Running Journal: Week 7

I am quickly learning that running requires finding a balance between following the training schedule and listening to your body, between figuring out when to push yourself and when you're doing too much too quickly.  But, in finding that balance, I'm also finding improved times and that makes me happy.  I still have more improvement to go before 2 June, but I'm confident that I'll be able to get there.

I also started using a new piece of equipment this week: a 6th generation iPod nano.  A few years ago, I purchased a 1st generation nano, and had enjoyed using it for some time.  It was with this 1st gen nano that I was introduced to the Nike+ Running concept.  Earlier this year, I found out that Apple issued a recall for the 1st generation nano due to reports of batteries overheating.  So, I sent mine in and a week or so later I received a replacement, 6th generation nano.  Since it also works with Nike+, and it's small, I decided to start using it instead of strapping my iPod touch to my arm.  This will sound a bit geek-ish, but the 6th gen nano is the one that you can actually wear as a watch, so I bought a wristband for it and turned it into a running watch.  My headphone cable is a bit long for this setup, so I'm figuring out how to work around that still, but I've enjoyed using this new toy.  I did run into an issue of actually wearing two watches (as I use a heart rate monitor), but I've figured out a way around this, and will write about it in the future.

The more I'm sticking with this, the more I'm actually enjoying running.  Now, if only the weather would cool down just a tad bit when I get home from work, I'd enjoy running just that much more.  But, after this week I'll be running for the next three weeks in the temperate German weather instead of the Arizona heat (well, I'll have a couple days in New Jersey before I get to Germany, but that's still running in a place other than Arizona).

Here's this week's breakdown:

Week 7 Totals: 6 Runs, 11.81 Miles, 2:25:53

Monday: 3.00 Miles, 36:32
I actually don't remember much about this run.  It was getting dark when I left to run, so I was more focused on not tripping on potholes than anything else.

Tuesday: 1.31 Miles, 26:06
As the time might indicate, this was a walk.  My wife and I decided to take a stroll through the neighborhood, as it was getting dark and my legs were very tired after returning to regular training last week.

Thursday: 2.48 Miles, 28:04
This was the first time I had gone to a park to use a jogging path.  It wasn't a bad experience, but it wasn't my favorite.  That could be because I had issues figuring out how far I had actually run.  This park has two paths, so running path 1 is .5 Miles/lap, path 2 is .62 Miles/lap, and path 3 (which is a combination of 1 and 2) is .8 Miles/lap.  I had thought I was on path 1, and I was upset after running 2 miles in 28 minutes.  I then took a second look, and realized I was on path 2 and had run almost a half mile further than I had planned, and had actually run it at an acceptable pace (11:20-ish/Mile).

Friday: 1.01 Miles, 9:39
This was a run of a known distance in order to calibrate my new iPod nano.  Once I finished pushing all of the buttons I had to push, I continued on with the run below.

Friday: 2.00 Miles, 23:50
I had a three mile run on the schedule, so I figured that breaking it up wouldn't be a bad thing.  Of course, when I thought this, I didn't realize that I'd run my first mile a lot faster than I typically run the first mile of a multi-mile run, and I was hurting before I even finished the first half mile of this second run.  But, the combined total of these two runs put me at just over 34 minutes for 3 miles, which means that I'm getting closer and closer to finding/maintaining the pace that would help me reach the goal of completing a 5K in under 30 minutes.

Saturday: 2.01 Miles, 22:02
A nice late-afternoon run was a good way to relieve a little stress.  Not that the weekends are all that stressful, but there was a situation that arose during the day that had me a bit unhappy.  When I got in, I was surprised to see a time that suggested a sub-11 minute pace was actually attainable.  Progress, wherever it can be found, is a good thing.

Week 8 Schedule: 5 Runs, 16 Miles


Thus Sayeth Your Haus

Running Journal - Week 6

This was my first week getting back into a semblance of a training pattern.  My legs felt pretty good.  I also began to break in new running shoes, a pair of Nike Free Run+ 3 LAF's.  They feel very good so far, and I'm excited about using them.  My health is well, so it's now a matter of re-acquiring stamina and getting in a full week of running.  I have a good idea of how I'll get through this week's schedule, so that's a good thing.  My only real distraction from running this week will be Wednesday night's Bruins/Capitals Game 7, but I'll make sure I either get out during an intermission or right after the game is over.

Anyway, here's my rundown for the past week:

Week 6 Totals: 3 Runs, 4.89 Miles, 56:16

Tuesday: 2.01 Miles, 24:49
This was a tough run, as I could feel the affects of not running consistently for two weeks.  I had to stop and walk a couple times, but I made my way though the run.


