Today was my last run of August. It was a good run.
I need to wear longer socks with my new shoes. North Face shoes seem to be stiffer around the ankle or something, and it digs in at your skin.
Blisters. Not for me. You can have them, though, if you want.
I am hungry right now. It is 11:52 PM, so I probably won't go get anything, but when I wake up, I will surely have a delicious meal!
Short posts are easier to handle, no?
Monday, August 31, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Physical, Shot, Weight, Running, Etc.
I had a physical the other day. I needed one so I could go to school...I don't know why a grad school would need one...Lisa didn't need one, and Ben, you never said if you needed one, but I had to get one, including a tetanus shot, and I have to get a tuberculin skin test within the next 6 months.
The tetanus shot did not hurt as much as I thought it would. Actually, I didn't feel it at all. The nurse must have been good, probably the best in the whole world, because when she said "here comes the prick" I didn't feel anything at all! I would have felt a leaf on my skin more than I felt the tetanus shot.
However, now the arm is a bit sore. I iced it a couple times, and made sure to stretch it sort of, so it is all good. No PT the past few days, and probably not for another 2 or so...but it is a good rest. I am feeling a bit weak since I have been back in Nebraska. Maybe I picked up something on the plane.
The day after I got back (the day after my physical), I went for a 10 mile run. It should have been easy, but it wasn't! I had to stop and take a lot of walking breaks on the way back...at least once each mile. It was the crappiest run in a long time.
Later that day, I started getting a headache, which prevented me from going to the UNK's women first ever soccer game. I took about 3 naps that day...dang sickness! Or was it the tetanus shot? Do shots make you feel sick the next day?
•••••
Another interesting fact I learned at the physical was that I have lost weight since last weighing myself more than a year ago. How is this possible? I have been doing PT regularly, and ate a lot of donuts, wine, cheese, fruit juice, and chips over the summer. Maybe that is the kind of diet you need to lose weight?
I am only about 2 pounds heavier than I was when I ran my one and only half marathon. This was probably my best race in the history of my running. This was 3 years ago. Now, I probably would only be within 8 minutes of it...
But should I worry about those fast times back in the day? I have been focusing more on ultras the past 2 and a half years, so why I am still worried about how fast I used to be able to run? I don't want to run fast, really...I just want to enjoy myself and get in some sweet long runs. Ben seems to know what's up. He doesn't seem to care about running a fast mile or 5k...he wants to get out there and do a long ass run, just for fun. That's the way you should do it!
•••••
In West Virginia, I had no problem busting out a 15-20 miler in the morning...now, here in Aurora, it is sort of hard to run far. I don't know why. Maybe it is because the town is only a square mile. Sure, I can go run out in the country, but it gets sort of boring.
I would have to say that Morgantown, West Virginia, is one of the best places to run. At first, I thought it sucked, but then I found a route from Lisa's apartment to the trail which was awesome. It had 2 dreadfully long hills that sometimes made me stop to walk. That's some good stuff right there.
And then there is the trail that goes along the river. That is magnificent! It never got boring...no wonder I could run for 2.5 hours without getting bored...
But here in Aurora...I will have to be psychologically strong.
•••••
I move to California in about a week. I was going to live out in the country, but now I might live on campus. It will be better to live around people my age...and it will be a lot more fun too! Also, I won't have to worry about biking at night. Cal Arts has all kinds of performances and other events that would be good to go to...and if I live on campus, I could go to all of them if I really wanted to!
•••••
Well, this post didn't have much to do with running, but that's how it is sometimes. Sometimes running has little to do with running, like when you are trying to get away from a rabid animal.
Then it is about survival.
Thanks for reading this whole thing, if you did. If you didn't, that is okay. I understand.
The tetanus shot did not hurt as much as I thought it would. Actually, I didn't feel it at all. The nurse must have been good, probably the best in the whole world, because when she said "here comes the prick" I didn't feel anything at all! I would have felt a leaf on my skin more than I felt the tetanus shot.
However, now the arm is a bit sore. I iced it a couple times, and made sure to stretch it sort of, so it is all good. No PT the past few days, and probably not for another 2 or so...but it is a good rest. I am feeling a bit weak since I have been back in Nebraska. Maybe I picked up something on the plane.
