Jack's been sick for most of the month. He missed two straight weeks of school because of a stomach ache, and a lot of other days aside from that. The pain began on Oct. 2 and has stayed with him most of the time, with occasional respites here and there. But the doctors don't know what is causing this yet. We keep doing tests and hope to get an answer soon.
This has thrown off my schedule for running because when he is home sick I don't like the idea of leaving him alone. Sure, he could always call me on the cell phone, but if I'm half an hour into the run and he needs me suddenly, I wouldn't be able to get home any sooner than half an hour.
So, I've missed a couple of weeks of running so far.
Except today I finally got myself out for a half-hour run. Amy was home anyway, so it was OK. The run felt good. I felt strong and I feel that I could get back to running an hour every other day if I can schedule it.
Jack was back at school for four days this week, and I'm hoping he'll be able to got back on Monday. If he can keep going to school -- and it really seems to be a good idea because it helps him manage his pain -- I think I can get back to my running routine.
But the concern is that this could be a chronic problem, which will permanently change the rhythm of our lives. Even so, with a new reality, I still should be able to keep running. And I need to keep running so that I can stay healthy and help everyone else cope with whatever lies ahead.
The good news?
The good news is that even though I had not run for a couple of weeks -- and I swear I felt like I was putting on pounds -- I found out today that I had not gained any weight. I am still at 235.
That's very good news because it means my calorie intake is probably even with my energy output even when I am not running. So there is nothing in the way of the running taking off the pounds.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Operation Butterfly
The other day, I outran a mail truck. It was not a superhuman feat. It's just that mail trucks have to stop at every mailbox to make their deliveries. It was a day that I noticed a lot of public service and delivery activity on my run.
I was running strong on Wygant when a state trooper pulled over two women in a van in front of me. I wondered what they could have done to get pulled over, but I'd have no way of knowing. A few minutes later, I was on Oriole Drive in Birdland when I came across a UPS, FedEx and U.S. mail truck one after the other.
I was aiming to run 45 minutes, so I turned around at 22:30 on Redwing Drive. My primary goal was to get home before Liam got off his bus.
As I came back on Oriole, I could see the mail truck was way down on the other end. It disappeared around the corner. As I turned the corner onto Wygant, I saw it in front of me. I realized that with a little burst of speed I could get ahead of it.
I ran on the grass to get by him. I nodded to the carrier as put the mail in the box, then I kept going. When I got more than two stops beyond him I started running in the road again.
I got back home at exactly 45 minutes.
The new every-other-day schedule seems to work better for me than trying to run five days in a row. The runs seem more productive and enjoyable. I can achieve more with them if I have that rest in between the runs. But I need to make sure I use the exercise bike on the off days. The good thing about the bike is that it allows you to multi-task. You can read or watch TV during the workout. Anyway, I am hopeful that I will be able to maintain this through the winter.
Winter running will require some adjustments, figuring out what kind of gear to wear and how to manage the conditions. I may be forced to stop altogether when major snowstorms hit. That's when I need to make sure I keep using the bike.
My hope is that as I bundle up for the winter runs, I will continue to drop pounds. So, by the springtime I will be a whole new person, emerging like a butterfly from a cocoon.
I checked my weight recently. I am down to 235! Woo-hoo!
Amy and I have decided that when I get to 230 I can reward myself with a trip to Aniello's Pizza in Corning for one of their meatball subs.
I was running strong on Wygant when a state trooper pulled over two women in a van in front of me. I wondered what they could have done to get pulled over, but I'd have no way of knowing. A few minutes later, I was on Oriole Drive in Birdland when I came across a UPS, FedEx and U.S. mail truck one after the other.
I was aiming to run 45 minutes, so I turned around at 22:30 on Redwing Drive. My primary goal was to get home before Liam got off his bus.
As I came back on Oriole, I could see the mail truck was way down on the other end. It disappeared around the corner. As I turned the corner onto Wygant, I saw it in front of me. I realized that with a little burst of speed I could get ahead of it.
I ran on the grass to get by him. I nodded to the carrier as put the mail in the box, then I kept going. When I got more than two stops beyond him I started running in the road again.
I got back home at exactly 45 minutes.
The new every-other-day schedule seems to work better for me than trying to run five days in a row. The runs seem more productive and enjoyable. I can achieve more with them if I have that rest in between the runs. But I need to make sure I use the exercise bike on the off days. The good thing about the bike is that it allows you to multi-task. You can read or watch TV during the workout. Anyway, I am hopeful that I will be able to maintain this through the winter.
Winter running will require some adjustments, figuring out what kind of gear to wear and how to manage the conditions. I may be forced to stop altogether when major snowstorms hit. That's when I need to make sure I keep using the bike.
My hope is that as I bundle up for the winter runs, I will continue to drop pounds. So, by the springtime I will be a whole new person, emerging like a butterfly from a cocoon.
I checked my weight recently. I am down to 235! Woo-hoo!
Amy and I have decided that when I get to 230 I can reward myself with a trip to Aniello's Pizza in Corning for one of their meatball subs.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Paying off
I had one of the best payoffs for all the running last week. I was getting dressed for church and spotted a pair of light tan pants in my closet. "These will work," I said as I shrugged.
When I came out to the kitchen, Amy was beaming when she saw me in the pants. She knew what I hadn't realized. These were my old 42s, which I had not worn in years. They fit!
Later on, I tried on my old 42-inch jeans. Even better! They were more comfortable than the tan pants, which still seemed to crimp on my stomach when I sit down.
All week, I've had a little more pride in myself as I walk around in my 42s. It's given me even more of an incentive to keep running. Now, I'm wondering if I will be able to manager to run in the winter. Maybe at least on days when the roads are clear?
The other day, I headed out for an hour run, but started to feel raindrops at about the 24 minute mark. I decided to turn around and head back early. But I still got caught out in a steady rain for the second half of the run. However, I managed to not melt. My hat kept the rain off my glasses, and it was not such an uncomfortable run.
So, maybe I may be a big whiner about my "not running in the rain" policy. Heavy rain and T-storms I will still avoid, but a light rain should be OK. I think.
I'm noticing very, very slight knee pain on some runs. I need to increase the use of the exercise bike.
When I came out to the kitchen, Amy was beaming when she saw me in the pants. She knew what I hadn't realized. These were my old 42s, which I had not worn in years. They fit!
Later on, I tried on my old 42-inch jeans. Even better! They were more comfortable than the tan pants, which still seemed to crimp on my stomach when I sit down.
All week, I've had a little more pride in myself as I walk around in my 42s. It's given me even more of an incentive to keep running. Now, I'm wondering if I will be able to manager to run in the winter. Maybe at least on days when the roads are clear?
The other day, I headed out for an hour run, but started to feel raindrops at about the 24 minute mark. I decided to turn around and head back early. But I still got caught out in a steady rain for the second half of the run. However, I managed to not melt. My hat kept the rain off my glasses, and it was not such an uncomfortable run.
So, maybe I may be a big whiner about my "not running in the rain" policy. Heavy rain and T-storms I will still avoid, but a light rain should be OK. I think.
I'm noticing very, very slight knee pain on some runs. I need to increase the use of the exercise bike.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Getting some good runs in
Let me just say, that as much as I love the summer, I am now thrilled to have cooler fall weather. It is just much easier to run.
Yes, I've had two good runs this week. On Wednesday and today (Saturday) I ran for a full hour for a reasonably good distance and each time I got back a few seconds faster than I went out. I was about 10 seconds early on Wednesday and about 15 seconds early today. So, what I did each time was to keep running down the street until I hit the full hour. On Thursday, it was raining, so I skipped the day. On Friday, I had a schedule twitch and didn't get to run in time before Liam came home, so I used the exercise bike for 45 minutes instead.
