be a tough weekend swinging the hammer.
Sunday, September 04, 2005
Brown's Store
There's something about running on Sunday mornings. Lately, I've been a little sluggish when first waking up, so when I thought I heard rain bouncing off my bedrooom window I was relieved to have an excuse not to go for a run; when I looked out however, it was like the streets were calling to me.
It was one of those mornings when the sun was just coming up over the hills in the east and what wind there was could barely cause the leaves on the trees to flutter. I could not miss a morning like this especially now that summer is drawing to a close and the morning temps are begining to drop.
It was beautiful and warm and I could practically taste the air with every breath. My route took me to a part of town that I had not run before - an area where I used to live before moving to Ontario nearly 30 years ago. I couldn't help but think back to the visits we used to take to the convenience store I was passing on my route, still named 'Brown's Store'. I smiled at the simplicity of the street names in my old neighbourhood - Limerick Place, London Road and Dublin Road. It was a run to remember- forty-five minutes in total.
When I got back I strapped on my tool belt and went down to the basement. I had a few more wheel-barrows-full of rock to remove so I got that done before lunchtime. By the time I finished today, I had a section of wall framed and in place.
It was certainly gratifying to see that section of wall in place. All of the other work I had done to this point seemed to be taking me in the opposite direction of where I wanted to end up, but today, I began feeling that I had made the turn for the finish, to use a running analogy.
A few days of framing lie ahead.
It was one of those mornings when the sun was just coming up over the hills in the east and what wind there was could barely cause the leaves on the trees to flutter. I could not miss a morning like this especially now that summer is drawing to a close and the morning temps are begining to drop.
It was beautiful and warm and I could practically taste the air with every breath. My route took me to a part of town that I had not run before - an area where I used to live before moving to Ontario nearly 30 years ago. I couldn't help but think back to the visits we used to take to the convenience store I was passing on my route, still named 'Brown's Store'. I smiled at the simplicity of the street names in my old neighbourhood - Limerick Place, London Road and Dublin Road. It was a run to remember- forty-five minutes in total.
When I got back I strapped on my tool belt and went down to the basement. I had a few more wheel-barrows-full of rock to remove so I got that done before lunchtime. By the time I finished today, I had a section of wall framed and in place.
It was certainly gratifying to see that section of wall in place. All of the other work I had done to this point seemed to be taking me in the opposite direction of where I wanted to end up, but today, I began feeling that I had made the turn for the finish, to use a running analogy.
A few days of framing lie ahead.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Running hurts my shoulders
The plan was a 4 mile run. The outcome was a little less than that.
I was on the road at 0600 this morning and as soon as began running, the skies opened and the rain started pelting down. That wasn't so bad; I like running in a warm rain, but the workout the day before at the the gym, began to take it's punishing toll early in the run. I had worked my shoulders on Tuesday thinking that would cause the least interference with my running program, but after five minutes, my shoulders were aching, almost intolerably. For me, the worst part of heading back to the weights after a long period away from them, is the muscle pain I have to go through with each major muscle group after the first few workouts. After thirty minutes of running, I could no longer hold my arms in the running position and began walking in from that point. The relief I felt when I was able to relax my arms and let them hang at my sides is inexplicable.
I cut through a trail area to get home a little quicker and as I was coming off the wooded trail, I met a woman just on her way in. She took one look at me and turned around and started walking the other way. I guess I look a little threatening to the ladies when I'm outfitted in my running gear. It was the strangest thing I had experienced in a while...one look at me and gone - a real boost to the male ego.
Once I got back to pavement, I ran for a couple more minutes, but that too was agonizing on my shoulders.
Like I said, the intention was a 4-miler, but you know what they say about intentions and the road to 'hell'.
I was on the road at 0600 this morning and as soon as began running, the skies opened and the rain started pelting down. That wasn't so bad; I like running in a warm rain, but the workout the day before at the the gym, began to take it's punishing toll early in the run. I had worked my shoulders on Tuesday thinking that would cause the least interference with my running program, but after five minutes, my shoulders were aching, almost intolerably. For me, the worst part of heading back to the weights after a long period away from them, is the muscle pain I have to go through with each major muscle group after the first few workouts. After thirty minutes of running, I could no longer hold my arms in the running position and began walking in from that point. The relief I felt when I was able to relax my arms and let them hang at my sides is inexplicable.
I cut through a trail area to get home a little quicker and as I was coming off the wooded trail, I met a woman just on her way in. She took one look at me and turned around and started walking the other way. I guess I look a little threatening to the ladies when I'm outfitted in my running gear. It was the strangest thing I had experienced in a while...one look at me and gone - a real boost to the male ego.
Once I got back to pavement, I ran for a couple more minutes, but that too was agonizing on my shoulders.
Like I said, the intention was a 4-miler, but you know what they say about intentions and the road to 'hell'.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Muscleheads
I know, it has been six days. I've been consumed by my basement, so much so, that I didn't even run on Sunday; that, for me, is equivalent to a Catholic skipping church. Realizing the half marathon training didn't officially start until today, I decided to rest up after two very exhausting weeks of demolition and destruction.
I made it into the gym today to start on a weight training program for at least the next six weeks - me and all the muscleheads. Why do young men feel the need to examine every inch of their bodies in the mirrors while they curl or squat a few pounds in front of those same mirrors? They must think they look great. Good for them.
Today was supposed to be a running day, but being the first day back to work in more than two weeks, and after looking out the window and seeing the rain, I decided against the run this morning and will move it to tomorrow morning. That's the beauty of training by yourself, you can make those adjustments. Adjusting is fine, skipping isn't. Skipping one workout leads to skipping a second, and once you've skipped two, then it's really easy to skip a third...you see where I'm going with this? Tomorrow is a 4 mile run so I shouldn't have any problem fitting it in if I'm on the road by six. I plan to do the same run on Thursday morning as well and that will get me back on track with the plan, as it appears on paper. As I go back and read the last couple of sentences, I'm still amazed that I can write about a 4 miler as if it's nothing. Less than a year ago, a 4 minuter was a challenge.
It's incredible what your body can do if properly fueled by your mind.
I made it into the gym today to start on a weight training program for at least the next six weeks - me and all the muscleheads. Why do young men feel the need to examine every inch of their bodies in the mirrors while they curl or squat a few pounds in front of those same mirrors? They must think they look great. Good for them.
