Running out on Highway 61

Ran with friend at 6:30 am. Felt pretty bad the first mile and settled in after that.

Ran with H.R. at 6:00 am. Enjoyable run.

Ran with H.R. Nice crisp morning. Wore Pearl Izumi jacket and felt just right.

I ran alone at 8 pm. It was supposed to start raining but didn't, and instead was windy but still quite warm. I ran three miles, the first in 8:56, the second in 7:34, and the third in 7:50, total 24:20. I felt pretty good, could have opened it up a bit more, but felt like that was plenty for me.

When I'm under the gun to get a workout in, it's hard to give adequate time to a warmup and cooldown. I need to build those in, though, because at the very least they will increase my mileage and hopefully result in better running.

I was unloading from a recent move and set up some computer speakers. When I removed most of the speakers from the bag they were in I saw my running watch, long since lost. It was very pleasant to find it because I've wanted to start tracking my running time more carefully. So this was the first run involving a watch in a long time.

"Rest". The word goes in quotations because I was going to run with H.R. but I saw the rain outside at 5:50 am and thought, "He's not going to go. I'm not going to go." So I didn't, and later he emailed to apologize for missing the run, saying that he woke up ten minutes late and I was already gone. Already gone indeed.

I didn't get as much sleep last night as I need. I dragged myself out of bed and made it outside. Surely after yesterday H.R. would be out at six and for me to miss him would be lame. So I was outside his apartment right at six but all the lights were dark in his apartment. I waited around for ten or so minutes and headed back to our place to grab my watch, which I had forgotten, and my mp3 player.

I decided to only run 4 miles in order to run longer tomorrow. I signed up for the Mt. Rushmore Marathon last night and since that's on October 4, I need to get a long run in tomorrow--maybe 4 hours? I wonder how that marathon will compare with others I've done in the past. I'm going to shoot for 4:30 in the marathon, with the expectation that the main idea is to finish and keep some momentum going into winter training. That's definitely going to be the hardest time of year to keep in shape.

The weather today was cool but not cold. I probably could have worn just a t-shirt. I ran the 4 miles in 37:20, with splits of approximately 10, 9:10, 9:30, and 8:40.

I listened to the last half of "Songs for Silverman" by Ben Folds and the first few tracks of "OK Computer" by Radiohead. I like Ben Folds less as the years go on.

I went out with H.R. at six a.m. It was dark and cloudy outside with intermittent rain. We ran out toward Como Park, stretching after three miles. We then ran through Como Park to Como Lake and around the lake. H.R. had never run more than about six miles, I think, so it was cool to see him get it done.

The entire run felt fine, except that I couldn't find my hydration belt and hadn't set out any fluid. Ten miles is probably my upper limit for running without drinking anything. So by the end of this run, I was not ready to head right back out for another 6 or more miles as I had originally planned. Oh well.

I didn't track the splits perfectly because I don't know how far a mile is once we're at the park. Our runs out to the park and back from the park to the complex were around 9:20 a mile. I think we were a bit slower than that inside the park. So I'm putting 9 miles as the distance even though I am not 100% sure.

So there wasn't a great lot of running this week, but I felt pretty good during the runs. I feel as though I am legitimately "in shape," with some kind of base from which to train more. That said, this is relative to my former lack of fitness eight or so months ago. 

I slept in until seven but headed out on my own. I decided to make my way to the Minneapolis Diagonal Trail, a little stretch along the Grand Rounds trail. I hadn't been on the trail until this morning, and it turned out to be really nice. I am approximating the mileage because I haven't been on the route before, but I was about 27:45 out and the same back, for a total of 55:30. I think I may have gone a bit further than 5.5, but I don't think I went 6. It's hard to know.

The weather was a bit cool for my t-shirt only, but after a few minutes it was comfortable. 

[Update: We drove to a store in the evening and I had a chance to drive the route and measure the distance. It was around 3.1 in one direction. I did feel pretty good this morning so maybe my perception wasn't off for once.] 

I woke up at 5:50 am for the morning run with H.R. I have a psychological impediment to getting up at 5:45, even though it takes me a little more than 10 minutes to get ready for a run. It's going to be 15 minutes when it's winter.

H.R. and I took Como Avenue east for a mile and then went through the neighborhood streets that are immediately west of the St. Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota. I wore shorts and a long sleeved t-shirt, and felt just right. We made our way to the campus and did a loop on campus before heading back to Como Avenue and home. I think we were somewhere around four miles, although it could be a touch less than that. I'm going to call it 3.75 since we ran it in 35:45 or so. Each journal entry I take makes clear to me that a Forerunner is in my future, because I don't enjoy writing estimates in for mileage. At the same time, can I really justify it? Is it going to make a material improvement to my training, given that I have very simple training goals right now? Tough call. The technophile and materialist in me will eventually win out, I am sure.