The day after I got back (the day after my physical), I went for a 10 mile run. It should have been easy, but it wasn't! I had to stop and take a lot of walking breaks on the way back...at least once each mile. It was the crappiest run in a long time.
Later that day, I started getting a headache, which prevented me from going to the UNK's women first ever soccer game. I took about 3 naps that day...dang sickness! Or was it the tetanus shot? Do shots make you feel sick the next day?
•••••
Another interesting fact I learned at the physical was that I have lost weight since last weighing myself more than a year ago. How is this possible? I have been doing PT regularly, and ate a lot of donuts, wine, cheese, fruit juice, and chips over the summer. Maybe that is the kind of diet you need to lose weight?
I am only about 2 pounds heavier than I was when I ran my one and only half marathon. This was probably my best race in the history of my running. This was 3 years ago. Now, I probably would only be within 8 minutes of it...
But should I worry about those fast times back in the day? I have been focusing more on ultras the past 2 and a half years, so why I am still worried about how fast I used to be able to run? I don't want to run fast, really...I just want to enjoy myself and get in some sweet long runs. Ben seems to know what's up. He doesn't seem to care about running a fast mile or 5k...he wants to get out there and do a long ass run, just for fun. That's the way you should do it!
•••••
In West Virginia, I had no problem busting out a 15-20 miler in the morning...now, here in Aurora, it is sort of hard to run far. I don't know why. Maybe it is because the town is only a square mile. Sure, I can go run out in the country, but it gets sort of boring.
I would have to say that Morgantown, West Virginia, is one of the best places to run. At first, I thought it sucked, but then I found a route from Lisa's apartment to the trail which was awesome. It had 2 dreadfully long hills that sometimes made me stop to walk. That's some good stuff right there.
And then there is the trail that goes along the river. That is magnificent! It never got boring...no wonder I could run for 2.5 hours without getting bored...
But here in Aurora...I will have to be psychologically strong.
•••••
I move to California in about a week. I was going to live out in the country, but now I might live on campus. It will be better to live around people my age...and it will be a lot more fun too! Also, I won't have to worry about biking at night. Cal Arts has all kinds of performances and other events that would be good to go to...and if I live on campus, I could go to all of them if I really wanted to!
•••••
Well, this post didn't have much to do with running, but that's how it is sometimes. Sometimes running has little to do with running, like when you are trying to get away from a rabid animal.
Then it is about survival.
Thanks for reading this whole thing, if you did. If you didn't, that is okay. I understand.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Runs, Effort, Track, Sweet, Goals
Since I last posted, I had a really good long run (Monday), a good longish run (Thursday), and a sort of crappy run (Saturday).
The long run went a lot better than I thought it would. Lisa had class from 8:30 to 12:00, so I had an extra half hour to run. Finished in just about 3:05, including 2 stops for fuel and other business that needs stopping. I was very satisfied with how the run went.
Took 2 days off instead of 1, then ran 20 on Thursday. This one went okay, too. At mile 13 I really started to feel sluggish and what not, but then ate a banana and drank some water at 15. I immediately felt the fuel circulate through the body, and the last 5 felt really good!
On Friday, I noticed that my left knee was sort of hurting (oh no!) It's not like it hurts all the time, just when I press on a little spot on the kneecap, sort of in the center. What could this be? Do you know?
I didn't want to get up at all on Saturday, but forced myself to put on my shoes and head out the door. This is sort of what David Goggins is talking about, like how you should go run when you don't want to...but this is some serious crap. You should stay inside and eat cookies when you don't want to run.
The 15 miles on Saturday went okay, except that I think my legs are starting to get tired from the 20 milers every other day. Sure, I could do 10 every day and call it good, but I like the 20 miles one day followed by a day of rest.
Actually, I may have to adjust a bit...maybe it is too much too soon.
Anyway, wish me luck in the recovery!
•••••
I saw this ad about how you can put on 18 pounds of muscle in just 2 weeks through high intensity weight training, not through steroids or stuff like that. Maybe I would want to put on 7 pounds or so. My arms seem sort of thin, I think, and maybe some more mass on the thigh would be good too. I don't know.