Today was supposed to be a running day, but being the first day back to work in more than two weeks, and after looking out the window and seeing the rain, I decided against the run this morning and will move it to tomorrow morning. That's the beauty of training by yourself, you can make those adjustments. Adjusting is fine, skipping isn't. Skipping one workout leads to skipping a second, and once you've skipped two, then it's really easy to skip a third...you see where I'm going with this? Tomorrow is a 4 mile run so I shouldn't have any problem fitting it in if I'm on the road by six. I plan to do the same run on Thursday morning as well and that will get me back on track with the plan, as it appears on paper. As I go back and read the last couple of sentences, I'm still amazed that I can write about a 4 miler as if it's nothing. Less than a year ago, a 4 minuter was a challenge.
It's incredible what your body can do if properly fueled by your mind.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Couldn't run to save myself
I haven't been blogging for a couple of days now, fact is, I'm beat out. I started the jackhammering of my basement floor on Monday to make room for the new plumbing lines that have to be installed. To say that it was a tiring job would not really describe what it did to me physically. Yesterday, I felt like I had gone 12 rounds with Mike Tyson while having my hands tied behind my back. Running hasn't even been considered - I couldn't run to save myself.
I didn't jump on the scale Monday either, simply because I forgot. I was in such a rush to get to the rental store to pickup the jackhammer and get started that it completely slipped my mind; that's o.k. though, I like weighing in on Friday mornings so I'll just switch it until then.
I'm hoping to go for a little run on Friday morning, and then a longer one on Sunday. Next Tuesday is the first official day of the six-week half marathon training. Once I get the plumping in the floors and the trenches filled in again, I'll be able to concentrate a little more on the October event.
Until then, the basement is in ruins, although I'm thrilled to be finished with the jackhammer, that's for sure.
I didn't jump on the scale Monday either, simply because I forgot. I was in such a rush to get to the rental store to pickup the jackhammer and get started that it completely slipped my mind; that's o.k. though, I like weighing in on Friday mornings so I'll just switch it until then.
I'm hoping to go for a little run on Friday morning, and then a longer one on Sunday. Next Tuesday is the first official day of the six-week half marathon training. Once I get the plumping in the floors and the trenches filled in again, I'll be able to concentrate a little more on the October event.
Until then, the basement is in ruins, although I'm thrilled to be finished with the jackhammer, that's for sure.
Sunday, August 21, 2005
300 metres shy
Today was another busy day - they all seem to be busy since the reno started. I went out for a run at around 730 this morning. It was bright and sunny and there was a real feeling of fall approaching as what wind there was had a definite crispness to it.
I thought my route of choice was a 5K distance for sure, but having only trained in minutes and not miles (or K's), I didn't have the distance clocked. So after completing the run, I jumped in the car and measured it out. Turns out I was 300 metres short of the 5K - kind of feel like I cheated a bit. Oh well, I'll know for next time. Overall, the run felt good, but the breathing has been tough on my first two runs back since the Tely 10. I'm not too bothered by it though; one thing I've learned in by short running career is that after a couple of bad days on the road a string of good days usually follow.
Tomorrow is weigh-in day. I'm curious to see if I moved down at all. Right now I don't feel like I have, but we'll see - hoping to lose a pound or two.
I thought my route of choice was a 5K distance for sure, but having only trained in minutes and not miles (or K's), I didn't have the distance clocked. So after completing the run, I jumped in the car and measured it out. Turns out I was 300 metres short of the 5K - kind of feel like I cheated a bit. Oh well, I'll know for next time. Overall, the run felt good, but the breathing has been tough on my first two runs back since the Tely 10. I'm not too bothered by it though; one thing I've learned in by short running career is that after a couple of bad days on the road a string of good days usually follow.
Tomorrow is weigh-in day. I'm curious to see if I moved down at all. Right now I don't feel like I have, but we'll see - hoping to lose a pound or two.
Saturday, August 20, 2005
I've been coasting, I admit it
I can't deny it, I've been coasting along this past week or so. Not so much from an exercise perspective, but from a blogging perspecting. My posts haven't been up to par. I guess I didn't realize how all-consuming this home renovation would become. By the time my work day is finished, blogging falls after sleeping on my list of things to do.
I got a good bit of work done today, although you wouldn't say by looking around the basement. I probably could have gotten a little further along if I didn't have to make three trips to the building supply store, but isn't that always the way. I actually need to make another trip, but I'll keep going until a run out of supplies and then go tomorrow.
I haven't been running with any regularity either, but I'm not too concerned at this point. I am doing an incredible amount of physical labour and working up a great sweat, daily. But tomorrow is Sunday, and on Sunday, I run. Some people go to church, religiously (pardon the pun) on Sundays, I run. Period.
I got a good bit of work done today, although you wouldn't say by looking around the basement. I probably could have gotten a little further along if I didn't have to make three trips to the building supply store, but isn't that always the way. I actually need to make another trip, but I'll keep going until a run out of supplies and then go tomorrow.
I haven't been running with any regularity either, but I'm not too concerned at this point. I am doing an incredible amount of physical labour and working up a great sweat, daily. But tomorrow is Sunday, and on Sunday, I run. Some people go to church, religiously (pardon the pun) on Sundays, I run. Period.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
The legs just haven't got it
My legs started to get a little sore yesterday afternoon, today there a lot sore. I spent the day limping around my basement and pretty much got the last bit of drywall and sub-floor removed. The plumber came by and drew on the floor where I need to dig trenches to accomodate new drain lines - that'll be a fun task. Nothing like beating your way through 30 year-old concrete.
I think I've decided not to run tomorow, the legs just aren't there. I had hoped to get to the gym and start on the weights, but my partner fell ill and I took advantage of the time to keep working in the basement, it's not like I'm not getting any exercise. We'll have to see what tomorrow brings; it's probably best for me to stay off the road until Sunday.
I think I've decided not to run tomorow, the legs just aren't there. I had hoped to get to the gym and start on the weights, but my partner fell ill and I took advantage of the time to keep working in the basement, it's not like I'm not getting any exercise. We'll have to see what tomorrow brings; it's probably best for me to stay off the road until Sunday.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
D-day
Today was another day in my basement - demolition continues. I'm making good progress and I hope to be framing at some point next week.
My legs started to get sore in the afternoon, a result of being off the road for a few weeks. I'm not planning on running again until Friday, or maybe even Sunday, depending on how I feel. This demolition stuff is tiring work.