I ran this morning knowing full well I had agreed to run in the afternoon with a friend from school. He ran in college and has been faster than me. I like the idea of training with a variety of people, some gazelles and others turtles. I haven't ever been a competitive runner and so I don't have that natural competitiveness about pace. But I do feel motivated by not wanting to slow people down or looking foolish, so a little faster pace than I usually do seems to be helpful. But it's probably unhealthy to run with fast people every day.

When we stepped outside of the school to start the run, it was 80 degrees and sunny. We ran the first mile in about 9 minutes, I think. The next couple came in at about 8:30 each and the next couple were 7:30 each or so. We ran about 6 miles and then stopped to try and get water at the building that houses the crew team's gear. The crew team was out on the Mississippi, coach riding in a boat along side, talking to them through a megaphone. I bet that gets old.

I sometimes felt strong, other times exhausted. The doors to the building were locked, but we found two drinking fountains along the side of another building and started running again. I made the last mile with not too much left in the tank, but kept pace with the two guys. We made the 7 mile run in around an hour, maybe a little less. That's faster than I usually go.

I can count on one hand the number of times I've run twice in one day, so this is uncharted territory. Anyone reading this who does it regularly, I'd love to know any insider tips for staying fresh through both. 

Two last thoughts: first, I need to sleep more (I'm tired and fairly irritable); second...I can't remember what the second one. Refer to the first. 

I took a day off from running today. I was intent on running three miles in the morning, something easy, but I got to bed late again and thought the additional sleep was worth more than the recovery run. I'm not sure whether that was right, but I have felt a little tired today in my quads. Other than that, it's like any other day. That's a good sign. Maybe I'll try a double workout one day a week or something.

We did the usual route along Como Avenue and through the St. Paul campus. Two others joined us, M.C. and A.T., both from the complex. We ran the usual pace, maybe a touch slower than usual. Having never run cross country, it's fun to run in a pack like that. There's a momentum about it that somehow pulls me along. I would love if it was convenient to be in a running group at one point.

The route was 3.9 miles, and I don't know how long it took us. I didn't set the watch out with my stuff, so when I got dressed I would have had to go and open a drawer to sift through other things and get the watch. This would have created too high a risk of waking kids up, which is the worst scenario.

It was about 60 degrees out. I wore a long sleeved running shirt but definitely didn't need it. I felt a little sore from Tuesday's double workout, but it didn't affect the run. 

No run today. I did walk 18 holes of golf, and felt pretty tired after that, but a different kind of fatigue for sure. Tomorrow I'm hoping to run for 3 hours, regardless of distance. This will make it logistically easier. I haven't had a ton of sleep this week so I hope I can get up and complete the run.

I slept in until 8 am, and hung around with Julie and the kids until about 8:45. I decided that with the marathon two weeks away, a three hour run might be overdoing it a bit, so I resolved to run 2 hours instead.

 I went out on the Minneapolis Diagonal Trail again, which isn't terribly long. I ran up on the trail until it ended, then had to visit a restroom at Hom Furniture. I asked a sales guy if I could use the bathroom and he said yes. That was after 40 minutes or so of running.

I have a mental difficulty at some times during runs where I feel a little tired and then realize I'm only a fraction of the way through the run. I did that after 40 minutes today, realizing I had another 1:20 before I'd be done. As soon as I started running again, I felt great, though. Funny how that works.

I made my way back to the trail but instead of running back the way I came, I turned left at Gross Golf Course and over to the Ridgeway Parkway. It basically loops back to the Diagonal Trail. I ran down the hill to the end of the parkway and decided to go up the hill a few times. So I ran up the parkway and back down five times. I felt more and more tired as I did each one, but found that I was going a bit faster on each one. I paid special attention to keeping good form, trying to run smoothly. I think that helps.

Each uphill and downhill set took about 8 minutes, so by the time I was done with that, it was time to head back home. Fifteen minutes later I arrived. I have no idea how far I really went, but I'm pretty sure I was faster than a 10 minute pace, so I assume somewhere in the 13 mile range. It could have been 14 miles, but probably not more.

I should mention that with this run, I think this is the most miles I've ever run. I've been pretty close, but I think I've always ended up around 30, not much more. Had I made it out on the intended easy runs, I might be around 40, but this was a pretty decent week. 

Side Note: Running with a Hydration Belt 

I ran with my hydration belt today. It is definitely easier to run with one than to put out water, but it's going to take a while to become accustomed to it. I have an Amphipod-brand belt that has four bottles of 8 ounces each. It doesn't bounce up and down much, which was my primary concern when I bought it, and I have room in the little pouch for a few other things. Today was the longest run I have done with it. It was 65 or 70 degrees during the run. I felt like 32 ounces was fine for two hours of running, given the temperature. Of course when I got back I had to drink a lot more, but the point of hydration during a run is to keep performance high, and I think the hydration belt is answering this challenge.