The other day there was this thing on MTV about this scrub named Kody who wanted to be a bodybuilder. But, he had never worked out or anything, so when the real bodybuilder started training him, Kody turned into a little sissy and was complaining and what not.
I guess I hate it when people want to do or be something, but don't want to put forth the effort. It seems that their laughable work ethic transfers to other areas of their life, and they end up being lazy or annoying or something.
It's not like we all have to accomplish something great...but at least we should always give our best effort.
•••••
The Track and Field World Championships have been going on for the past week. Pretty much every evening I have watched...it is the best sporting event to watch on tv, I think...so intense!
Today, a 21 year old Chinese lass won the women's marathon, and someone from Japan was 2nd...where have the Asians come from? They are fast now...at least the women are. I remember last year at the Olympics China had some women running way up there towards the front.
In the women's 1500, some Rodriguez person from Spain got disqualified because she pushed over the leader with 200 to go...why do people race like this?
I am not too sure about stuff like this, where everyone goes all savage and what not because they want a gold medal. Usain Bolt, he looks like he wants to put on a show, but these savage women pushing others over...that's just crazy.
•••••
I have been eating good things lately, things like a lot of bread and cheese, dipping it in olive oil; having a glass or two or three of wine; eating a lot of chocolate; drinking a good amount of diet pepsi; etc. I have also been doing whatever seems good at the moment...if I don't feel like doing something, I won't, like if I start practicing clarinet and don't feel it, I will stop, or if I want to take a nap in the afternoon, I do it.
I guess I should be partaking in these sweet activities, because school starts in about 2 weeks, and then it will be busy again! When I talked to my clarinet instructor, he said that there is not really a limit of how many units you can take...so I am taking a lot of fun classes, just to make sure I get the most of the $35k a year...
I think I will still have a lot of free time to run, though...and I went on gmap pedometer and mapped out a loop close to where I live...there is an 11 mile loop that has about 1600 ft in elevation change (800 up, 800 down)...this will be good! Sure, I will probably not be able to run at the pace I have been running here along the flat trails that border the river here in West Virginia, but it's all good.
•••••
I plan to do at least a 50k this November...there is one in near Malibu, which will be cool...and maybe I will also be able to get in a 50 miler by the end of the year...there are some New Year's Eve runs that would be sweet...one in North Carolina is a 24 hour event...that would be a good one, I think...but I don't want to fly out to NC...that is a little too far.
I hope you all are setting some pretty sweet goals too! Ben, I know you are running the Northface Endurance Challenge, and are a little worried because the cut on your foot delayed training, but don't worry about it. You can carry your light body 50 miles any day, if you want to.
Anton, you should really get in there and run the Honolulu Marathon...do it! And then maybe someday you can do the HURT 100...that would be sweet...maybe we could do it together (if you are still wanting to do some ultras...they are much more fun than any marathon, I think).
Abby, you are getting in some serious shape right there with the PT...keep it up! You should go for 5 pullups by December...and you should also get in some kind of trail run...maybe there are some 20 milers or something around where you live...I don't know what your goals are exactly, but I think for me it would have been more enjoyable to do a long trail race rather than my first marathon (not that my first marathon was unenjoyable...but there is just something about the trail that makes you realize how awesome running is!)
That is all for now. Get out there and do work!
The long run went a lot better than I thought it would. Lisa had class from 8:30 to 12:00, so I had an extra half hour to run. Finished in just about 3:05, including 2 stops for fuel and other business that needs stopping. I was very satisfied with how the run went.
Took 2 days off instead of 1, then ran 20 on Thursday. This one went okay, too. At mile 13 I really started to feel sluggish and what not, but then ate a banana and drank some water at 15. I immediately felt the fuel circulate through the body, and the last 5 felt really good!
On Friday, I noticed that my left knee was sort of hurting (oh no!) It's not like it hurts all the time, just when I press on a little spot on the kneecap, sort of in the center. What could this be? Do you know?