My legs started to get sore in the afternoon, a result of being off the road for a few weeks. I'm not planning on running again until Friday, or maybe even Sunday, depending on how I feel. This demolition stuff is tiring work.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
On the road again
It was good getting back on the road again. The weather was ideal, no wind, sunny and about 15 degrees at 700am. My route was a little over 5K, which was a good start seeing how I haven't run any sort of distance for more than three weeks. The training called for 4 miles, but that's o.k. for today. The run felt great - no real aches or pains and the new shoes performed well. My legs were a little tired and my breathing was a little more difficult than usual, but I never run well early in the week; not sure why, but my best runs are usually on Sundays.
I'm not so fussy about training in miles. It means I have to convert the miles to kilometres and then get in the car and clock off the distances before I can run them. The training for the Tely 10 was in minutes, which was great because all you had to do was strap on your watch and run. There was no pre-established routes; you just ran and hoped you ended up close to home by the time the right number of minutes had passed.
I spent the rest of the day tearing out sub-floor from my basement, back-breaking work to say the least. I also found time to mow the lawn. Needless to say, by supper time, I was pretty tired.
An early night and back to the basement in the morning.
I'm not so fussy about training in miles. It means I have to convert the miles to kilometres and then get in the car and clock off the distances before I can run them. The training for the Tely 10 was in minutes, which was great because all you had to do was strap on your watch and run. There was no pre-established routes; you just ran and hoped you ended up close to home by the time the right number of minutes had passed.
I spent the rest of the day tearing out sub-floor from my basement, back-breaking work to say the least. I also found time to mow the lawn. Needless to say, by supper time, I was pretty tired.
An early night and back to the basement in the morning.
Monday, August 15, 2005
Training started
Today was day one of the training for the half marathon I'm running in October. Not too difficult a day, the schedule called for a rest day. I guess then, the official start will be tomorrow - I know how important a rest day is, but really, on day one?
Most of the day was spent in the basement again working on the apartment. I cleaned up the mess of television and network cables, that I had strung all of the house through ceilings and walls over the past several years. It doesn't seem like much of a job, but it had to be done to get the cables out of the way for new walls, ceilings and the like. If I didn't get it out of the way today, it would only hold me up when the time comes to start hanging drywall.
I must say, I'm looking forward to tomorrow's run. First time out since Toronto a little over a week ago and the first real run since the Tely 10 a few weeks ago. I even have a new pair of shoes to break in - let's hope we both perform well.
Most of the day was spent in the basement again working on the apartment. I cleaned up the mess of television and network cables, that I had strung all of the house through ceilings and walls over the past several years. It doesn't seem like much of a job, but it had to be done to get the cables out of the way for new walls, ceilings and the like. If I didn't get it out of the way today, it would only hold me up when the time comes to start hanging drywall.
I must say, I'm looking forward to tomorrow's run. First time out since Toronto a little over a week ago and the first real run since the Tely 10 a few weeks ago. I even have a new pair of shoes to break in - let's hope we both perform well.
Sunday, August 14, 2005
The vacation continues
Today was basically a continuation of yesterday - more demolition in the basement. I got most of the gyproc down today so I knocked off around 100pm and spent the rest of the day on my laptop in front of the television watching the final round of the PGA Championship. While I enjoy being active, I live for Sunday afternoons like today.
Tomorrow marks day one of the training for the half marathon in October. I still haven't heard whether I'm running in P.E.I. or Nova Scotia, but not knowing this won't impact training. Should be a successful first day of training, rest is on the schedule - I won't skip tomorrow that's for sure.
Tomorrow marks day one of the training for the half marathon in October. I still haven't heard whether I'm running in P.E.I. or Nova Scotia, but not knowing this won't impact training. Should be a successful first day of training, rest is on the schedule - I won't skip tomorrow that's for sure.
Saturday, August 13, 2005
Taking it easy, not
It can never be said that eased into my vacation. Today was spent tearing drywall of the walls and ceilings in my basement. I'm tearing down my finished basement so I can finish it again. It's not that I'm bored and needed a little 'make-work' project, there's actually a practical reason for this; my mother is moving in with us so I'm going to give her a proper, two-bedroom apartment. The existing layout wasn't well-suited for such a living space.
Needless to say, while I'm not logging any kilometres on the road, I am working up a good sweat. I expect to have most of the drywall down and in the dumpster by Sunday and I look forward to that because I'm not a big fan of standing in all the dust - protective mask or not.
Easing into my vacation, yeah right!
Needless to say, while I'm not logging any kilometres on the road, I am working up a good sweat. I expect to have most of the drywall down and in the dumpster by Sunday and I look forward to that because I'm not a big fan of standing in all the dust - protective mask or not.
Easing into my vacation, yeah right!
Friday, August 12, 2005
Working for the weekend
Have you ever noticed one of the busiest days at work is the last day before your vaction begins? Why is it that everyone wants something done or an answer on this particular day, when your already working doubly hard to make sure you're caught up before falling behind? I got through it, and happy to say, I'm on vacation.
For the next two weeks I'll spending a lot of time in my basement. My mother is moving in with us, but that means that I first have to demolish my existing finished basement so I can put a new apartment down there for her. Needless to say, I won't be bored while away from work for the next little while.
Going to make room for the half marathon training though. Traiing officially starts Monday with a rest day, believe it or not - think I can handle that.
For the next two weeks I'll spending a lot of time in my basement. My mother is moving in with us, but that means that I first have to demolish my existing finished basement so I can put a new apartment down there for her. Needless to say, I won't be bored while away from work for the next little while.
Going to make room for the half marathon training though. Traiing officially starts Monday with a rest day, believe it or not - think I can handle that.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
P.E.I. or bust
The Vally Harvest Half Marathon may turn out to be the P.E.I. Half Marathon afterall. After speaking with my father, he too would rather run in P.E.I. this year, but, we're waiting to hear from my sisters about which venue works best for them, from a scheduling perspective.
Either way, the training starts Monday. I ordered John Bingham's "Marathoning for Mortals" online just a couple of days ago, and today it arrived in my mailbox. Wow, that was fast. After leafing through it, I think I'll be reading it more for entertainment than for technical advice. The training program outlined in the book is a 16-week program, targeted more at beginniners. I'm not saying that I'm an advanced runner by any means, however, I do have a good training core from the Tely 10 training that I completed just over two weeks ago. The other problem with the book's training plan is simply that I don't have 16 weeks, I have 8 from this Monday, 9 if we run in P.E.I. I do, however, enjoy reading John's work, whether it be his books or his monthly column in 'Runner's World', so I look forward to another humourous read with examples that I know I will be able to relate to my own experiences.
No activity today, resting up for Monday.