Thursday: 1.01 Miles, 10:09
A short run to feel how my new shoes felt.  I enjoyed it, and I managed to keep a good pace throughout the run.  It was also a late run, so it was dark and I didn't want to be out there for too long.

Friday: 1.87 Miles (3 Kilometers), 21:28
I decided to change things up a little bit and measure my run by kilometers, since I'll be running a 5k afterall.  It was another night run for me, so I made sure to take care of where I was running and made sure I wasn't going to fall in a pothole and break my ankle.  But, I only had to slow to a walk twice, and I managed to keep those stints fairly short.

Week 7 Schedule: 5 Runs, 15 Miles

Thus Sayeth Your Haus

Running Journal - Week 4 and Week 5

The past two weeks have been absolutely awful for my running.  First, I was hampered by the shin splints.  That kept me off my feet for 2 of my scheduled training runs (the golf really didn't help my shins all that much, but at the time it didn't feel like it was hurting them either).  Then I came down with a sinus infection, which kept me in bed for most of the week.  I missed another 4 runs.  As you'll see by my run breakdown, I wasn't able to get out much at all.  I am, thankfully, feeling considerably better.  Here's hoping for a more productive Week 6.

Week 4 Totals: 2 Runs, 1:10:37 + 2,311 Yards, 3.5 hours and 92 strokes

Monday - 1.98 Miles, 39:47
This was, obviously, a walk.  I wanted to keep my legs moving, and I took the wife on a two-mile stroll.  It was a little chilly, but it wasn't too bad.

Wednesday - 2,311 Yards, 3.5 hours
I took a vacation day and played a round of golf.  Obviously, from the yardage, it was a Par-3 course, but it was a full 18 holes.  Also, I shot a 92, breaking 100 for the first time in my life!

Saturday - 2.41 Miles, 30:50
After taking a few extra days off, I decided to test out my legs once again.  Knowing that I was supposed to start doing 3-milers during week 4, I tried my first on this evening.  Of course, I wasn't able to run the entire way, and I found that my shin area was tightening up as I walked.  I didn't want to risk re-injury, so I cut the run short and headed in.  It felt good to get back out there, but I was disappointed that my legs didn't feel as good as I would have liked.  My head also felt a bit out of sorts.  Little did I know, that was just a precursor of what was to come the following week.

Week 5 Totals: 1 Run, 21:15

Friday - 1.1 Miles, 21:15
A walk after having been sick all week.  I still felt terrible, but I knew I needed to move around a little bit.

Week 6 Schedule: 5 Runs, 12 Miles


Thus Sayeth Your Haus

Running Journal - Week 3

...And the injury bug strikes in Week 3.  Posterior Shin Splints started coming on Wednesday, I ran through them on Friday, but they hurt too much for me to be able  to even finish my run on Saturday.  For those wondering, Posterior Shin Splints is pain on the inside of the leg, where the shin bone and the calf muscle meet.  It's caused by straining a muscle that supports the arch of the foot.  It's treated with ice, rest, maybe some aspirin, and dialing back the training a notch or two (the research I did stresses not to run through the pain...I should have done the research on Wednesday instead of Sunday).  I did not meet the scheduled distance, but I did still get out five times this week, so that's a good thing.  This upcoming week will be a challenge, as I'm supposed to introduce 3 milers into the mix, but I'm going to need to take care of this injury to ensure I don't make things worse for myself.

Here's this week's breakdown:

Week 3 Totals: 5 Runs, 7.72 Miles, 1:35:33

Monday: 1.00 Miles, 10:17
I ran a different mile course, full of hilly roads.  Lots of ups and downs, so I had a slightly slower pace than my previous miles, but I made it all the way through without walking, so that's a good thing.

Wednesday: 2.00 Miles, 21:45
My fastest 2-mile run to date.  I felt like I kept a really good pace throughout the entire run, and only had to walk for about 200 total yards (split over two walking stints, both in the 2nd mile).  The first time I had an average pace under 11:00/mile!

Friday: 2.00 Miles, 22:12
This was an actual night run.  I didn't get out the door to run until after 7pm, so I had to be extra careful about where I stepped (as I didn't want to twist my ankle in an unnoticed pothole).  But, running at night means it's a bit cooler, which helps.  The race in June will also be a night run, but hopefully better lit than my neighborhood.

Saturday: 1.87 Miles, 24:19
I didn't even make it through the first mile before the pain became too much.  I tried to keep jogging as much as I could, but I had to cut the run short because this was an injury-type pain, not muscle burn.  I tried to stay off my feet as much as I could for the rest of the day.

Sunday: 0.85 Miles, 17:00
A short walk on Sunday, just to keep the muscles moving.

Week 4 Schedule: 5 Runs, 13 Miles

Thus Sayeth Your Haus