Archive

On Deadly Ground

Published
by
Phil
on /2008/January/17/
in Running
. 2 Comments

I was debating what to title this post. I thought about “Staying the Course,” but that phrase has already been hijacked and overused by politicians. Instead, I named it after a Steven Seagal movie that always makes my friend Reid and I laugh because of one particular scene, one of the worst movie scenes of all time. (Yeah, I have a strange sense of humor. Don’t click that link if you haven’t seen a Seagal movie and chuckled.) Anyway, on deadly ground is kind of how I felt running this morning. We had a little bit of snow, but it was just enough to make my subdivision a little treacherous.

The area where I live has a lot of underground springs and karst geographic structure beneath it. Consequently the streets are often cracked and pot-holed, and there is always pooling water in some spots year-round. So when it snows or just gets really cold, it can indeed be deadly ground for a runner, especially in the dark.

So this morning’s training run wasn’t about distance or speed or anything else other than just me getting acclimated to another type of outdoor running condition that I had not encountered in all those years of being a world class couch potato. My pace was slow. Hey maybe I should run this pace all the time, because I actually felt I could have carried on a splendid conversation with a running partner, had I had one with me today. And I didn’t do my normal distance, which calls for me to repeat a few cul-de-sacs in my neighborhood. I figured I made it through all of them safely, why push it? :)

Total Time (h:m:s) 0:28:43 11:13 pace
Distance (mi) 2.56  
Moving Speed (mph) 5.3 avg. 6.5 max.
Elevation Gain (ft) +191 / -188  
Temperature (F) 32 F avg. 32 F high

You’ve read my complaints

Published
by
Phil
on /2008/January/15/
in Running
. 0 Comments

I just finished a three-mile training run. Okay, I don’t want to sound like I complain all the time, but hey, it’s my online journal. It’s like a diary to me, so I want to document how I felt this morning, which was, well, like crap.

First of all, I slept horrifically last night. There were definitely three bad dreams…I woke up three different times during the night, and each time my heart was racing. I can’t remember what they were about, but they were bad enough to wake me. Oh well, that happens every now and then. It’s probably something I need to work out in my waking life. Well, consequently, I overslept. Thankfully, my job is flex time–I can go in later than normal and stay later than normal. But who wants to work really late? And there’s always this hip flexor pain. Plus, this morning, it was awfully cold–20 degrees at the moment I am writing this, just after the run. To top it all off, I think I am getting a cold. Sore throat, runny nose, general yukkiness. So, why not go ahead and take it easy and not run?

No way.

Garmin numbers:

Total Time (h:m:s) 0:29:12 9:42 pace
Distance (mi ) 3.01  
Moving Speed (mph) 6.2 avg. 8.0 max.
Elevation Gain (ft) +216 / -202  
Temperature (F) 19.4 F avg. 19.4 F high
Wind Speed (mph) NW 8.1 avg. NW 8.1 max.

Limping along

Published
by
Phil
on /2008/January/13/
in Running
. 0 Comments

Yesterday morning I did a little over 7 miles at Seneca and Cherokee Parks in Louisville, KY. It was a cold morning but once again, the parks seemed crowded with runners, which is motivational for me in a communal sort of way. In the first mile, I was running next to a guy who started up a conversation with me. Normally, I am a huffer and a puffer and I am not much for chatting, but it was pleasant. He asked how many miles I was going, my route, and how old I was. He mentioned that he was 56, and was going to have a birthday today. (Happy Birthday, whoever you are!)

I started out a little faster than my normal pace, and although I did not have a specific route plan to give me seven miles, I had my Forerunner 305 with me. I felt like I was running strong but maybe a little too strong for my injury. When I got done, I knew maybe I had pushed myself a bit. I was limping noticeably all day yesterday after the run, and just a little this morning. I guess that comes with the territory.

When I reviewed the lap numbers from my watch, especially after uploading them to motionbased, I was able to learn a little something more about my running. Looking at my laps, my average miles per hour stayed fairly consistent, and my pace was consistent in miles one through six. Mile 7 was a lot slower.

I knew I was feeling tired by then, but the pace seemed even more slower than I thought it would be. Looking at the statistics further, I think the long, slow elevation of the seventh mile explains it. There were other elevation jumps prior to that, but they were steeper and didn’t last as long.

Here are my numbers for the run:

Total Time (h:m:s) 1:09:28 9:32 pace
Distance (mi) 7.28  
Moving Speed (mph) 6.3 avg. 9.5 max.
Elevation Gain (ft) +537 / -537  
Temperature (F) 32 F avg. 33.8 F high
Wind Speed (mph) NE 0.9 avg. NE 3.5 max.