Either way, the training starts Monday. I ordered John Bingham's "Marathoning for Mortals" online just a couple of days ago, and today it arrived in my mailbox. Wow, that was fast. After leafing through it, I think I'll be reading it more for entertainment than for technical advice. The training program outlined in the book is a 16-week program, targeted more at beginniners. I'm not saying that I'm an advanced runner by any means, however, I do have a good training core from the Tely 10 training that I completed just over two weeks ago. The other problem with the book's training plan is simply that I don't have 16 weeks, I have 8 from this Monday, 9 if we run in P.E.I. I do, however, enjoy reading John's work, whether it be his books or his monthly column in 'Runner's World', so I look forward to another humourous read with examples that I know I will be able to relate to my own experiences.
No activity today, resting up for Monday.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
It's official, sort of
I sort of heard back from my father today about the P.E.I. Half Marathon. It doesn't look like I'll be running in P.E.I. afterall. Instead, it will probably be in Nova Scotia at the Valley Harvest Half Marathon & Marathon event scheduled for thanksgiving weekend. That would give me exactly eight weeks to prepare, which should be plenty. The plan I'm following is a six-week plan, but the extra two weeks should come in handy for a couple of repeat weeks when things get busy. Like I wrote in an earlier post, I have a good training core built up after the lead up to the Tely 10 so it won't be like I'm starting from scratch. The other good thing is that the training will officially start on Monday, which will give me a few more days to rest up my wonky heel on the one side and the nearly-healed achilles on the right.
So here and now, I'll make my commitments. I will hit the weight-room regularly over the next eight weeks. I will lose fifteen pounds before race day, as my previous goal of twenty is not realistic in such a short time frame. I will be at the starting line in October.
I can do this. I have the power of me.
So here and now, I'll make my commitments. I will hit the weight-room regularly over the next eight weeks. I will lose fifteen pounds before race day, as my previous goal of twenty is not realistic in such a short time frame. I will be at the starting line in October.
I can do this. I have the power of me.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Bring on the half!
Today was a big day. I decided I am going to run a half marathon next. I am leaning towards the P.E.I. event in October and I'm just waiting to hear back from my father to see whether or not he's going. If not, it will be the Bluenose Half Marathon next May in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
I guess part of my decision is based on the fact that I am going through somewhat of a training withdrawal ever since the Tely 10 finished more than two weeks ago. Not having a goal is really not working for me - I always need to be doing something, for some reason. So I've ordered a copy of John Bingham's 'Marathoning for Mortals' and I will start training soon, once I hear back from my father, which will probably be tomorrow. I think where I've just completed eight weeks of training for the 10-mile event I should be able to turn the training around fast enough to be ready for the 13 plus miles. I'm planning to hit the weights pretty consistently during the training hoping to convert some of the remaining fat into some fat burning muscle and I also want to drop about 20 pounds by race day in October; lofty, but very focused and doable goals.
So let's go, let's get ready for the half!
I guess part of my decision is based on the fact that I am going through somewhat of a training withdrawal ever since the Tely 10 finished more than two weeks ago. Not having a goal is really not working for me - I always need to be doing something, for some reason. So I've ordered a copy of John Bingham's 'Marathoning for Mortals' and I will start training soon, once I hear back from my father, which will probably be tomorrow. I think where I've just completed eight weeks of training for the 10-mile event I should be able to turn the training around fast enough to be ready for the 13 plus miles. I'm planning to hit the weights pretty consistently during the training hoping to convert some of the remaining fat into some fat burning muscle and I also want to drop about 20 pounds by race day in October; lofty, but very focused and doable goals.
So let's go, let's get ready for the half!
Monday, August 08, 2005
Glad to need a rest day
Rest day, and happy to be able to write that. It's been a couple of weeks since I needed a rest day, so I'm pretty happy to be back in the swing of things, sort of anyway.
Not much happened today. We were quite late getting home from Toronto so we basically sat in front of the televison for most of the day, me playing on my laptop and my wife drifting in and out of consciousness.
I'm not planning to run tomorrow either, but I look to get back to a 5K distance on Thursday morning.
Not much happened today. We were quite late getting home from Toronto so we basically sat in front of the televison for most of the day, me playing on my laptop and my wife drifting in and out of consciousness.
I'm not planning to run tomorrow either, but I look to get back to a 5K distance on Thursday morning.
Back at it
This was a big day. We woke up early and headed for Ashbridges Bay Park in the 'Beaches' area of Toronto. It's a great setup for runners/walkers and cyclists and the trails take you along the shores of Lake Ontario. Oh, did I mention the trails take you along the shores of Lake Ontario and that's kind of a shame because the smell of pollution and whatever else blows through the area is almost more then a runner, desperate for clean oxygen, can take. I saw more runners in the park than I had ever seen at one time, other than during a race. Being Toronto, however, no one acknowledged me, not even so much as 'runner's wave' that I had become so used to in St. John's when passing a fellow runner on the street. Instead, they concentrated all of there attention on their strides and their water bottles. Oh well, whatever works best for you.
We did a 2 minute walking, 2 minute running exercise for about 30 minutes. This was my first time in running shoes since the Tely 10 and I didn't want to push things with the bad heel/leg. I felt great though, so I am eager to see how the heel/leg responds after another night's sleep. We'll see. If all goes well, I'll be out Tuesday morning for little 5K jog, which of course will be at the same clip as my moderate pace.
We made our way back to the hotel to clean up and check out. Our flight wasn't leaving Toronto until 900pm, so we had the whole day to drive around and see the sights, shop, eat, and the like. We stopped in on a running specialty store as I was interested in getting some advice about a new pair of shoes. I had purchased a new pair about 3 weeks before the Tely 10 - a stability shoe, that, in my opinion, caused the injury to my achilles. The sales person was quite pleasant and when I told her that I wanted some advice about a new pair of shoes, she had me strip down to my bare feet and walk the length of the store. She immediately recommended a stability shoe and told her the story of how I thought the stability shoes caused my trouble. I also told her that I thought technology in shoes was a bad thing, at least for me anyways. She looked at me in bewilderment almost as though I had just revealed the Caramilk secret; but I didn't relent. I further explained my case stating that I feel a person needs to be able to stride naturally, and any technology that gets in the way is trouble. She quickly decided that a cushioning shoe would be better for me, I agreed. So I tried on a couple of pairs, but the fit wasn't right. She then brought me a pair of New Balance's that I liked, only problem is she only had two right shoes in my size, and that wasn't going to work; I was out of options at that store. Instead, I purchased a copy of John Bingham's 'Courage to Start' after not being able to find 'Marathoning for Mortals' and my wife and I left for another sports store. My luck changed. I found a pair of Adidas Supernovas for the remarkably low price of $59.99, threw them in the suitcase and felt like I had won a small victory against whomever or whatever it was that had been conspiring against my efforts to get into a new pair of running shoes over the previous month or so.