What I don't like about it is the tendency for the front-most bottles to slide along the belt in their holsters. It would be nice to lock the holsters in some way, but that doesn't appear to be possible.

The other thing I don't like is the tendency for the belt to make me look like a fool. It doesn't help that the bottles are neon green. Of course, running and looking silly are inseparable. I'm not afraid to embrace my inner (and outer) running dork. I think the hydration belt is a keeper.

I think I'm getting a cold. Everyone else in the family has had it. I should have just laid in a bed with all the kids and Julie when they had it so I could catch it sooner, like they did in the Great Brain. Oh wait, that's what happens every morning when the kids come in and breathe into my face and wipe their noses on me. Parenthood is all fun, all the time.

I don't know how many of these new routes will hold up during the winter, but this one was nice. I ran up to the diagonal trail and looped back to Stinson via St. Anthony Blvd. and Ridgeway Parkway. There was a gusty wind blowing south. I felt tired still from the Saturday run. I ran it at 5 pm.

This route has the advantage of being an out-and-back run with a loop attached to the end of it, making it possible to extend the run in blocks of 2.7 miles with each loop. This will come in handy, I think.

I forgot to mention that on Saturday's run, a lady would have hit me with her car as she was driving toward the sidewalk from a parking lot. I stopped well short of that part of the sidewalk because I saw her coming, but when she finally saw me she slammed on the brakes. The look on her face was priceless.

This run was in 52:48, meaning that I ran the 5.8 at a 9:10 pace. I had to wait at a couple intersections, so I think I was safely at a 9 minute pace. I didn't push it or anything, so I am hopeful I can hit that pace for the marathon. I am less hopeful (but still hoping) I can hit something sub-9, but with the Rapid City elevation, I'm probably unwise to harbor that desire.

I didn't run today because I knew I was going to have to stay up all night tonight and write something. And I was right about having to stay up.

I was actually planning to run at 4:00 but there was a mixup with running partners and by 4:30 there was a boisterous rainstorm going on outside. I didn't bother, figuring I could pick up a couple runs Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, if necessary. It is the last full week before the marathon so it's not like I'm going to try for 20 miles on Saturday. 

No running for the second day in a row. I stayed up all night doing something for school and took a nap this afternoon. Not good.

Somehow the cold I thought I'd have didn't develop. Maybe it will come back tomorrow. Maybe I just wiped out my immune system completely and can't feel the cold ravaging me because there's no response. Maybe I'll stop talking about this.

Tip: very cold root beer is good. 

Didn't run again today. I didn't run because I had another late night, and then had junk to do, excuses excuses excuses. 

I felt antsy in the afternoon and figured it was the fact I hadn't run. I am definitely not at the point where a daily run feels like a necessity, but more than a couple days without running feels wrong.

Obvious tip: staying up all night is a last resort. 

I went running with H.R. We went up Industrial Blvd. to the Diagonal Trail, then back down toward Stinson and home again on Talmage. It took 39:30 for a pace of 8:47. The pace felt quick but not unreasonable, though my perceptions in the early morning (after not a lot of sleep) are messed up. Darkness doesn't help, either. I bought a heart rate monitor in 2005, but the watch's battery died over a year ago. I think I should get it replaced so I can start tracking heart rate and offset some of this perception problem.

The weather is just gorgeous right now. It was probably 60 when we went out this morning, beautiful clear sky, little wind. Man, winter is coming and that is not cool.

It's hard to believe the marathon is next Saturday. I'm excited to see Mt. Rushmore. I've never been there before. 

I didn't get out running today, mainly because I'm lazy, but also because the morning was occupied with Julie going to a breakfast with some friends. I take up most of the mornings with my running and it's fair that she'd be able to do something instead.

For me, the biggest problem with running after the morning time is stomach stuff. I don't run well within three hours of having eaten a meal, but I like to eat.

I ran the 5.8 mile Ridgeway Parkway-Diagonal Trail loop from my house. It took 50:25 minutes, for an average pace of 8:41. It felt fairly quick, but not at my limit or anything. I don't think I have a chance of running that pace in the marathon, though. It's hard to know how fast I should try to run this marathon. I would love to be around 9 minutes/mi, but I just don't know how I'll fare with the elevation. I did, however, switch to the Crazy Horse version of this marathon in order to run downhill instead of uphill. I think my pace will be quicker because of the switch (go here to see the differences in the courses).

It was about 55 degrees outside. I wore a long-sleeved shirt and running shorts.