Lap Time Distance M Spd Energy
(#) (m:s) (mi ) (mph) (Cal)
1 9:06 1 7.8 177
2 9:08 1 7.6 180
3 9:50 1 8.1 178
4 9:33 1 7.8 177
5 9:32 1 8.1 177
6 9:27 1 7.4 181
7 10:13 1 7.8 179
8 2:37 0.27 7.2 48

Continue reading ‘Limping along’

Remembering Nelson

Published
by
Phil
on /2008/January/12/
in life
. 0 Comments

Nelson passed away today, January 12, 2008. He was not mine, but a very much loved dog of two very good friends of mine. I had the pleasure of taking care of Nelson and his brothers when my friends would go out of town. He became a friend, and it was my privilege to see to him those few times.

A few years back, I painted this picture. But it doesn’t really do him justice. There are photos of him here, here, and here.

This is a poem that his “mom” Linda wrote today:

Nelson

You were the perfect dog
That no one wanted
How fortunate, for us
With stringy ears, spotted tongue
And a quirky grin, we called
You ‘thumper,’ for the sound of your tail
Beating on the floor for our attention.

With the gentlest soul
You never begged, jumped,
Destroyed anything, or barked without reason
In your timid way,
You quivered through thunderstorms
And skulked away from the camera
That you feared so much.
We joked that maybe you feared
Our photos would steal your soul.

But there were those other times
When you enjoyed life
With reckless abandon
Head out the car window, snorting,
Fur blowing in the breeze.
Drinking water enthusiastically,
Letting it pour out the sides
Of your mouth when you
Lifted your head.

How terrible to find that
Someone once hurt you,
Filled your body with buckshot
Before you became ours.
Hopefully, from the moment
We laid eyes on you,
You knew those days were over
You knew you’d be fed, held,
Touched, walked, and loved so fully
Until that last moment, that moment today
When your life slipped peacefully
Away from us, into sleep.

Running to daylight

Published
by
Phil
on /2008/January/10/
in Running
. 0 Comments

I am noticing that it’s starting to get a shade lighter in the morning. No wait, I just started later than usual today. :) I felt pretty good, first mile the fastest at 8:55, then 9:33, then 9:47. But the key is my hip flexor pain wasn’t as bad. My plan is to run 7 on Saturday, then next Monday and Wednesday, run 3 each day. Then next Saturday, up the long run to 8, building up one mile each week till I get to 13. Then I will just do alternating long runs every Saturday of 10 and 6, all the way up until the mini. Here’s to strategic planning!

Garmin numbers for today:

Total Time (h:m:s) 0:28:24 9:30 pace
Distance (mi ) 2.99  
Moving Speed (mph) 6.3 avg. 8.8 max.
Elevation Gain (ft) +213 / -211  
Temperature (F) 42.8 F avg. 42.8 F high

A different kind of race

Published
by
Phil
on /2008/January/9/
in Running and life
. 0 Comments

On October 13, 2007, I participated in a running event, the first race since I started running again, the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Louisville, KY. It was a 5K, and I ran pretty well for a guy who just three months before was huffing and puffing at 267 pounds. It was a beautiful day, and it felt great to not only be out there running, but running for such a wonderful cause. A few of my friends and I were on a team that participated in honor of a woman named Teresa, a friend of a friend, who is battling cancer. And we were also running for everyone who has ever faced and will ever have to contend with that same challenge. I did not know it then, but I was also running that day for a very dear, very wonderful friend of mine.

She and I worked together a long time ago, and we became close from that point on. She moved away to go to college, met a great guy, got married, had two wonderful children, and after that we sort of lost touch. Life takes us all our separate ways. But a couple of years ago, I was able to reconnect, and we have been touching base since then. Last night, I heard from her. Around the exact same time I was running the Komen, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had a lumpectomy but they found more, and since then, she has undergone more surgery, and will be taking some chemotherapy treatments, to ensure a full recovery. The prognosis for her is good, but when I found out, it was a shock. She has good doctors, great family support, and a wonderful positive attitude. I know in my heart and soul she will be fine, and her life will continue to be blessed.

Today, in honor of her, I ordered some pink wrist bands from the Susan G. Komen site to wear. I had been wearing a yellow LIVESTRONG band, and now, I will wear pink.

D, if you are reading this, please know that I care, and like so many others you know and have touched, I will be sending you great vibes from miles away. And when I run the Komen later this year, and every year, from now until the time I can no longer take one more step on the planet, I will be running it for you.

Incredible Weather

Published
by
Phil
on /2008/January/8/
in Running
. 0 Comments

This morning I went for a run in shorts and a cotton tee shirt. Weather.com said it was 60 degrees as I walked out the door. What a fantastic run. The wind was swirling and it felt like a cool summer morning. It was quite invigorating! Especially since I didn’t sleep too well last night. Starlight is at the vet’s for her checkup, and the place just didn’t feel right without my roommate around.

I changed the settings on my Garmin to start keeping individual lap metrics of one mile, but after I uploaded it all to motionbased, the final numbers didn’t seem to tally up correctly. Oh well, no biggie. Here are the numbers, but numbers don’t really matter. I was out, I was moving, hip flexor pain be damned, and I had a nice little training run.