We made it home at around 2:00am. Overall, a long, but enjoyable day.
We did a 2 minute walking, 2 minute running exercise for about 30 minutes. This was my first time in running shoes since the Tely 10 and I didn't want to push things with the bad heel/leg. I felt great though, so I am eager to see how the heel/leg responds after another night's sleep. We'll see. If all goes well, I'll be out Tuesday morning for little 5K jog, which of course will be at the same clip as my moderate pace.
We made our way back to the hotel to clean up and check out. Our flight wasn't leaving Toronto until 900pm, so we had the whole day to drive around and see the sights, shop, eat, and the like. We stopped in on a running specialty store as I was interested in getting some advice about a new pair of shoes. I had purchased a new pair about 3 weeks before the Tely 10 - a stability shoe, that, in my opinion, caused the injury to my achilles. The sales person was quite pleasant and when I told her that I wanted some advice about a new pair of shoes, she had me strip down to my bare feet and walk the length of the store. She immediately recommended a stability shoe and told her the story of how I thought the stability shoes caused my trouble. I also told her that I thought technology in shoes was a bad thing, at least for me anyways. She looked at me in bewilderment almost as though I had just revealed the Caramilk secret; but I didn't relent. I further explained my case stating that I feel a person needs to be able to stride naturally, and any technology that gets in the way is trouble. She quickly decided that a cushioning shoe would be better for me, I agreed. So I tried on a couple of pairs, but the fit wasn't right. She then brought me a pair of New Balance's that I liked, only problem is she only had two right shoes in my size, and that wasn't going to work; I was out of options at that store. Instead, I purchased a copy of John Bingham's 'Courage to Start' after not being able to find 'Marathoning for Mortals' and my wife and I left for another sports store. My luck changed. I found a pair of Adidas Supernovas for the remarkably low price of $59.99, threw them in the suitcase and felt like I had won a small victory against whomever or whatever it was that had been conspiring against my efforts to get into a new pair of running shoes over the previous month or so.
We made it home at around 2:00am. Overall, a long, but enjoyable day.
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Wedding Day
Today was the wedding, the reason we came to Toronto for the weekend. I wanted to get some form of activity in because I knew the rest of the day would be spent sitting, eating, and perhaps, if my wife is lucky, I'll throw a little dancing in as well.
I got up early and went down to the hotel health club. I saw the treadmill, it was available, and as hard as it was to do, I walked passed it and sat down on the rowing machine. I pulled on the cord for 25 minutes or so, or 5K; worked up a good sweat too. When I got back to the room, I talked my wife into a splash in the pool for a half our or so. We then cleaned-up, went for a late breakfast and off to the church.
The wedding was nice, but the reception was more of an annoyance. I stopped drinking alcohol a couple of years ago, not for the sake losing weight, but just because I was sick of waking up with a hangover and basically being able to do nothing for a full day on the weekend while I recovered from the indulgence. Explaining this to your high-school friends is a little more difficult. In the end, it dawned on me that if you took alcohol away from the experiences I had with most of these people throughout high school, we really would have very little to talk about. I won't elaborate any further - I was just happy to see the night end.
Big day planned tomorrow - back running, hopefully!
I got up early and went down to the hotel health club. I saw the treadmill, it was available, and as hard as it was to do, I walked passed it and sat down on the rowing machine. I pulled on the cord for 25 minutes or so, or 5K; worked up a good sweat too. When I got back to the room, I talked my wife into a splash in the pool for a half our or so. We then cleaned-up, went for a late breakfast and off to the church.
The wedding was nice, but the reception was more of an annoyance. I stopped drinking alcohol a couple of years ago, not for the sake losing weight, but just because I was sick of waking up with a hangover and basically being able to do nothing for a full day on the weekend while I recovered from the indulgence. Explaining this to your high-school friends is a little more difficult. In the end, it dawned on me that if you took alcohol away from the experiences I had with most of these people throughout high school, we really would have very little to talk about. I won't elaborate any further - I was just happy to see the night end.
Big day planned tomorrow - back running, hopefully!
Friday, August 05, 2005
A day for reflection
My wife and I boarded a plane this morning and made our way to Toronto to attend a friend's wedding this weekend. As is usually the case when we travel, I ended up with the window seat and my wife took the middle - she doesn't have to, I guess she just thinks it would be more comfortable for me and she makes the kind gesture each time; I'm not about to fight her on it because let's face it, the only thing worse than the middle seat on an airplane is a warm toilet seat in the bathroom.
During the last hour of the flight, the cloud cover that had blocked my view of the land below disappeared. I spent the next half hour just starring down on the world thinking to myself how small a space each of us occupies on this earth - sounds rather deep and philosophical I know, but it was a somewhat spiritual experience, not in a religious sense, but in a human-spirit sense.
Having lived in the Toronto area for 18 years, I am quite familiar with the approach into the airport, but today, it through me for a loop. Just a few days earlier, an Air France passenger plane had skidded off one of the main runways at Toronto's Pearon Airport and it has been closed ever since. Not thinking of this, I was expecting a normal touchdown when we suddenly banked hard left and headed towards the downtown core and flew out over the shores of Lake Ontario, confusing me even further. Then we banked hard right and headed back toward the airport. As we got closer to the airport, my eyes remained fixed on the landscape and suddenly, there it was - the wreckage from the crash of a few days prior. Three distinct tire tracks beginning from the end of the runway and leading into the gorge where the now charred remains of the aircraft lay were quite visible. It was an incredible sight - you don't very often see a plane wreck and my thoughts quickly turned to the incredible fact that not one person lost a life in this accident.
We didn't have time for any activity, other then the requisite shopping for a wedding gift. For supper, we treated ourselves to The Keg across the street from our hotel - and I mean treated, we ate like pigs. We're going to have to get some exercise in tomorrow because I'm feeling rather fat as I sit here making this entry this evening.
All and all, it was one of those days where while you didn't do a whole lot, you experienced a lot and the magnitude of my thoughts and experiences is becoming more clear as the day winds to a close. I like days like these every so often; there's nothing wrong with slowing down to 'smell the roses' once and while.
During the last hour of the flight, the cloud cover that had blocked my view of the land below disappeared. I spent the next half hour just starring down on the world thinking to myself how small a space each of us occupies on this earth - sounds rather deep and philosophical I know, but it was a somewhat spiritual experience, not in a religious sense, but in a human-spirit sense.