On today's run, a squirrel ran along side me for a while on Oriole Drive. It was only for about 20 feet, but it was kind of funny. I ran along on the left edge of the road and it ran along on the right edge. Then when it got to some bushes, it jumped off.
But I am happy for the cooler weather. For one, it allows me to run at any time during the daylight. During the height of the summer heat, I would get up at 6 a.m. and start running by 6:30 to catch the coolest part of the day.
However, when I got home, I was so drenched in sweat that not only was my shirt and shorts soaked through, but when I changed into a new shirt that one would be soaked through within an hour. Then I would change again, and shirt No. 3 would only be moderately wet. Only then was I able to take a shower. It didn't make sense to shower before my body cooled down and my sweat glands shut off.
My plan had been to stop running in early November. I've decided I will try to keep running at least through November, depending on how the weather goes. We'll see.
OK, gotta go.
Yes, I've had two good runs this week. On Wednesday and today (Saturday) I ran for a full hour for a reasonably good distance and each time I got back a few seconds faster than I went out. I was about 10 seconds early on Wednesday and about 15 seconds early today. So, what I did each time was to keep running down the street until I hit the full hour. On Thursday, it was raining, so I skipped the day. On Friday, I had a schedule twitch and didn't get to run in time before Liam came home, so I used the exercise bike for 45 minutes instead.
On today's run, a squirrel ran along side me for a while on Oriole Drive. It was only for about 20 feet, but it was kind of funny. I ran along on the left edge of the road and it ran along on the right edge. Then when it got to some bushes, it jumped off.
But I am happy for the cooler weather. For one, it allows me to run at any time during the daylight. During the height of the summer heat, I would get up at 6 a.m. and start running by 6:30 to catch the coolest part of the day.
However, when I got home, I was so drenched in sweat that not only was my shirt and shorts soaked through, but when I changed into a new shirt that one would be soaked through within an hour. Then I would change again, and shirt No. 3 would only be moderately wet. Only then was I able to take a shower. It didn't make sense to shower before my body cooled down and my sweat glands shut off.
My plan had been to stop running in early November. I've decided I will try to keep running at least through November, depending on how the weather goes. We'll see.
OK, gotta go.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
A good run today
This morning, I ran for an hour. I didn't get near the five-mile mark, but it was a respectable distance. It was probably the best run I've had in a couple of weeks.
Again, I'm not going to stress about covering five miles in an hour. I figure that as I lose weight, I will gain fitness and be able to run faster.
In other news, I had a dream the other night about doing chin-ups. Perhaps my body is telling me it's time to start working on my upper body again.
I suppose I really don't know how well I'm doing on a run until the second half of it. If I can keep up the energy on the return trip, I'm doing well. This time, I actually got back a few seconds early, so I ran several feet past the finish line until I hit the official 1-hour mark.
My strategy of not letting myself take it easy on my first run after a lay-off paid off.
I'm not sure what I'll be doing tomorrow. Either 48 minutes or an hour.
Again, I'm not going to stress about covering five miles in an hour. I figure that as I lose weight, I will gain fitness and be able to run faster.
In other news, I had a dream the other night about doing chin-ups. Perhaps my body is telling me it's time to start working on my upper body again.
I suppose I really don't know how well I'm doing on a run until the second half of it. If I can keep up the energy on the return trip, I'm doing well. This time, I actually got back a few seconds early, so I ran several feet past the finish line until I hit the official 1-hour mark.
My strategy of not letting myself take it easy on my first run after a lay-off paid off.
I'm not sure what I'll be doing tomorrow. Either 48 minutes or an hour.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
My Achilles Heel
My achilles heel -- the figurative one, not the actual one -- is the rain.
Ever since I started running again, it has been my kryptonite. As a 17-year-old cross country and track runner, I never let anything stop me. I ran in the rain, in major snowstorms. I ran in the remnants of hurricanes that sometimes visited the Jersey Shore. When I was sick and had to stay home, I would run up and down the stairs for as long as I could. Sometimes I would go to the basement, put my hands against the wall or the staircase and run in place as hard as I could.
But those days are behind me.
As a 46-year-old trying to regain my health, I have different rules. I don't run in the rain because it is difficult to see through the raindrops on my glasses. It's a safety issue and to a smaller extent, an annoyance. I didn't used to need my glasses to run, but now I do. If I can't see the traffic and environment around me, I don't feel safe.
If I ran to regain my health and then got run over by a car that I couldn't see in the rain, that would be called an ironic death.
So, anyway. I don't run in the rain.
Remember Labor Day? It rained. I didn't run.
But the next day, Tuesday, ... it rained, and I didn't run.
Wednesday was the first day of school. It rained, and I didn't run.
By Thursday, the region was being inundated with water. The constant rain had filled up rivers and reservoirs. Binghamton was flooded. Broome County was evacuating. Bridges were washed out in Pennsylvania.
I had no idea how bad it was until Jack came back from the bus stop. The bus was late. I told him to go back and wait for it. If it didn't come at all, I would drive him to school.
He came back a little while later and told me someone had driven by and said the school was on two-hour delay.
I checked the TV. WETM had no scroll on the bottom announcing school closings. But then Amy noticed the time it was posting: 5:19 a.m.
They had a technical problem and were re-running the broadcast from earlier in the morning. When we flipped over to WENY, we finally saw the school closings.
So, anyway, on Thursday I didn't run.
By Friday, I had every intention of running, but found that I couldn't. I was tired and unmotivated. My rhythm was thrown off by the rain and the new schedule.
I get up with Jack at 6:30 so that he can catch his bus at 7 a.m. Liam gets up a little later to catch his bus at 7:50. My thought had been to go for my runs after Liam got on his bus, but it didn't work out that way on Friday. I learned that I needed to blend my pre-run routines with the rhythm of getting the kids out the door. I needed to psych myself up for the run.
On Saturday, about a week since my last run, I was determined to have a good workout. I set out to run 48 minutes, and although the 24-minute outward board trip was OK, getting back was another matter.
As I made the turn back onto Oriole Drive, with dogs barking at me on all sides, I just felt all the energy sap out of me. It's happened before, especially after a long lay-off.
Usually what happens is I walk home.
Not this time.
This time, I realized that if I started walking, it would make it harder and take longer to get back to the level I need to be, which is to run for 1-hour, five days a week.
So, I forced myself to keep running. That worked for a while, but then on Wygant, the energy drained out of me again. I lost all momentum and found myself walking.
Fine, I said to myself. Walk for a minute, then run for a minute.
I did, and when I started running again, I told myself that after a minute of running I'll try running two minutes.
After two minutes, I tried for three. I kept going like that. I wasn't going to set a record, but at least I was moving again.
I kept running like that -- except for another very brief stop on Greenridge -- until I got home. I made it in about 50 minutes.
I tried running with the boys, but Liam had some leg pain, so I didn't push him. Jack, however, ran on his own and I think he did a mile in under 11 minutes. I'm not sure because I stopped my watch when Liam stopped and then restarted when I realized Jack didn't have a watch. But it was a good run for him. He's making progress.
Liam seems to be having trouble with foot and leg pain. I suspect it may be because he has the weak ankles and feet that I inherited. I will be teaching him some of my foot therapy exercises to see if that helps.