Lap Time Distance
(#) (m:s) (mi )
1 9:45 1
2 9:52 1
3 9:41 1
4 0:44 0.07
     
Distance (mi ) 3.16  
Moving Speed (mph) 5.9 avg. 8.4 max.
Elevation Gain (ft) +222 / -225  
Temperature (F) 60.8 F avg. 60.8 F high
Wind Speed (mph) S 9.2 avg. S 9.2 max.

Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve

Published
by
Phil
on /2008/January/6/
in photography
. 0 Comments

Reflections, originally uploaded by me.

Today my friend Linda and I took a quick trip to the Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve, a wonderful little spot in Oldham County, KY.  It was an overcast day but it was very mild and quite pleasant for this time of year.  Linda and I swapped cameras for the fun of it and she and I took some photos, which I posted on flickr.  We ended the day having lunch at California Pizza Kitchen.  Nothing like a nice day walking in nature with a good friend, and finishing it off with some good food.  Later on, we each had a drink called the Promised Land, which was a first for me.  It’s a concoction made with Baileys Irish Cream and Barenjager.  Zowie!  That was nice!

Rainy training run

Published
by
Phil
on /2008/January/5/
in Running
. 0 Comments

Today was the first day I ran since the Hangover Classic on Jan. 1. I ran a six-mile route between Seneca and Cherokee parks in Louisville, KY. The weather was cold and rainy. I got there around 7:45 a.m. and there were a whole bunch of runners already out and about, more than usual I think. There was a church group running, plus maybe some new runners trying to make good on their own New Year’s Resolutions.

My friends Linda and Laura were there, beginning their increase in mileage training for the Flying Pig marathon on May 4. The Flying Pig also has a half-marathon, and I would make plans to do that race if it did not occur so soon after the Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon on April 26, which I am planning to do. Linda and Laura did 12 miles today–double what I did. I would have loved to join them in going that distance, but my hip flexor injury continues, and I am trying to be good to myself. :)

Dealing with injury is something all runners do. Every runner I talk with has a pain story. Most of us, more than just one. We all like to complain a bit, but we all keep on running. All during the run, the hip flexor pain was noticeable. I would say about a five out of 10, ten being really bad. I tried to use mental imagery and also let the songs on my iPod distract me, and it worked for the most part. But the pain is definitely there, on the right side.

It’s an odd sensation; it mostly feels like it’s “locked,” like there is a limited range of motion. Kinda strange. I figured my knees would get me a long time before a hip problem. Or plantar fasciitis, which I have dealt with before. But this thing sure is nagging. I will continue to deal with it. I can’t complain too loudly, because I have sort of slipped on doing my exercises over the past week. The last thing I want to do is stop running, but for now, scaling back the mileage somewhat is the right thing to do. [Hopefully I am not sounding like a broken record, but I guess I need to convince myself I am taking the right course of action because I want to run every day!] Even my pace was probably a little bit too fast today, but I was sort of motivated by the cold rain. Makes you want to get it done a little bit faster than usual. Garmin numbers:

Total Time (h:m:s) 0:58:40 9:41 pace
Distance (mi ) 6.05  
Moving Speed (mph) 6.4 avg. 9.6 max.
Elevation Gain (ft) +447 / -447  
Temperature (F) 38.7 F avg. 38.7 F high

Hangover Classic - Ran, oh man

Published
by
Phil
on /2008/January/1/
in Running
. 2 Comments

Today I ran the Hangover Classic, a ten-mile run on a blustery, cold winter morning. About a month ago, I doubted I would be able to do the run, due to my injury. However, I have been doing stretching exercises and I have scaled back the amount of miles I have been running each week, which allowed me to do the run.

The first seven miles were a nice, meandering route near the Ohio River. Even though I was running into the wind, I felt pretty good. The last three miles back in were straight along River Road to the finish line, and even though the wind was at my back, those three miles were somewhat grueling. Overall, though, it was a nice flat route, which again played into my decision to run it, because hills are not what my hip flexor injury needs right now. I didn’t really push myself either; my goal was just to have fun, which I did.

I did a lot better than my last attempt at running it, which was back in 2002. At that time, I did not train well and should not have even attempted to run it. Like everything else in life, it was a learning experience. :)

All-in-all, I am extremely thankful to have been healthy enough to run it today. It was exhilarating, and there were quite a few other crazies who had the same idea. It’s a fun run, and hopefully it will become a tradition for me. The official results are not yet posted, but my “Garmin” numbers are as follows:

Total Time (h:m:s) 1:34:41 9:22 pace
Distance (mi ) 10.1  
Moving Speed (mph) 6.4 avg. 9.6 max.
Elevation Gain (ft) +412 / -423  
Temperature (F) 27.7F avg. 28.4F high