Having lived in the Toronto area for 18 years, I am quite familiar with the approach into the airport, but today, it through me for a loop. Just a few days earlier, an Air France passenger plane had skidded off one of the main runways at Toronto's Pearon Airport and it has been closed ever since. Not thinking of this, I was expecting a normal touchdown when we suddenly banked hard left and headed towards the downtown core and flew out over the shores of Lake Ontario, confusing me even further. Then we banked hard right and headed back toward the airport. As we got closer to the airport, my eyes remained fixed on the landscape and suddenly, there it was - the wreckage from the crash of a few days prior. Three distinct tire tracks beginning from the end of the runway and leading into the gorge where the now charred remains of the aircraft lay were quite visible. It was an incredible sight - you don't very often see a plane wreck and my thoughts quickly turned to the incredible fact that not one person lost a life in this accident.
We didn't have time for any activity, other then the requisite shopping for a wedding gift. For supper, we treated ourselves to The Keg across the street from our hotel - and I mean treated, we ate like pigs. We're going to have to get some exercise in tomorrow because I'm feeling rather fat as I sit here making this entry this evening.
All and all, it was one of those days where while you didn't do a whole lot, you experienced a lot and the magnitude of my thoughts and experiences is becoming more clear as the day winds to a close. I like days like these every so often; there's nothing wrong with slowing down to 'smell the roses' once and while.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
A bla, bla day
Today was just that, a bla, bla day.
I only worked for half the day, but ended up working the other half at home. This was supposed to be a vacation week, but due to scheduling mistakes, I had to hang around the office a little this week.
I'm still on the mend from race day and the achilles is feeling better, not 100%, but better. I had planned to ride the bike, however, there was a threat of rain all day and I'm not a big fan of getting caught in the rain. Tomorrow is a travel day - my wife and I are heading to Toronto to attend a wedding this weekend. I'll be packing my running gear with the hopes of getting back to running on Sunday, that will be a full two weeks rest. Only thing is, it's hot in Toronto, and humid. The run just might take place on the hotel treadmill within the air conditioned health club. I don't plan to do too much, just 20 minutes or so.
It was a bla, bla day, but they're good to sometimes, especially when rest is in order.
I only worked for half the day, but ended up working the other half at home. This was supposed to be a vacation week, but due to scheduling mistakes, I had to hang around the office a little this week.
I'm still on the mend from race day and the achilles is feeling better, not 100%, but better. I had planned to ride the bike, however, there was a threat of rain all day and I'm not a big fan of getting caught in the rain. Tomorrow is a travel day - my wife and I are heading to Toronto to attend a wedding this weekend. I'll be packing my running gear with the hopes of getting back to running on Sunday, that will be a full two weeks rest. Only thing is, it's hot in Toronto, and humid. The run just might take place on the hotel treadmill within the air conditioned health club. I don't plan to do too much, just 20 minutes or so.
It was a bla, bla day, but they're good to sometimes, especially when rest is in order.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Regatta Day in St. John's
Today was a municipal holiday for the Royal St. John's Regatta - the 178th running of this event I might add. It was also a day that never panned-out.
I had every intention of attending the Regatta around lunchtime, meeting my grandfather at the bandstand by the lake and enjoying a hotdog or two while watching a few of the fixed-seat rowing races. My grandfather ended up not wanting to go, mostly due to the rainy weather, so I ended up staying home as well.
The family got together for supper and a little birthday celebration in honour of my nephew. A feed of fried chicken, fries and birthday cake left me feeling a little guilty about it all. I'm not much of a fried-food eater to begin with, so I was feeling doubly bad about it all. I decided tonight it's time to get serious again and get these last 25 pounds off. My father gave me a pair of 34-inch waisted shorts and that is my goal - to be in them by Christmas Day, although I won't have much use for the shorts in December, it's still my goal, and an attainable one at that. That would mean 4 more inches off my waist; that would make me 'small' enough - gladly, I'll have to give up the fried chicken.
I had every intention of attending the Regatta around lunchtime, meeting my grandfather at the bandstand by the lake and enjoying a hotdog or two while watching a few of the fixed-seat rowing races. My grandfather ended up not wanting to go, mostly due to the rainy weather, so I ended up staying home as well.
The family got together for supper and a little birthday celebration in honour of my nephew. A feed of fried chicken, fries and birthday cake left me feeling a little guilty about it all. I'm not much of a fried-food eater to begin with, so I was feeling doubly bad about it all. I decided tonight it's time to get serious again and get these last 25 pounds off. My father gave me a pair of 34-inch waisted shorts and that is my goal - to be in them by Christmas Day, although I won't have much use for the shorts in December, it's still my goal, and an attainable one at that. That would mean 4 more inches off my waist; that would make me 'small' enough - gladly, I'll have to give up the fried chicken.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Pedaling for work
Today I woke up at 600am, had a little breakfast and a shower and then got my bike out of the shed for the commute into work.
Not a bad experience by any means, although my butt is sore, really sore, from yesterday's ride and my legs feel pretty tired, probably also because of yesterday's ride. It took me about 15-20 minutes to get in, and the same time to get home again. The route is pretty flat, so no major complaints about hills. I can still feel my achilles injury, though, and I'm thinking that Sunday might be a little too aggressive to be going back running.
We'll see what tomorrow holds; it's a municipal holiday here, weather permitting - The Royal St. John's Regatta. Just a little light walking tomorrow and a CLB hotdog at lakeside for a treat. Now I'm off to mow the lawn so I can rest a little tomorrow.
Not a bad experience by any means, although my butt is sore, really sore, from yesterday's ride and my legs feel pretty tired, probably also because of yesterday's ride. It took me about 15-20 minutes to get in, and the same time to get home again. The route is pretty flat, so no major complaints about hills. I can still feel my achilles injury, though, and I'm thinking that Sunday might be a little too aggressive to be going back running.
We'll see what tomorrow holds; it's a municipal holiday here, weather permitting - The Royal St. John's Regatta. Just a little light walking tomorrow and a CLB hotdog at lakeside for a treat. Now I'm off to mow the lawn so I can rest a little tomorrow.
Monday, August 01, 2005
Cross-training not cross-dressing
I'm not a big fan of the term 'cross-training' - makes me think of cross-dressing and I'm really not into that.
Jumped on the bike this morning and ironically I pedalled for 16K, the exact same distance I ran last Sunday. I saw a few walkers, a few bikers, and a few runners as well. As much as I like the bike, I would have rather been running today, but I am still in recovery mode.