On Monday, I kept up a good mental focus and psyched myself up to run. I got out and stretched and prepared myself to run a full hour. Unfortunately, when I reached Greenridge Drive, a couple of blocks away, I noticed some knee pain. It didn't go away, so I followed my cardinal rule for running as middle-aged man: When I feel pain, I stop.
Knee pain for me means I need to work on the exercise bike. I admit I didn't do that on my layoff, and I should have. So, I put in about 50 minutes on it Monday morning.
I figured I would have been ready to run today, Tuesday, but Liam is home sick today with a stomach bug. So, I'm staying home, but I plan to try again Wednesday.
So long as I keep trying, I figure I'm doing something right.
Ever since I started running again, it has been my kryptonite. As a 17-year-old cross country and track runner, I never let anything stop me. I ran in the rain, in major snowstorms. I ran in the remnants of hurricanes that sometimes visited the Jersey Shore. When I was sick and had to stay home, I would run up and down the stairs for as long as I could. Sometimes I would go to the basement, put my hands against the wall or the staircase and run in place as hard as I could.
But those days are behind me.
As a 46-year-old trying to regain my health, I have different rules. I don't run in the rain because it is difficult to see through the raindrops on my glasses. It's a safety issue and to a smaller extent, an annoyance. I didn't used to need my glasses to run, but now I do. If I can't see the traffic and environment around me, I don't feel safe.
If I ran to regain my health and then got run over by a car that I couldn't see in the rain, that would be called an ironic death.
So, anyway. I don't run in the rain.
Remember Labor Day? It rained. I didn't run.
But the next day, Tuesday, ... it rained, and I didn't run.
Wednesday was the first day of school. It rained, and I didn't run.
By Thursday, the region was being inundated with water. The constant rain had filled up rivers and reservoirs. Binghamton was flooded. Broome County was evacuating. Bridges were washed out in Pennsylvania.
I had no idea how bad it was until Jack came back from the bus stop. The bus was late. I told him to go back and wait for it. If it didn't come at all, I would drive him to school.
He came back a little while later and told me someone had driven by and said the school was on two-hour delay.
I checked the TV. WETM had no scroll on the bottom announcing school closings. But then Amy noticed the time it was posting: 5:19 a.m.
They had a technical problem and were re-running the broadcast from earlier in the morning. When we flipped over to WENY, we finally saw the school closings.
So, anyway, on Thursday I didn't run.
By Friday, I had every intention of running, but found that I couldn't. I was tired and unmotivated. My rhythm was thrown off by the rain and the new schedule.
I get up with Jack at 6:30 so that he can catch his bus at 7 a.m. Liam gets up a little later to catch his bus at 7:50. My thought had been to go for my runs after Liam got on his bus, but it didn't work out that way on Friday. I learned that I needed to blend my pre-run routines with the rhythm of getting the kids out the door. I needed to psych myself up for the run.
On Saturday, about a week since my last run, I was determined to have a good workout. I set out to run 48 minutes, and although the 24-minute outward board trip was OK, getting back was another matter.
As I made the turn back onto Oriole Drive, with dogs barking at me on all sides, I just felt all the energy sap out of me. It's happened before, especially after a long lay-off.
Usually what happens is I walk home.
Not this time.
This time, I realized that if I started walking, it would make it harder and take longer to get back to the level I need to be, which is to run for 1-hour, five days a week.
So, I forced myself to keep running. That worked for a while, but then on Wygant, the energy drained out of me again. I lost all momentum and found myself walking.
Fine, I said to myself. Walk for a minute, then run for a minute.
I did, and when I started running again, I told myself that after a minute of running I'll try running two minutes.
After two minutes, I tried for three. I kept going like that. I wasn't going to set a record, but at least I was moving again.
I kept running like that -- except for another very brief stop on Greenridge -- until I got home. I made it in about 50 minutes.
I tried running with the boys, but Liam had some leg pain, so I didn't push him. Jack, however, ran on his own and I think he did a mile in under 11 minutes. I'm not sure because I stopped my watch when Liam stopped and then restarted when I realized Jack didn't have a watch. But it was a good run for him. He's making progress.
Liam seems to be having trouble with foot and leg pain. I suspect it may be because he has the weak ankles and feet that I inherited. I will be teaching him some of my foot therapy exercises to see if that helps.
On Monday, I kept up a good mental focus and psyched myself up to run. I got out and stretched and prepared myself to run a full hour. Unfortunately, when I reached Greenridge Drive, a couple of blocks away, I noticed some knee pain. It didn't go away, so I followed my cardinal rule for running as middle-aged man: When I feel pain, I stop.
Knee pain for me means I need to work on the exercise bike. I admit I didn't do that on my layoff, and I should have. So, I put in about 50 minutes on it Monday morning.
I figured I would have been ready to run today, Tuesday, but Liam is home sick today with a stomach bug. So, I'm staying home, but I plan to try again Wednesday.
So long as I keep trying, I figure I'm doing something right.
Monday, August 29, 2011
1 hour run
I'm getting back in the groove, and I had a good run for about an hour. I am not covering as much distance as I did in June, but I'm making progress.
The whole time I was running, I was thinking about this story I read about Kevin Smith on CNN.com just before I hit the road:
http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/25/kevin-smith-ill-always-owe-tiger-woods/?iref=allsearch
The man is so fat that he needs two seats on an airplane. I checked and some reports put his weight at close to 340 pounds. I don't know how true that is, but either way the guy needs to take responsibility for his health.
I'm a big fan of his movie, "Dogma" and as a fellow New Jersey native, I would simply like to tell Kevin Smith the following:
"Kevin, it doesn't have to be this way. I am also obese, but I'm turning it around. It's taken more than a year, but I've lost almost 20 pounds and in another year I'll lose more than that. It really is simple. No fad diets, no fancy health club memberships needed, just eat less and exercise more. Also, get to a doctor so you can do it safely.
"OK, maybe you need a health club membership because you're a celebrity and you need to be able to exercise without being harassed. But again, it doesn't have to be this way. The key is to find some form of exercise you can love. For me, it was running. For you it may be something else. Just give it a try.
"I know you've said you have a limited number of movies you plan to make, and you talk about wrapping up your career, but if you take care of yourself who knows what else you can achieve.
"Also, look at this way, you have done something that most think is impossible. You make movies and you've shown others that they can make movies too. Right now, losing the weight may seem impossible, but if you can conquer Hollywood, you can beat this.
"Go for it!"
BTW, my weight as of Sunday was 238. I haven't weighed myself today yet.
The whole time I was running, I was thinking about this story I read about Kevin Smith on CNN.com just before I hit the road:
http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/25/kevin-smith-ill-always-owe-tiger-woods/?iref=allsearch
The man is so fat that he needs two seats on an airplane. I checked and some reports put his weight at close to 340 pounds. I don't know how true that is, but either way the guy needs to take responsibility for his health.
I'm a big fan of his movie, "Dogma" and as a fellow New Jersey native, I would simply like to tell Kevin Smith the following:
"Kevin, it doesn't have to be this way. I am also obese, but I'm turning it around. It's taken more than a year, but I've lost almost 20 pounds and in another year I'll lose more than that. It really is simple. No fad diets, no fancy health club memberships needed, just eat less and exercise more. Also, get to a doctor so you can do it safely.
"OK, maybe you need a health club membership because you're a celebrity and you need to be able to exercise without being harassed. But again, it doesn't have to be this way. The key is to find some form of exercise you can love. For me, it was running. For you it may be something else. Just give it a try.
"I know you've said you have a limited number of movies you plan to make, and you talk about wrapping up your career, but if you take care of yourself who knows what else you can achieve.