I didn't want to get up at all on Saturday, but forced myself to put on my shoes and head out the door. This is sort of what David Goggins is talking about, like how you should go run when you don't want to...but this is some serious crap. You should stay inside and eat cookies when you don't want to run.
The 15 miles on Saturday went okay, except that I think my legs are starting to get tired from the 20 milers every other day. Sure, I could do 10 every day and call it good, but I like the 20 miles one day followed by a day of rest.
Actually, I may have to adjust a bit...maybe it is too much too soon.
Anyway, wish me luck in the recovery!
•••••
I saw this ad about how you can put on 18 pounds of muscle in just 2 weeks through high intensity weight training, not through steroids or stuff like that. Maybe I would want to put on 7 pounds or so. My arms seem sort of thin, I think, and maybe some more mass on the thigh would be good too. I don't know.
The other day there was this thing on MTV about this scrub named Kody who wanted to be a bodybuilder. But, he had never worked out or anything, so when the real bodybuilder started training him, Kody turned into a little sissy and was complaining and what not.
I guess I hate it when people want to do or be something, but don't want to put forth the effort. It seems that their laughable work ethic transfers to other areas of their life, and they end up being lazy or annoying or something.
It's not like we all have to accomplish something great...but at least we should always give our best effort.
•••••
The Track and Field World Championships have been going on for the past week. Pretty much every evening I have watched...it is the best sporting event to watch on tv, I think...so intense!
Today, a 21 year old Chinese lass won the women's marathon, and someone from Japan was 2nd...where have the Asians come from? They are fast now...at least the women are. I remember last year at the Olympics China had some women running way up there towards the front.
In the women's 1500, some Rodriguez person from Spain got disqualified because she pushed over the leader with 200 to go...why do people race like this?
I am not too sure about stuff like this, where everyone goes all savage and what not because they want a gold medal. Usain Bolt, he looks like he wants to put on a show, but these savage women pushing others over...that's just crazy.
•••••
I have been eating good things lately, things like a lot of bread and cheese, dipping it in olive oil; having a glass or two or three of wine; eating a lot of chocolate; drinking a good amount of diet pepsi; etc. I have also been doing whatever seems good at the moment...if I don't feel like doing something, I won't, like if I start practicing clarinet and don't feel it, I will stop, or if I want to take a nap in the afternoon, I do it.
I guess I should be partaking in these sweet activities, because school starts in about 2 weeks, and then it will be busy again! When I talked to my clarinet instructor, he said that there is not really a limit of how many units you can take...so I am taking a lot of fun classes, just to make sure I get the most of the $35k a year...
I think I will still have a lot of free time to run, though...and I went on gmap pedometer and mapped out a loop close to where I live...there is an 11 mile loop that has about 1600 ft in elevation change (800 up, 800 down)...this will be good! Sure, I will probably not be able to run at the pace I have been running here along the flat trails that border the river here in West Virginia, but it's all good.
•••••
I plan to do at least a 50k this November...there is one in near Malibu, which will be cool...and maybe I will also be able to get in a 50 miler by the end of the year...there are some New Year's Eve runs that would be sweet...one in North Carolina is a 24 hour event...that would be a good one, I think...but I don't want to fly out to NC...that is a little too far.
I hope you all are setting some pretty sweet goals too! Ben, I know you are running the Northface Endurance Challenge, and are a little worried because the cut on your foot delayed training, but don't worry about it. You can carry your light body 50 miles any day, if you want to.
Anton, you should really get in there and run the Honolulu Marathon...do it! And then maybe someday you can do the HURT 100...that would be sweet...maybe we could do it together (if you are still wanting to do some ultras...they are much more fun than any marathon, I think).
Abby, you are getting in some serious shape right there with the PT...keep it up! You should go for 5 pullups by December...and you should also get in some kind of trail run...maybe there are some 20 milers or something around where you live...I don't know what your goals are exactly, but I think for me it would have been more enjoyable to do a long trail race rather than my first marathon (not that my first marathon was unenjoyable...but there is just something about the trail that makes you realize how awesome running is!)
That is all for now. Get out there and do work!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
New?
What is new? you ask.