I was 'MSNing' with my dad this morning and the first question he asked was 'how are the legs'. My response was simply 'not good'.
Jumped on the bike this morning and ironically I pedalled for 16K, the exact same distance I ran last Sunday. I saw a few walkers, a few bikers, and a few runners as well. As much as I like the bike, I would have rather been running today, but I am still in recovery mode.
I was 'MSNing' with my dad this morning and the first question he asked was 'how are the legs'. My response was simply 'not good'.
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Ahhh the bike
Took my bike out of the shed for the first time since last fall. Put some air in the tires and took it for a little 'tune-up' spin. This was the first bit of activity, aside from mowing the grass, since last weekend's race. Believe me, I wanted to do more, but I really put the pressure on my achilles during the race and I'm letting it fully heal before hitting the streets again. The next run is planned for next Sunday, although I'll be in Toronto on that day and if the temperatures are still more than 30 degrees up there, I'll probably hit the treadmill in the hotel. I don't like the cold, nor do I like the heat.
I do, however, like the bike, and I'll be logging a few miles on it this week.
I do, however, like the bike, and I'll be logging a few miles on it this week.
Sunday, May 29, 2005
I'm a runner
Saturday was a rest day, today was terrific.
The schedule called for 25-35 minutes of easy running which would be my longest outdoor run ever. Up until today, running seemed tough. Twenty minutes of easy running had always seemed tough so my enthusiasm for today's task wasn't what you might expect.
The weather was warm, but a little foggy and drizzly too. About 20 minutes in, something clicked and my body went into cruise mode. Everything seemed so easy - no pain from anywhere, and my breathing was relaxed as well. When I looked at my watch I had hit 34 minutes and ended up where I wanted to finish running, about a half K from my house. For the first time, I reluctantly brought my 240 pound body to a stop and walked in from there.
The week called for 75-95 minutes of running and I clocked 85 minutes making me feel pretty darn good about my results.
Today I discovered, I run, and that makes me a runner.
The schedule called for 25-35 minutes of easy running which would be my longest outdoor run ever. Up until today, running seemed tough. Twenty minutes of easy running had always seemed tough so my enthusiasm for today's task wasn't what you might expect.
The weather was warm, but a little foggy and drizzly too. About 20 minutes in, something clicked and my body went into cruise mode. Everything seemed so easy - no pain from anywhere, and my breathing was relaxed as well. When I looked at my watch I had hit 34 minutes and ended up where I wanted to finish running, about a half K from my house. For the first time, I reluctantly brought my 240 pound body to a stop and walked in from there.
The week called for 75-95 minutes of running and I clocked 85 minutes making me feel pretty darn good about my results.
Today I discovered, I run, and that makes me a runner.
Friday, May 27, 2005
Back on track
Today was the first time, in a long time that I did what was required by the training schedule. A 20-25 minute easy run was the plan, and I managed 21 minutes. I must say, I like the approach to training in minutes and not miles. Saves me a lot of time by not having to jump in the car and pace off distances throughout the nearby neighbourhoods.
Felt pretty good too.
Felt pretty good too.
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
New week, new opportunities
Monday and Tuesday were both rest days. Today was a 30-35 minute moderate run and like I had hypothesized a couple of weeks ago, my easy pace and my moderate are both the same pace.
I managed 24 minutes, stopped for a couple, and then gutted-out another 4 minutes. This might not sound like much, but that extra 4 minutes taught me something about myself - it would have been easy to call it a day after the first 24, but I wanted more and reached down and gave it everything I had. Looking forward to the next training day. But right now, looking even more forward to tomorrow's rest day.
The Tely 10 is less than 2 months away.
I managed 24 minutes, stopped for a couple, and then gutted-out another 4 minutes. This might not sound like much, but that extra 4 minutes taught me something about myself - it would have been easy to call it a day after the first 24, but I wanted more and reached down and gave it everything I had. Looking forward to the next training day. But right now, looking even more forward to tomorrow's rest day.
The Tely 10 is less than 2 months away.
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Further behind than I thought
Today I got up ready for the 40-55 minutes of easy running that was scheduled - only thing is, I tapped out after 23 minutes. I'm further behind in my training than I thought. That week of illness was a real killer. I was supposed to log 105 minutes this week, but only mustered 54 in total. I guess though, 54 sure beats none. I decided for my Sunday runs, the "long" runs, I would make an effort to hit the road at 800am as this is the same time the Tely 10 starts on Sunday, July 24th. Probably a good move, and I thought of it all by myself.
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Friday, May 20, 2005
I'm no dummy
This morning I woke up, looked out and went back to bed.
It was raining sideways with a temperature of plus 2. I'm no dummy. While I love the idea of training for a big race, I'm not going to subject myself to these conditions. I often see people running in weather like this and while some would say it exemplifies dedication and determination, I think it represents poor judgement or perhaps even temporary insanity. I was happy to dedicate this morning to my pillow.
It was raining sideways with a temperature of plus 2. I'm no dummy. While I love the idea of training for a big race, I'm not going to subject myself to these conditions. I often see people running in weather like this and while some would say it exemplifies dedication and determination, I think it represents poor judgement or perhaps even temporary insanity. I was happy to dedicate this morning to my pillow.
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Back in the saddle
Well, kind of. My week of illness caused me to miss out on 85-110 minutes of running time. Today was supposed to be 20-25 minutes at an easy pace. I thought I'd try something a little different so I hit the streets during my lunch hour. Boy was that a mistake. Well not really, as I learned that I am not a lunchtime runner. I ran for 8 minutes, walked a couple of minutes, and then ran another 3 minutes and then called it a day. It was literally all I could muster. I think this was one of those bad days that we sometimes hear about.
Well, kind of. My week of illness caused me to miss out on 85-110 minutes of running time. Today was supposed to be 20-25 minutes at an easy pace. I thought I'd try something a little different so I hit the streets during my lunch hour. Boy was that a mistake. Well not really, as I learned that I am not a lunchtime runner. I ran for 8 minutes, walked a couple of minutes, and then ran another 3 minutes and then called it a day. It was literally all I could muster. I think this was one of those bad days that we sometimes hear about.
Friday, May 13, 2005
This week is a write-off
I woke up today, still under the weather, but on the mend. I decided to put all thoughts of running and any other form of exercise out of my thoughts for the rest of this week. I was scheduled to run 20-25 minutes at a "moderate pace". I had to look up what a "moderate pace" was. The experts say that at an easy pace, you should be able to maintain a normal conversation, but at a moderate pace, conversation would be a challenge. I've got news for the experts - based on my inability to carry on a conversation while running at my easiest pace, I can safely assume that my easy pace and my moderate pace are essentially the same pace. I hope to test this hypothesis next week.