"Also, look at this way, you have done something that most think is impossible. You make movies and you've shown others that they can make movies too. Right now, losing the weight may seem impossible, but if you can conquer Hollywood, you can beat this.
"Go for it!"
BTW, my weight as of Sunday was 238. I haven't weighed myself today yet.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Still haven't given up
Although the past two weeks have kept me from blogging, the running continues. Once again, I had to deal with stomach aches and sleepless nights on top of the transfer of my website to a new server, which became an ordeal until I finally outwitted the Internet and found a shortcut that saved me a lot of headaches.
The trouble with the website was worrisome for me. For years, my site, www.edbond.com, has been a source of information about a treatment for canine distemper and it continues to be a main portal through which people now find the Kind Hearts In Action site.
But the server was recently hacked, and long story short, I had to make a move. When the discussion board didn't make the transfer, I was beside myself. A lot of personal stories about people's fight with distemper and advice on how to care for dogs could have been lost.
But it's back now!
Anyway, the computer trouble left me with no desire to spend any more time than necessary typing in front of a screen. So, I let the running blog slide. Sorry.
But the actual running continued. It was a week ago Wednesday that I finally got back to one-hour runs. The earlier layoff was still holding me back. I don't seem to run with the same energy as I did back in June. But I'm running. I decided to not stress about finishing more distance in less time and just be glad to get a good one-hour workout.
Amy had sent me a column on running that pointed out that getting an hour of exercise was key because at that amount you've raised your metabolism to a level that will stay elevated all day.
I've been alternating between 1-hour runs and 48-minute runs. On days when I run for 48 minutes, I try to run a mile with the boys and sometimes with Romeo. But a few of those had been truncated because the boys might complain about various aches and pains. Especially with Liam, at 7-years-old, I see no reason to make him run through pain. At that age and even at Jack's age, I think pain should be taken as a warning to stop and take a break.
Liam's time in the mile has been improving dramatically. He's dropped from 18 minutes to 17 minutes to 16:26 and then 16:06. On his last run, he finished in 15:19 and he beat everyone, including me and Romeo. Jack was dealing with stomach pain and knee pain and finished last.
They both need to keep up the running. They've both started practice for fall sports, Liam for soccer and Jack for baseball. Liam's soccer field will be larger this year, so he will have a lot more running to do.
As for me, I like my running routine, especially the tiny little adventures that happen on my route. I noticed the other day that a house on Redwing with a Green Bay Packers mailbox was next to a house with a Steelers mailbox. And the Steelers mailbox was right across the street from a Patriot's mailbox. I bet that neighborhood has some great arguments during football season.
The other day I got chased by a dog on Meadowlark. It came off its front lawn and crossed the road after me. I kept running in the same direction I was, didn't even change my pace until the dog finally gave up and went home. You'd think after my adventure in helping to save Rusty back in July that the dogs in the neighborhood would have gotten word that I was an OK guy. I guess not.
Oh well, the dog is doing what it believes to be right. It may need training, but dogs are innocent. It is the owners and how the owners treat their dogs that are responsible for their behavior. The dogs look to us for everything, and when we bring a dog into our lives as our pet, we make a promise to do whatever we can to give them a good life.
That is one of the reasons why I work so hard on the issue of canine distemper. It is because I know that dogs do not need to die of this disease. If you like, please check out our Kind Hearts In Action site to find out why we think that.
It is a belief that goes against the doctrine of the mainstream veterinary community, and I guess I'm pretty stubborn if I'm going to stand against the opinions of so many important people. The bottom line is I'm trying to prove that the impossible is possible.
For the past few years, I had considered a return to running impossible. My weight had gotten so out of control there was little hope of getting back into fitness. But then it occurred to me -- I'm very stubborn guy and I don't like giving up. If I wasn't going to give up on dogs, then I shouldn't give up on myself.
That was when I decided to start running again.
The trouble with the website was worrisome for me. For years, my site, www.edbond.com, has been a source of information about a treatment for canine distemper and it continues to be a main portal through which people now find the Kind Hearts In Action site.
But the server was recently hacked, and long story short, I had to make a move. When the discussion board didn't make the transfer, I was beside myself. A lot of personal stories about people's fight with distemper and advice on how to care for dogs could have been lost.
But it's back now!
Anyway, the computer trouble left me with no desire to spend any more time than necessary typing in front of a screen. So, I let the running blog slide. Sorry.
But the actual running continued. It was a week ago Wednesday that I finally got back to one-hour runs. The earlier layoff was still holding me back. I don't seem to run with the same energy as I did back in June. But I'm running. I decided to not stress about finishing more distance in less time and just be glad to get a good one-hour workout.
Amy had sent me a column on running that pointed out that getting an hour of exercise was key because at that amount you've raised your metabolism to a level that will stay elevated all day.
I've been alternating between 1-hour runs and 48-minute runs. On days when I run for 48 minutes, I try to run a mile with the boys and sometimes with Romeo. But a few of those had been truncated because the boys might complain about various aches and pains. Especially with Liam, at 7-years-old, I see no reason to make him run through pain. At that age and even at Jack's age, I think pain should be taken as a warning to stop and take a break.
Liam's time in the mile has been improving dramatically. He's dropped from 18 minutes to 17 minutes to 16:26 and then 16:06. On his last run, he finished in 15:19 and he beat everyone, including me and Romeo. Jack was dealing with stomach pain and knee pain and finished last.
They both need to keep up the running. They've both started practice for fall sports, Liam for soccer and Jack for baseball. Liam's soccer field will be larger this year, so he will have a lot more running to do.
As for me, I like my running routine, especially the tiny little adventures that happen on my route. I noticed the other day that a house on Redwing with a Green Bay Packers mailbox was next to a house with a Steelers mailbox. And the Steelers mailbox was right across the street from a Patriot's mailbox. I bet that neighborhood has some great arguments during football season.
The other day I got chased by a dog on Meadowlark. It came off its front lawn and crossed the road after me. I kept running in the same direction I was, didn't even change my pace until the dog finally gave up and went home. You'd think after my adventure in helping to save Rusty back in July that the dogs in the neighborhood would have gotten word that I was an OK guy. I guess not.
Oh well, the dog is doing what it believes to be right. It may need training, but dogs are innocent. It is the owners and how the owners treat their dogs that are responsible for their behavior. The dogs look to us for everything, and when we bring a dog into our lives as our pet, we make a promise to do whatever we can to give them a good life.
That is one of the reasons why I work so hard on the issue of canine distemper. It is because I know that dogs do not need to die of this disease. If you like, please check out our Kind Hearts In Action site to find out why we think that.
It is a belief that goes against the doctrine of the mainstream veterinary community, and I guess I'm pretty stubborn if I'm going to stand against the opinions of so many important people. The bottom line is I'm trying to prove that the impossible is possible.
For the past few years, I had considered a return to running impossible. My weight had gotten so out of control there was little hope of getting back into fitness. But then it occurred to me -- I'm very stubborn guy and I don't like giving up. If I wasn't going to give up on dogs, then I shouldn't give up on myself.
That was when I decided to start running again.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
August 9 to 16, 2011
Sorry, I have not been blogging. I have actually been running, just not blogging about the running. But I know people like to know that I am actually running. So, here we go.
Let me give a roundup so we can all be up to speed.
Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2011
I had trouble sleeping that Monday night, and by 4 a.m. Tuesday I knew there was no way I'd be able to get up at 6 a.m. I shut off my alarm. I did actually get up at 6:30 just in case anyone really did want to join my running club. I then went back to bed.
I had it in my mind that I would try to go for a run with the boys later, but then it was raining.