Well, a lot of things are new: the new 2010 Honda Civic, a new perfume or something from Paris Hilton, a new little bird that has hatched from an egg, a new little bunch of sea turtles who have hatched from a bunch of little eggs and are now squirming down the beach to get in the water. Everyone wants to go swimming, it seems.
Also new is Charles' training schedule. I was once doing the 6 days a week training, with 1 day off, and that was okay, but I guess a lot of the time I didn't want to go run. Especially in the summer when Ben would try to push me out the door at 7 am. That was pretty early.
Well, I guess it wasn't that bad getting up early. It was actually sort of nice to get out there in the fresh morning air and what not, and sometimes fun stuff would happen, like finding a huge painting next to a dumpster and then carrying it a half mile home. Good stuff, it was.
The 6 days a week schedule sort of dissolved, and then about 3 weeks ago I had this idea of doing a 2 day on, 1 day off thing. It seemed like a good plan, like I could get in a bunch of miles by doing a 12-8 day and then a 15-5 day, followed by a lazy day off.
For some reason, I only did this for about one cycle (minus the second run of the day). I lasted a whole 2 days doing that schedule!
Now, for the past 2 weeks or so, I have been doing a 1 day on, 1 day off schedule, and have had very good luck with it. The runs I have seem to be much more enjoyable, and I always want to get out there and go far. The most recent runs have been 20, 12, 20, 20, 20, and then today I am planning on going 20 also. After 15 I usually stop and have a banana or a piece of bread with some peanut butter and honey, thus making the cool down 5 miles easier.
The other day I had a spectacular run! The 15 was done at a pretty good clip, like my legs were getting used to rolling for such long distances. Then I stopped for about 2.5 minutes to eat half of a banana, then say a person go by on rollerblades being pulled by a dog. I decided to go get them, and blazed the next mile. I decided to keep the pace up (as best as I could), and did the next 1.5 at a fast pace too. Then I turned around and cooled down 2.5. A good time it was! I got in a nice 15, a tempo, and a cool down, all in one run!
Today, I went out for a 20 miler, and wanted to get in some fast miles, so after 5.5 miles I started picking it up. I eventually picked it up and up and finished off with a very fast mile, probably the fastest mile I have run this year (not that I have ever ran a flat out mile, but I was very satisfied with the time). After 17, I met Lisa at the car to refuel with a small orange and part of a banana...was going to go 3 more, but then decided just to have a nice romantic walk with her.
On the walk, I saw this gangly spider hanging from a tree...and then somehow it sort of started to swing towards me. I hate spiders, so I started backing away...and then I almost ran into some guy who was running. He was probably really mad, or thought it was really funny. I couldn't tell.
That is all. I am going to eat some snacks now.
Well, a lot of things are new: the new 2010 Honda Civic, a new perfume or something from Paris Hilton, a new little bird that has hatched from an egg, a new little bunch of sea turtles who have hatched from a bunch of little eggs and are now squirming down the beach to get in the water. Everyone wants to go swimming, it seems.
Also new is Charles' training schedule. I was once doing the 6 days a week training, with 1 day off, and that was okay, but I guess a lot of the time I didn't want to go run. Especially in the summer when Ben would try to push me out the door at 7 am. That was pretty early.
Well, I guess it wasn't that bad getting up early. It was actually sort of nice to get out there in the fresh morning air and what not, and sometimes fun stuff would happen, like finding a huge painting next to a dumpster and then carrying it a half mile home. Good stuff, it was.
The 6 days a week schedule sort of dissolved, and then about 3 weeks ago I had this idea of doing a 2 day on, 1 day off thing. It seemed like a good plan, like I could get in a bunch of miles by doing a 12-8 day and then a 15-5 day, followed by a lazy day off.
For some reason, I only did this for about one cycle (minus the second run of the day). I lasted a whole 2 days doing that schedule!
Now, for the past 2 weeks or so, I have been doing a 1 day on, 1 day off schedule, and have had very good luck with it. The runs I have seem to be much more enjoyable, and I always want to get out there and go far. The most recent runs have been 20, 12, 20, 20, 20, and then today I am planning on going 20 also. After 15 I usually stop and have a banana or a piece of bread with some peanut butter and honey, thus making the cool down 5 miles easier.
