What's happening?

     Very odd?....I've not lost weight...? Still at 178-179 range....it's very hot and humid?...but my pace times are faster! Today I ran 6 miles and every mile kept getting faster! I wonder if it is the 5K training? All I know is it feels great running faster. I have been looking for a race but am having trouble nailing one down. The fees are so stinkin' high!
   Well I hope you are well. Peace!

Alert!!

    Yesterday as I was going about town, running errands, going to hospital for a visit, I noticed something.....the great number of people that have mobility problems!! People even younger than me using canes, limping, hobbling, talking about foot, hip, and ankle issues. Sad!
   I am a huge proponent of running! Get up! Get out the door! Start working your body instead of your mandibles! Sad!
   I hold out hope that I will always be able to run in some way, shape, or form, and that I will die while I'm running! Now that's not morbid,  we all gotta' go sometime, I'd prefer suddenly!
   So a beautiful day today! I actually saw two wholly worms crossing the road today. They aren't due until fall!? Hmmmm is something up?
   A 6 miler with even a sub 10 mile #4!! I was fast today! Even though my quads are sore I was able to run a decent pace. Hope you are well....and moving! Peace!!

Long Run

    So I continue to increase my "long" run. I managed 9.2 miles of easy running. As usual my pace improved each mile. I have not decided on my next race but I think I will attempt to run another 5K. I need to redeem myself after Saturday's fiasco. Hope you are well! Peace!

Duck Waddle 5K Race Report

    Everything went off perfect! Arrival, warm-up, even my expected race pace-8:51's. My Garmin put the course short-3.01 miles. I had a 26:40 as I crossed the finish line.
  I managed myself well...too well. I forgot what a 5K was like, how it is supposed to be run. I held too much back and ultimately I am slightly disappointed in myself. I did not really race. I wasn't willing to risk myself in an all out effort.
  I was reminded of this as I watched the leaders busting their guts and the newbies (numbers on backs) pushing into uncharted territory. I knew I was sandbagging and I rationalized my unwillingness to go to the max.....I could have....
   So...? What next? Perhaps it would be fun to challenge myself to race a 5K again. I was reminded of the days when I did race them as I watched others finish well.
   I finished with way too much left in the tank...never again!
       Hope you are well! Peace!

Summertime!

    The best time of year! Summertime!! I love the long hot days! Sadly I cannot really handle running in the dead of the day but I still  love Summer!
   Yesterday was a very humid day and I enjoyed the time on the roads. 4 miles felt like such a short distance?! My pace was a bit better and I didn't feel so terribly sore?
   Well I guess I will get up early tomorrow and run the local 5K. It has been 7 years since I've raced this distance.
  There are several strategies employed in a 5K. In the 80's and 90's I had a strategy....go out fast and hold on!! I ran enumerable 5K's in the 20-21 minute range. In 1993 I ran my PR of 19:59. I still vaguely remember the suffering of that last mile but I wanted to break 20!
   My plan now....not like I used to do! Yet, I still want to race....amazingly there are a bunch of guys in their 60's around here that race these 5K's so I'll zero in on one I can beat!
  I imagine I'll start a bit slower than race pace and try to accelerate as the run progresses. I plan on a real good warm up, too.
  Hope all is well with you! Peace!

Hmmmf....

     So today as I took out for a speed work session I knew I was in for a challenge. Even after resting yesterday I felt tired and draggy, with tired quads to boot!
   So I warmed up (not too difficult considering Summer is here!) and did 1 mile, rest, 1/2 mile, rest 1/4 mile rest.
   Finished with 4 miles total....glad to be done! Hope I feel better tomorrow. I plan on an easy jog of 4 miles tomorrow, then Friday off and race on Saturday. I really don't know what to expect in the race. It's hard to believe but I haven't run a 5K for 7 years!!! So we will see what we will see!
  Hope all is well with you! Peace!

Monday hangover

    Mondays certainly can be rough. I am usually completely drained from Sunday. I could only get out the door today and put on foot in front of the other with no regard for speed or time. Funny though, each mile got progressively faster. I managed 8.5 miles painfully slow, but I survived and burned a bunch of fat!
   I will take tomorrow off, most likely, do some speed work Wednesday, ez recovery on Thursday, off on Friday, race on Saturday. I expect to total 21 miles or so this week, since I'm reaching my goal race this is a type of taper.
   Hope you are well! Peace!

Suffer the 5K

       So I did some speed work today. 3x7/10ths with 1/4 rest. I managed 5K goal pace but it seemed hard. Oddly I'm dealing with right calf cramps? I am extremely sensitive so I imagine it is nothing massage and stretching won't take care of soon.
   4.2 total miles. Finished week strong. Since I mailed my entry fee in I guess I can't back out now!
 Hope you all are well! peace!

Down a pound!

   Wow! How losing one pound can lift the spirits!! I'm at 178lbs right now and I expect to get even slimmer at this rate! I must stay healthy so I can achieve my dream of hitting 170!
   I know that one pound may not seem like much but it does make a difference! Motivational and physical. My running pace is slowly increasing as I slowly decrease in girth!
   I ran 6.4 miles today at conversational pace and noted my legs and hips are a little fatigued. One more effort this week, speed, and then race week. I will treat next week as a cut down week with an all out effort on the 24th in the 5K.
  I really have no expectations because it's been so long since I ran a 5K! I believe I should be able to run the race predictor time (based off of recent HM) of 27:23. So that's my goal.
  Hope you are well! We are starting to feel the Summer heat here! Peace!