Ok, so I definitely slacked off.
Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2011
I went on a 48-minute run at my usual time. Some unusual sights from the run:
Someone had scattered playing cards all over Greenridge Drive.
Coming back on Wygant, I spotted Amy's Great Uncle Glenn on the way out to get his morning newspaper. I waved at him, and he recognized me. He raised his hand at me.
"Can I come along with you?" said this 90-something year old man.
"Sure," I said, "Come along."
He very gently waved off the idea. "I don't think I could," he said.
Then, back on Greenridge Drive, just as I was reaching Ridge Road, I see my nephew Bradley driving his car, making the turn from Middle Road onto Ridge. He'd been visiting his friend's house up the road.
Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011
I ran a mile with the boys, but with a twist. This time, Romeo joined us. He'd been whining while we were stretching in the front yard. The thought occurred to me that maybe he should come along. But while I was stretching -- with my back to the house -- I was watching Jack at the tree swings. Something startled Jack and he hurt himself slightly on the swing.
What startled him was the sight of Romeo bounding through the front door. We quickly grabbed him and put him inside, but when we were done stretching, I went back in and got Romeo.
He ran with just, usually just in front of Liam. The interesting thing about that is it was similar to the Wii Fit running program where your character runs by following a puppy. Liam liked that.
Jack did not finish his run. He had some pain in the right side of his chest, so I had him stop. Liam finished the run in 16:26 which would be a new record for him, until his next run. He finished ahead of Romeo, who was clearly "doggin' it" by the end.
After the run with the boys, I did a 40-minute run on my own.
Friday, Aug. 12, 2011
I started out the run with lots of optimism and energy, intending to run for a full hour for the first time in a while. Unfortunately, I just completely ran out of steam at about 20 minutes. I felt not just tired, but shaky. I decided I had not eaten enough pasta recently. I walked home, so my 20-minute run was followed by a 30-minute walk.
I felt tired and shaky for most of the day.
Saturday, Aug. 13, 2011
I ran a mile with the boys again. Romeo did not join us this time. But Jack had the chest pain trouble again, and it reminds me that I need to get him in for his annual checkup at the doctor's soon. To give you a heads up, he did not feel this pain on Monday. But he did get himself overheated.
Anyway, Liam ran well. He finished his mile in 16:06, another record.
Afterwards, I ran 48 minutes on my own. I am still not covering as much ground as I did a month ago, but I'm slowly making improvements. The week that I laid off is still affecting me.
On Sunday, I did not run, which I had planned on. However, I ate too much at the breakfast with Amy's family at the American Legion. So, I walked home to help burn that off. That was about a mile and a half.
But then Sunday night, I had a stomach ache. I do not know if it was related to what I ate earlier. But I still felt discomfort in my stomach on Monday morning, so I did not run Monday.
Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2011
I ran 51:31 on my own. I ran out for 24 minutes and came back much slower than I went out. Oh well, I seem to remember reading somewhere that it is on the very slow jogs that you actually burn off more fat. So, either way it was good for me.
When I got back, I took the boys and Romeo on the mile run. But Jack got overheated. He did not drink enough water beforehand. And this time Liam complained of pain that he felt in his foot, and then his knee, and then his other knee. So, no one finished the mile run today.
The moving pain that Liam describes reminds me of what it was like to have Lyme Disease. I woke up every day with pain in a different joint. But I would be overreacting to think Lyme Disease. It is more likely that he hurt his foot slightly, then by favoring that foot, he strained his knee, them his other knee.
He seems fine now, so this is not a long-term problem.
Sorry for the lay-off in writing. I'll be posting more often now.
Let me give a roundup so we can all be up to speed.
Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2011
I had trouble sleeping that Monday night, and by 4 a.m. Tuesday I knew there was no way I'd be able to get up at 6 a.m. I shut off my alarm. I did actually get up at 6:30 just in case anyone really did want to join my running club. I then went back to bed.
I had it in my mind that I would try to go for a run with the boys later, but then it was raining.
Ok, so I definitely slacked off.
Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2011
I went on a 48-minute run at my usual time. Some unusual sights from the run:
Someone had scattered playing cards all over Greenridge Drive.
Coming back on Wygant, I spotted Amy's Great Uncle Glenn on the way out to get his morning newspaper. I waved at him, and he recognized me. He raised his hand at me.
"Can I come along with you?" said this 90-something year old man.
"Sure," I said, "Come along."
He very gently waved off the idea. "I don't think I could," he said.
Then, back on Greenridge Drive, just as I was reaching Ridge Road, I see my nephew Bradley driving his car, making the turn from Middle Road onto Ridge. He'd been visiting his friend's house up the road.
Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011
I ran a mile with the boys, but with a twist. This time, Romeo joined us. He'd been whining while we were stretching in the front yard. The thought occurred to me that maybe he should come along. But while I was stretching -- with my back to the house -- I was watching Jack at the tree swings. Something startled Jack and he hurt himself slightly on the swing.
What startled him was the sight of Romeo bounding through the front door. We quickly grabbed him and put him inside, but when we were done stretching, I went back in and got Romeo.
He ran with just, usually just in front of Liam. The interesting thing about that is it was similar to the Wii Fit running program where your character runs by following a puppy. Liam liked that.
Jack did not finish his run. He had some pain in the right side of his chest, so I had him stop. Liam finished the run in 16:26 which would be a new record for him, until his next run. He finished ahead of Romeo, who was clearly "doggin' it" by the end.
After the run with the boys, I did a 40-minute run on my own.
Friday, Aug. 12, 2011
I started out the run with lots of optimism and energy, intending to run for a full hour for the first time in a while. Unfortunately, I just completely ran out of steam at about 20 minutes. I felt not just tired, but shaky. I decided I had not eaten enough pasta recently. I walked home, so my 20-minute run was followed by a 30-minute walk.
I felt tired and shaky for most of the day.
Saturday, Aug. 13, 2011
I ran a mile with the boys again. Romeo did not join us this time. But Jack had the chest pain trouble again, and it reminds me that I need to get him in for his annual checkup at the doctor's soon. To give you a heads up, he did not feel this pain on Monday. But he did get himself overheated.
Anyway, Liam ran well. He finished his mile in 16:06, another record.
Afterwards, I ran 48 minutes on my own. I am still not covering as much ground as I did a month ago, but I'm slowly making improvements. The week that I laid off is still affecting me.
On Sunday, I did not run, which I had planned on. However, I ate too much at the breakfast with Amy's family at the American Legion. So, I walked home to help burn that off. That was about a mile and a half.
But then Sunday night, I had a stomach ache. I do not know if it was related to what I ate earlier. But I still felt discomfort in my stomach on Monday morning, so I did not run Monday.
Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2011
I ran 51:31 on my own. I ran out for 24 minutes and came back much slower than I went out. Oh well, I seem to remember reading somewhere that it is on the very slow jogs that you actually burn off more fat. So, either way it was good for me.
When I got back, I took the boys and Romeo on the mile run. But Jack got overheated. He did not drink enough water beforehand. And this time Liam complained of pain that he felt in his foot, and then his knee, and then his other knee. So, no one finished the mile run today.
The moving pain that Liam describes reminds me of what it was like to have Lyme Disease. I woke up every day with pain in a different joint. But I would be overreacting to think Lyme Disease. It is more likely that he hurt his foot slightly, then by favoring that foot, he strained his knee, them his other knee.
He seems fine now, so this is not a long-term problem.
Sorry for the lay-off in writing. I'll be posting more often now.