The other day I had a spectacular run! The 15 was done at a pretty good clip, like my legs were getting used to rolling for such long distances. Then I stopped for about 2.5 minutes to eat half of a banana, then say a person go by on rollerblades being pulled by a dog. I decided to go get them, and blazed the next mile. I decided to keep the pace up (as best as I could), and did the next 1.5 at a fast pace too. Then I turned around and cooled down 2.5. A good time it was! I got in a nice 15, a tempo, and a cool down, all in one run!
Today, I went out for a 20 miler, and wanted to get in some fast miles, so after 5.5 miles I started picking it up. I eventually picked it up and up and finished off with a very fast mile, probably the fastest mile I have run this year (not that I have ever ran a flat out mile, but I was very satisfied with the time). After 17, I met Lisa at the car to refuel with a small orange and part of a banana...was going to go 3 more, but then decided just to have a nice romantic walk with her.
On the walk, I saw this gangly spider hanging from a tree...and then somehow it sort of started to swing towards me. I hate spiders, so I started backing away...and then I almost ran into some guy who was running. He was probably really mad, or thought it was really funny. I couldn't tell.
That is all. I am going to eat some snacks now.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Cake, Pic, Search
Yesterday evening I made a cake. A buttermilk cake, it was.
I basically ate half of the cake in one sitting! Lisa had maybe 2 pieces...I had like 6. What on earth?
So, I felt pretty guilty and fat for about 3 minutes, but then I realized that buttermilk cake is not really that unhealthy. It only uses a cup of flour (400 calories) and 1/3 cup of sugar. The rest is milk, buttermilk, stuff like that.
You should make it. I found the recipe in a Cooking Light cookbook...I can supply it if you want me to.
•••••
There is some stuff about Iron Gym at this site:
IRON GYM
They sell it for $40. You can get it at Bed Bath and Beyond for $30.
•••••
I am searching for a place to live in Santa Clarita. Probably will rent a room in someone's house. Just found a really nice one for the reasonable rate of $500 a month. They sound like good people, and it is only 1.5 miles from campus. Maybe that's where I will end up.
I basically ate half of the cake in one sitting! Lisa had maybe 2 pieces...I had like 6. What on earth?
So, I felt pretty guilty and fat for about 3 minutes, but then I realized that buttermilk cake is not really that unhealthy. It only uses a cup of flour (400 calories) and 1/3 cup of sugar. The rest is milk, buttermilk, stuff like that.
You should make it. I found the recipe in a Cooking Light cookbook...I can supply it if you want me to.
•••••
There is some stuff about Iron Gym at this site:
IRON GYM
They sell it for $40. You can get it at Bed Bath and Beyond for $30.
•••••
I am searching for a place to live in Santa Clarita. Probably will rent a room in someone's house. Just found a really nice one for the reasonable rate of $500 a month. They sound like good people, and it is only 1.5 miles from campus. Maybe that's where I will end up.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Running Every Other Day, Iron Gym
So, I have this idea where I could just run every other day, but have those runs be of higher quality and of higher mileage. For instance, I would run 12 and then have a day off, then 15 and a day off, then 20+ and a day off. The 12 miler would be at a quick-ish pace, the 15 at a good pace, and the 20+ at a slow pace.
How do you think this plan would work?
When I find a place to swim and get a bike, I think this plan would be awesome...on the days that I would not run, I could get in swimming and biking...
•••••
I bought an iron gym, that thing that you can rig up in the doorway and do pullups on.
And it works wonderfully! Since I do not have access to a bar, getting the Iron Gym was probably the best idea I've had in a while!
Plus, it is portable. I can take it on vacation if I wanted to.
How do you think this plan would work?
When I find a place to swim and get a bike, I think this plan would be awesome...on the days that I would not run, I could get in swimming and biking...
•••••
I bought an iron gym, that thing that you can rig up in the doorway and do pullups on.
And it works wonderfully! Since I do not have access to a bar, getting the Iron Gym was probably the best idea I've had in a while!
Plus, it is portable. I can take it on vacation if I wanted to.
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