Burnt Toast!

     So the dew point is over the 70's making it very humid. I enjoyed the first three miles of running feeling quite strong and fresh then.....ugh! The humidity began to take its toll. The last 2.2 miles were strictly survival mode! But again...the reverse Milo effect is in play! Run in the heat of the day and race well! I'm up over 17 miles this week. Tomorrow HAS TO be an off day! I'm getting into that mode where I want to run every day but I know better deep down. Rest is an essential component in any training program. Hope all is well with you! Peace!

Reverse Milo Effect

    I did a 6X1/4 mile @ 5K pace with one min rest between segments. One mile warm/cool. I was reminded of the "Reverse milo training effect". Milo was an amazing athlete and wrestler around 500BC, "He was said to have achieved the feat of lifting the bull by starting in childhood, lifting and carrying a newborn calf and repeating the feat daily as it grew to maturity."
    The reverse is to start with the Bull and not work up to it.....sometimes in training we do this, however it may not be wise. Pushing ourselves to 90% and enduring the heat of the day....if you survive w/o injury or death you will be amazed at the results!
  Anymore I stick with the Milo Effect. Building a little each day to a goal. So a nice little 4.1 miler today with some quality speed work. Hope you are well! Peace!

Swelter

   Summertime!!! When the livin' is easy! The best time of year to slim down or die tryin'!
      Today I had to jump out of the way of a car and stop abruptly....I lost my breath and thought for a sec I was going to pass out! I was in the middle  of mile 7 in the 88 degree temps....I survived!
      Some folks just to not like Runners! I am slimmer and trimmer than in a long time....maybe that's it? I'm an old Fogey....maybe that's it.....or maybe they are just inattentive....yeah! That's it...
   So 8 miles today and it's hot! Ground is drying out...we are in the market for rain! Hope you are well and swell! Peace!

Mini Taper

      The taper is an interesting experience. One thing I know, when done right the taper works. I had no opportunity to run for three days in a row this week due to traveling and scheduling. So as I went out to run today  the system was a little stronger. I was running at a brisker pace and felt good.
  Just a brief three day rest (if you want to call it that, I walked the entire Omaha Neb Zoo!) and I felt great, rested, and faster.
    So in regards to doing a taper know that it does pay off. However; the taper is a tricky experience. You have to figure out what works best for you by trial and error.
   For instance; the 5K coming up on the 24th....The week of I will only cut down and skip the day before. Hope you are well! Peace!

No humidity!

   Wow! What a difference no/low humidity and a north breeze can make for a run! Even though I'm tired from Monday's and Tuesday's runs I managed a brisk 5.5 miler! I ran as I felt and I felt good!
   I will be on forced vacancy the next few days as I am out of pocket. I used to take my running gear on any get away or vacation but I'm more "adult" now:) So I will aim for Sunday to complete my weeks worth of running. All I need is a 3.3 miler! Hope you are well! Peace!!

Wisdom does come.....

   Believe it or not a person can be wise! You've heard the old saying, "you can't fix stupid," right? Well if a person learns....practices what works....then wisdom is attained.
   What defeats wisdom is laziness! My Pop detested laziness and ingrained a work ethic into us kids. Even to this day we are all hard workers, achieving the American dream if you will.
  I have decided to race a 5K so I've been inputting my experience into a brief 6 week training segment. The base was already good I just needed to get the body used to moving faster. Now I see why I like the longer distances! The 5K, if raced, is taxing!
   I did a cool little speed Ladder today. 1-2-3- minute segments of faster than 5K with a min rest in between. Did three sets with a one minutes burst at the end.
  My body is tired and sore from the previous efforts so I will need to rest some this week. All I need is 8.6 more miles this week!!
           Hope you are well! Peace!

Trudged through

    I really didn't feel too good today. I still got out the door and hammered out an 8 miler. The day was perfect! Humid, hot, and cloudy!
   My goal this week is to cut down and log around 21 miles. I'm still going to race the 5K!
  Hope all is well with you! Peace!

Hmmmm...

    So I did 3X1000m today on the hilly roads. My rest intervals were between 3 and 4 minutes. I had an excellent warm-up! Mind-set was good. My pace speed was 8:38, 8:12, 8:14 respectively.
   I'm wondering if I can run a bit faster than a 27:23? I totaled 4.1 miles giving me over 27 for the week. I've been thinking about my next HM or full....hmmmm....
   Hope you are well! Peace!

Start slow finish strong

  The way I have to train and race now (into my sixties) is I often start my runs very slow 11-12mpm.
 Plus a walk break every 5 min. After a little bit I start feeling good and am able to gain pace and continuous running. So we adapt to our circumstances.
   I had a great run today! 5.4 miles of a recovery style pace. Tomorrow I intend on some speed play. I sure do enjoy my time on the roads. Hope you are well! Peace!