Monday, August 8, 2011
40-minute run
I'm still getting back to my groove. I had planned to go for a full hour this morning, but I was slow to get up and get ready. I got out on the front steps late and by then could feel the gravity pulling me back to bed. I was so tempted to not run today, but I made myself. I didn't have time for the full hour, so I opted for a 40-minute run. But I did better this time than my last 40-minute run.
I think I missed having someone to run with. But at least writing this blog is a way to make the runs a social event. I was grateful this morning to read Stephanie's blog about inspiration and how we all inspire each other if we see the good in ourselves and each other. It's all a chain reaction that we make happen.
So, I'm very glad I was able to talk myself into running this morning. Had I not won that argument, I would not have enjoyed Stephanie's blog nearly as much.
Meanwhile, I'd like to start a running group. Anyone who wants to join, just be outside my house at 6:30 a.m.
;-)
I think I missed having someone to run with. But at least writing this blog is a way to make the runs a social event. I was grateful this morning to read Stephanie's blog about inspiration and how we all inspire each other if we see the good in ourselves and each other. It's all a chain reaction that we make happen.
So, I'm very glad I was able to talk myself into running this morning. Had I not won that argument, I would not have enjoyed Stephanie's blog nearly as much.
Meanwhile, I'd like to start a running group. Anyone who wants to join, just be outside my house at 6:30 a.m.
;-)
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Thanks to our special guest celebrity runner
I had one of my best runs in a while on Saturday thanks to former Race for the Cure colleague Stephanie Tanguay, who was in town with her son, Jonathan, while they checked out colleges in upstate New York.
We went for a four-mile run at about 6:30 Saturday morning. I really needed this run because my previous two runs had been very lackluster 40-minute affairs. I had been off my stride because I had taken a week off from running while waiting for the new pair of shoes.
It made for an interesting match up. While I am used to longer, slower runs, Stephanie is more accustomed to shorter faster runs of 3 miles. I ended up running faster than I'm used to. She ran longer than she was used to.
I took Stephanie on my usual route onto Greenridge Drive. I pointed out the quarter-mile mark without looking at my watch, but when we reached the half-mile mark I was stunned: 5:50.
I usually hit a half-mile somewhere between 6 and 6:30.
It's Stephanie's fault. She's in much better shape than I am.
We followed Greenridge Drive to Wygant and then to Meadowlark -- at the entrance to Birdland -- and I checked our time at the mile mark.
Holy Cow! 11:20.
We'd actually got faster since the half-mile mark.
In the back of my mind, I'm thinking, "I don't know if I'm going to make it all the way." I still felt good, but wondered if I was going to suddenly fade on the return trip.
We started to slow a little by the 1.5 mile mark on Whipporwill, but as we approached the end of Redwing Drive, we were still way ahead of schedule. Now, we had a choice to make because I am not sure where the two-mile mark is.
If you believe Google maps, it's at the end of Redwing Drive. If you believe my car's odometer, it's a bit further down at the intersection of Veteran Hill and Empire Drive.
Stephanie tells me she has a similar problem with the two-mile mark on her run at home.
Anyway, although I was still feeling good and we were still covering a lot of distance and may have easily made it to Empire Drive, I tell Stephanie, "I think discretion is the better part of valor." And we turned around at the end of Redwing Drive.
We now had tons of time to get back before the deadline I had in my head: 48 minutes. We reached the three mile mark at around 32 minutes, but as we got onto Wygant I let Stephanie go ahead of me so we could be in a single file along this busy road.
That's when I started to fade a bit. The space between us opened up more and more and I dropped back. But I fought to get back to her as we turned onto Greenridge.
At 3.5 miles, I was barely keeping up with her, just off her elbow and a little behind.
"This is when Jonathan's football coach would say, 'It's the fourth quarter. Just finish."
So we hung on and finished at 44:12.
Wow! Personal best. Thanks Stephanie!
I then followed this run with a mile jog with the boys. Liam and I did a mile in 17:01, a personal best for him. Jack was a couple of minutes ahead of us. I think he was still sluggish because they had been laying off running recently. It was a return to the routine for them too.
My plan tonight is to put in some time on the exercise bike and try to run 5 miles on Monday. The boys and I will run again on Tuesday.
My weight is at 241.5, just slightly up because of the lay off. It could have been much worse.
We went for a four-mile run at about 6:30 Saturday morning. I really needed this run because my previous two runs had been very lackluster 40-minute affairs. I had been off my stride because I had taken a week off from running while waiting for the new pair of shoes.
It made for an interesting match up. While I am used to longer, slower runs, Stephanie is more accustomed to shorter faster runs of 3 miles. I ended up running faster than I'm used to. She ran longer than she was used to.
I took Stephanie on my usual route onto Greenridge Drive. I pointed out the quarter-mile mark without looking at my watch, but when we reached the half-mile mark I was stunned: 5:50.
I usually hit a half-mile somewhere between 6 and 6:30.
It's Stephanie's fault. She's in much better shape than I am.
We followed Greenridge Drive to Wygant and then to Meadowlark -- at the entrance to Birdland -- and I checked our time at the mile mark.
Holy Cow! 11:20.
We'd actually got faster since the half-mile mark.
In the back of my mind, I'm thinking, "I don't know if I'm going to make it all the way." I still felt good, but wondered if I was going to suddenly fade on the return trip.
We started to slow a little by the 1.5 mile mark on Whipporwill, but as we approached the end of Redwing Drive, we were still way ahead of schedule. Now, we had a choice to make because I am not sure where the two-mile mark is.
If you believe Google maps, it's at the end of Redwing Drive. If you believe my car's odometer, it's a bit further down at the intersection of Veteran Hill and Empire Drive.
Stephanie tells me she has a similar problem with the two-mile mark on her run at home.
Anyway, although I was still feeling good and we were still covering a lot of distance and may have easily made it to Empire Drive, I tell Stephanie, "I think discretion is the better part of valor." And we turned around at the end of Redwing Drive.
We now had tons of time to get back before the deadline I had in my head: 48 minutes. We reached the three mile mark at around 32 minutes, but as we got onto Wygant I let Stephanie go ahead of me so we could be in a single file along this busy road.
That's when I started to fade a bit. The space between us opened up more and more and I dropped back. But I fought to get back to her as we turned onto Greenridge.
At 3.5 miles, I was barely keeping up with her, just off her elbow and a little behind.
"This is when Jonathan's football coach would say, 'It's the fourth quarter. Just finish."
So we hung on and finished at 44:12.
Wow! Personal best. Thanks Stephanie!
I then followed this run with a mile jog with the boys. Liam and I did a mile in 17:01, a personal best for him. Jack was a couple of minutes ahead of us. I think he was still sluggish because they had been laying off running recently. It was a return to the routine for them too.
My plan tonight is to put in some time on the exercise bike and try to run 5 miles on Monday. The boys and I will run again on Tuesday.
My weight is at 241.5, just slightly up because of the lay off. It could have been much worse.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
I'm back! 40-minute run
But I didn't need to run with these to know how important a new pair of shoes could be. As soon as I put them on, I felt immediate relief. Then, it became clear to me that my old pair had fallen apart to the point that I was under a constant strain. I just didn't notice because it had built up gradually.
Here's my concern, tho. Although I had my old pair for about a year, I really did not start intensively running with them until some time in April. I had started jogging with Jack in June/July 2010, but only with very light runs, alternating telephone poles to build up to a mile. Then I slowly built up from a mile to two miles before the weather started getting nasty in November.
So, really, I didn't start putting miles on until about four months ago, and the old pair got torn apart very quickly. I'm going to need to keep an eye on this new pair and see how long they will last.