I woke up today, still under the weather, but on the mend. I decided to put all thoughts of running and any other form of exercise out of my thoughts for the rest of this week. I was scheduled to run 20-25 minutes at a "moderate pace". I had to look up what a "moderate pace" was. The experts say that at an easy pace, you should be able to maintain a normal conversation, but at a moderate pace, conversation would be a challenge. I've got news for the experts - based on my inability to carry on a conversation while running at my easiest pace, I can safely assume that my easy pace and my moderate pace are essentially the same pace. I hope to test this hypothesis next week.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Monday, May 09, 2005
Sunday, May 08, 2005
I haven't been sick for years
It was only recently that I bragged to a co-worker that I hadn't had so much as a head cold within the last couple of years. Guess this is why when things are good, we should keep our mouths shut.
I woke up this morning with a brutal sore throat, and if I have any signs of illness whatsoever, I stop the exercising immediately. Some people continue believing they can sweat the illness out their systems, and maybe they do, but for me it's quite the opposite. If I had run this morning for the 20-30 easy minutes that were scheduled, I would definitely wake up tomorrow, a lot worse off than today.
It was only recently that I bragged to a co-worker that I hadn't had so much as a head cold within the last couple of years. Guess this is why when things are good, we should keep our mouths shut.
I woke up this morning with a brutal sore throat, and if I have any signs of illness whatsoever, I stop the exercising immediately. Some people continue believing they can sweat the illness out their systems, and maybe they do, but for me it's quite the opposite. If I had run this morning for the 20-30 easy minutes that were scheduled, I would definitely wake up tomorrow, a lot worse off than today.
Friday, May 06, 2005
The road to hell is paved with good intentions
I woke up this morning, energized, ready for the 20-25 minutes of easy running. This was going to be a good day because it would have matched my longest outdoor run ever. Notice my use of the term 'would have'. I woke up, looked out the window, checked the temperature, got dressed and made my way to the front door only to find that I had left my running shoes in my office from yesterday's run into work.
Instead of the morning run, I jumped on the treadmill after work (with my shoes) but experienced a really painful shinsplint and cut the run short after 12 minutes. I find my first run outdoors for a long time, or in this case, on the treadmill results in the shinsplints. Rather than risk injury, I happily shut the treadmill down and noted "Treadmill Splint" in my running journal.
I woke up this morning, energized, ready for the 20-25 minutes of easy running. This was going to be a good day because it would have matched my longest outdoor run ever. Notice my use of the term 'would have'. I woke up, looked out the window, checked the temperature, got dressed and made my way to the front door only to find that I had left my running shoes in my office from yesterday's run into work.
Instead of the morning run, I jumped on the treadmill after work (with my shoes) but experienced a really painful shinsplint and cut the run short after 12 minutes. I find my first run outdoors for a long time, or in this case, on the treadmill results in the shinsplints. Rather than risk injury, I happily shut the treadmill down and noted "Treadmill Splint" in my running journal.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Running to work
A new thing to try today, running into work. The timing is great for this as my wife and I recently got rid of our second car, so if I can pull this off, it will take some of the stress off the morning commute, trying to co-ordinate the schedules when we start work at very different times.
I like to be into work for 730 in the morning so I figured I'd better hit the road by 600, just in case things didn't go so well. It's about 6k from my house to work, but I didn't expect to run half that distance in the 15-20 mins of easy running that was scheduled. Overall, the run went well, however, being a real sweater (I'm sweating while typing this), I didn't leave myself enough time to dry off. Oh well, I'll know for next time. The greatest thing about today was the astonishment on the faces of my co-workers when they realized that I had actually run into work. One co-worker commented "Your serious about running the Tely 10". Yes I am, quite serious.
Under "How I Felt' in my running journal I noted, once again, "sluggish at the end".
A new thing to try today, running into work. The timing is great for this as my wife and I recently got rid of our second car, so if I can pull this off, it will take some of the stress off the morning commute, trying to co-ordinate the schedules when we start work at very different times.
I like to be into work for 730 in the morning so I figured I'd better hit the road by 600, just in case things didn't go so well. It's about 6k from my house to work, but I didn't expect to run half that distance in the 15-20 mins of easy running that was scheduled. Overall, the run went well, however, being a real sweater (I'm sweating while typing this), I didn't leave myself enough time to dry off. Oh well, I'll know for next time. The greatest thing about today was the astonishment on the faces of my co-workers when they realized that I had actually run into work. One co-worker commented "Your serious about running the Tely 10". Yes I am, quite serious.
Under "How I Felt' in my running journal I noted, once again, "sluggish at the end".
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
15-20 minutes "easy"
That's what the training called for, 15-20 minutes easy. Up until this point, I had never run more than 25 minutes outdoors, so what could possibly be "easy" about this? I noted in my running journal that I felt "sluggish at the end" - guess it's a lot better than feeling sluggish at the beginning.
That's what the training called for, 15-20 minutes easy. Up until this point, I had never run more than 25 minutes outdoors, so what could possibly be "easy" about this? I noted in my running journal that I felt "sluggish at the end" - guess it's a lot better than feeling sluggish at the beginning.
Sunday, May 01, 2005
The first one.
Here it is, the first blog and coincidentally (not) the first run outdoors since last November. Actually, today is day one of the training program for those interested in running the 'Tely 10' - a 10-mile road race through the streets of Paradise, Mount Pearl and St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. It is named after one of our local newspapers (The Telegram) and this year marks the 78th running of this historic road race. The Telegram has published a training program that takes us right up to race day, July 24th, so, as a rookie trainer/runner, I'll be following that. Today was supposed to be a simple 15 minute easy run, only thing is, this being my first run on pavement in six months, there was nothing simple about it.
What a strange feeling to run on solid ground again - what a strange feeling to not have the treadmill drag your feet along as they hit the deck time after time - what a strange feeling to have something to look at other than the 14" television screen - this is really wonderful! Fifteen minutes completed. Entry in my running journal under 'How I Felt' - not too bad.
What a strange feeling to run on solid ground again - what a strange feeling to not have the treadmill drag your feet along as they hit the deck time after time - what a strange feeling to have something to look at other than the 14" television screen - this is really wonderful! Fifteen minutes completed. Entry in my running journal under 'How I Felt' - not too bad.
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