This morning's run was just an easy 40-minute run. 20 out and back.
But I am back in the saddle again.
Monday, August 1, 2011
All worn out
Yes, I'm all worn out.
Actually, my shoes are.
Sorry that I haven't posted recently. To bring you up to speed, I ended up running three days last week. It was an awkward schedule because Liam had to be at Cub Scout camp by 8 a.m. Monday through Thursday, and that meant I had to get up at 5:30.
So, I was able to do that on Monday. I ran close to five miles in 1 hour and 2 minutes. On Tuesday, I ran about four miles in 48:47, and on Wednesday I ran 1 hour exactly.
But on Thursday morning -- the fourth day in a row of getting up at 5:30 -- my body just said "No way!" As I've said before, it seems like I need to keep everything in balance so that I can run. Getting up too early, too many days in a row, just threw off my stride.
Not only was I tired and sleepy, but it was the kind of tired that was difficult to get any rest -- if you know what I mean? Too tired to sleep.
On Friday, I was able to sleep in a little, but it was raining when I stepped outside. I checked the radar and saw thunderstorms were coming in, so I skipped that day too. But then I also took a good look at the soles of my shoes and wondered about the slowly building foot pain.
Take a look:
I have to say that these look as bad as they might if I'd been training for the marathon with 20-mile runs. I bought these only a year ago.
Why have they worn out so fast? Because of my weight. All those extra pounds slamming into the road over and over again wore out the rubber.
Amy and I spent Saturday morning trying to decide which store to go to buy a new pair. After a few phone calls and searches of the Internet, I settled on getting the next generation of my current shoes: The Nike Structure Triax. Mine are No. 12 in that style, which are just about all off the shelves. So, the ones I need are the Structure Triax 14, but those are not in all the stores yet.
So, I ordered them online, the first time I bought a pair of shoes over the Internet. I'm hoping they will fit and be comfortable. But I've had good luck with Nike and with this style, so I'm hopeful. I also signed up as a member so I can get a free return if needed.
Now, I am waiting for my shoes to arrive. In the meantime, I'm scaling back and limiting myself to either the regular bike or the exercise bike until they get here.
I'll keep you up to date. I promise. This is just a pause, not a complete stop.
Actually, my shoes are.
Sorry that I haven't posted recently. To bring you up to speed, I ended up running three days last week. It was an awkward schedule because Liam had to be at Cub Scout camp by 8 a.m. Monday through Thursday, and that meant I had to get up at 5:30.
So, I was able to do that on Monday. I ran close to five miles in 1 hour and 2 minutes. On Tuesday, I ran about four miles in 48:47, and on Wednesday I ran 1 hour exactly.
But on Thursday morning -- the fourth day in a row of getting up at 5:30 -- my body just said "No way!" As I've said before, it seems like I need to keep everything in balance so that I can run. Getting up too early, too many days in a row, just threw off my stride.
Not only was I tired and sleepy, but it was the kind of tired that was difficult to get any rest -- if you know what I mean? Too tired to sleep.
On Friday, I was able to sleep in a little, but it was raining when I stepped outside. I checked the radar and saw thunderstorms were coming in, so I skipped that day too. But then I also took a good look at the soles of my shoes and wondered about the slowly building foot pain.
Take a look:
I have to say that these look as bad as they might if I'd been training for the marathon with 20-mile runs. I bought these only a year ago.
Why have they worn out so fast? Because of my weight. All those extra pounds slamming into the road over and over again wore out the rubber.
Amy and I spent Saturday morning trying to decide which store to go to buy a new pair. After a few phone calls and searches of the Internet, I settled on getting the next generation of my current shoes: The Nike Structure Triax. Mine are No. 12 in that style, which are just about all off the shelves. So, the ones I need are the Structure Triax 14, but those are not in all the stores yet.
So, I ordered them online, the first time I bought a pair of shoes over the Internet. I'm hoping they will fit and be comfortable. But I've had good luck with Nike and with this style, so I'm hopeful. I also signed up as a member so I can get a free return if needed.
Now, I am waiting for my shoes to arrive. In the meantime, I'm scaling back and limiting myself to either the regular bike or the exercise bike until they get here.
I'll keep you up to date. I promise. This is just a pause, not a complete stop.
Monday, July 25, 2011
4.8 miles in 1:02:11
My shoes are falling apart. I'll need to get a new pair soon. This may have been part of the reason I've sometimes felt foot pain on runs that go more than an hour.
Today, I ran my five-mile route, but I stopped a block from home because I didn't want to push myself too far over the 1-hour mark.
There was a loose dog on Whipporwill, but when I stopped to try to talk to it, it got spooked and ran away. I think I saw it back in its own yard when I came through on my return trip.
My weight this morning was 239.5.
Today, I ran my five-mile route, but I stopped a block from home because I didn't want to push myself too far over the 1-hour mark.
There was a loose dog on Whipporwill, but when I stopped to try to talk to it, it got spooked and ran away. I think I saw it back in its own yard when I came through on my return trip.
My weight this morning was 239.5.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Catching up
So, I was sick, and then I went to N.J. last week to help my mom after she went through some surgery. She had her eye removed, and it is actually a good thing. It had given her trouble for a long time, and now she is finally free of the pain and can see better with the one remaining eye than she could with the two eyes.
Anyway, I ended up taking almost a week off from exercise, but I brought my bike with me down to N.J., and it really came in handy.
Mom had her surgery on Tuesday, and she sent me home. She said it was easier for her if I was not hanging around the hospital. I stayed until she was settled in with the surgery nurses, and I left with "Here's mud in your eye."
So, Tuesday night, I had an hour bike ride along Ocean Avenue in Avon, Belmar and Spring Lake. I made it to the southern pavilion in Spring Lake before I turned around. I really needed that bike ride because my knees were really bothering me.
Wednesday morning was the beginning of the heat wave in N.J. I ran for only a half hour on the boardwalk because of the heat, because it was my first run in a week, and also because I didn't want to be too late getting back and miss any phone calls from the hospital.
Mom's surgery had gone well, and she was doing much better when I picked her up from the hospital. She was dressed and waiting for me. As soon as I got there, she said "I'm ready to go" and we walked right out of the hospital. She moved so fast, she didn't even officially check out. I had to go back to sign her discharge papers later that day.
Wednesday evening I tried to ride the bike again, but it was so humid it was misting, and even more so along the beach. It didn't seem like ideal conditions, so I cut the ride short.
Thursday morning I got up and ran a full hour between 7 and 8 a.m. The heat and humidity were already so high that it felt like I was trying to run through a hot, wet blanket. I made it as far as Monroe Avenue in Spring Lake before turning around, and the total run was only about 4.4 miles. I was still a couple blocks short of my mom's house when I hit the 1 hour mark, and I stopped right there. Given the heat and humidity, I did not want to push myself beyond an hour.
I opted not to ride my bike on Thursday, and on Friday the heat was so bad I couldn't imagine running in it. So, I gave myself a good long ride on the bike Friday morning, going through Avon, Belmar and to the south end of Spring Lake and then followed a route along what I think is called Wreck Pond, if I am reading Google maps properly.
I drove home Friday afternoon after it seemed mom was well enough recovered from surgery. While driving I-287 in N.J., the thermometer in my car read 109 degrees.
Saturday morning I got up at 6:30 and ran about 3.8 miles in 48:59. I enjoyed the run much better because of the lack of stifling humidity at the shore. I didn't cover as much distance as in the past, but that's expected because of the time I took off. Every run that I finish is still a victory to me.
Today, I am taking as a day off, and I plan to start running again on Monday. My weight was at 240.5 as of Saturday morning.
Anyway, I ended up taking almost a week off from exercise, but I brought my bike with me down to N.J., and it really came in handy.
Mom had her surgery on Tuesday, and she sent me home. She said it was easier for her if I was not hanging around the hospital. I stayed until she was settled in with the surgery nurses, and I left with "Here's mud in your eye."
So, Tuesday night, I had an hour bike ride along Ocean Avenue in Avon, Belmar and Spring Lake. I made it to the southern pavilion in Spring Lake before I turned around. I really needed that bike ride because my knees were really bothering me.
Wednesday morning was the beginning of the heat wave in N.J. I ran for only a half hour on the boardwalk because of the heat, because it was my first run in a week, and also because I didn't want to be too late getting back and miss any phone calls from the hospital.
Mom's surgery had gone well, and she was doing much better when I picked her up from the hospital. She was dressed and waiting for me. As soon as I got there, she said "I'm ready to go" and we walked right out of the hospital. She moved so fast, she didn't even officially check out. I had to go back to sign her discharge papers later that day.
Wednesday evening I tried to ride the bike again, but it was so humid it was misting, and even more so along the beach. It didn't seem like ideal conditions, so I cut the ride short.
Thursday morning I got up and ran a full hour between 7 and 8 a.m. The heat and humidity were already so high that it felt like I was trying to run through a hot, wet blanket. I made it as far as Monroe Avenue in Spring Lake before turning around, and the total run was only about 4.4 miles. I was still a couple blocks short of my mom's house when I hit the 1 hour mark, and I stopped right there. Given the heat and humidity, I did not want to push myself beyond an hour.
I opted not to ride my bike on Thursday, and on Friday the heat was so bad I couldn't imagine running in it. So, I gave myself a good long ride on the bike Friday morning, going through Avon, Belmar and to the south end of Spring Lake and then followed a route along what I think is called Wreck Pond, if I am reading Google maps properly.
I drove home Friday afternoon after it seemed mom was well enough recovered from surgery. While driving I-287 in N.J., the thermometer in my car read 109 degrees.
Saturday morning I got up at 6:30 and ran about 3.8 miles in 48:59. I enjoyed the run much better because of the lack of stifling humidity at the shore. I didn't cover as much distance as in the past, but that's expected because of the time I took off. Every run that I finish is still a victory to me.
Today, I am taking as a day off, and I plan to start running again on Monday. My weight was at 240.5 as of Saturday morning.
Monday, July 18, 2011
The Big Announcement
My weight this morning was 239.5.
I have not had a run since Wednesday, mostly because of what was probably a mild diverticulitis attack, but the good news about that is my appetite was down anyway. So, the milestone I had been trying to reach was to be under 240 pounds. I made that last week, and then I waited a week before announcing the actual weight. I wanted to make sure it was no discrepancy in the scale, and that I was not going to bounce higher all of a sudden. I didn't. This is for real.
This is where I am ashamed to say where I had actually been at my worst one year ago. I was probably in the upper 250s. So, I've lost at least 15 pounds since then.
I feel much better now that I have lost that weight, but I have a long way to go. My hope is that I will lose at least five pounds a month. That would mean dropping another 20 pounds by the time late fall rolls around when I'll probably stop running for the year. I just don't like running in the nasty winter weather.
In the meantime, I need to get back to running now, but I am heading to N.J. on Tuesday because my mom is having surgery. Perhaps I will be able to get some runs in on the boardwalk. I'll try to keep posting while I'm away.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
No run today
No run today. I started to feel discomfort late Wednesday afternoon, and it sharpened to a distinct pain in my lower left abdomen by the evening. It was still there this morning.
From the location, it may be diverticulitis. I'm just going to take it easy and see whether it will settle down on its own. If it's not better by tomorrow, I may be going to see my doctor.
Sorry for a less-than-inspirational posting.
From the location, it may be diverticulitis. I'm just going to take it easy and see whether it will settle down on its own. If it's not better by tomorrow, I may be going to see my doctor.
Sorry for a less-than-inspirational posting.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
5 miles in 1:04:05
It's become clear that Google maps and my car's odometer disagree about how far away things are. While I do have a potential tie-breaker -- a pedometer I just bought for $4 -- for now I've decided to go with what my car tells me rather than Google maps.
I'm siding with my car because its measurement of five miles is longer than what Google maps tells me, and I'd rather make sure I am actually running five miles. Also, there is a recently built road that does not exist on Google maps, and I'd like to use that road for a loop in my run.
But with the new measurements, I was getting to the checkpoints later and later. I kept pushing myself to catch up with my projected times, but when I hit the four-mile mark, I just felt all the energy drop out of me.
It felt like I had run out of fuel. I had not been eating spaghetti recently, and that may have been a factor. But I was very sluggish after I got home. I felt overheated, and I took a cool bath that perked me up a little.
I felt sleepy for most of the morning, and I did not fully recover until a nap early this afternoon. I had not been getting a full night's sleep recently, and this may be the reason. My stomach has been off all day. Let's hope that Thursday I'll feel better.
BMI is still 34.4.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
3.8 miles in 48:04
OK, so the plan was to run 4 miles in about 48 minutes, and I fell a little short today. I think I was looking ahead to the walk/jog with Liam and Jack after my run. This is the first time we've done this on a day that they were also going to summer religious education, and I was concerned about getting them started, finished and ready to leave on time. We did it all in time, but it was more exciting than I thought it would be.
Just before I left on my run, I put Romeo outside on his dog run. He was fine as I stretched and warmed up, but just eight seconds after I started running, he barked. So, I stopped, turned around and brought him inside. Then I went back to my starting line.
I left the eight seconds on my watch, and maybe that had something to do with falling short of the two mile turnaround. Oh, well. Ultimately, the important thing is to get a good workout that boosts fitness. A loss of a tenth of a mile here and there will not make a big difference in the long run ... so to speak.
As I turned onto Redwing Drive, I felt slightly guilty because I remembered I had eaten two pieces of chocolate cheesecake last night. I wondered if that indulgence was slowing me down. But as I turned that corner, a lady who was probably in her 60s was walking towards me.
"You're amazing," she said. "You're very dedicated."
"Thank you," I said, suddenly wondering how many other residents on my route have noticed me. Hopefully, they will remember me as The Incredibly Shrinking Man, as I keep losing weight.
But it turned out to be an animal-centered morning. The minor distraction with Romeo was followed by sightings of three cats on my run. When I got back home, I found a new adventure waiting for me.
The boys were not quite ready to run the last mile with me. Jack found a mole in the bathroom. Ninja had lately been bringing these little creatures into our house to kill them, but this one was still alive. Jack was trying to capture it with a Tupperware container with no luck. Those things can move fast. I had him go get a shoe box, and after a few minutes I was able to get him into the shoebox, contained somewhat with the Tupperware.
Those suckers scream and squeak quite loudly when they are scared. I also know they bite. One bit Amy a couple of weeks ago. But this one we were able to get outside and released into the bushes in the front yard. Hopefully, it will be the last we see of him, but we've encountered pieces of dead birds and small animals in the morning before.
So, on my run with Liam -- with Jack running far ahead of us -- we spotted a baby snake in the grass, a cat, and a rabbit. It was all quite the adventure.
Jack finished his mile in 13:05. Liam finished his at 18:03. They both are improving.
I'm starting to think about a head-to-head race with just Jack, just to see how he does against me.
Oh, but the exciting news is I finally got down to a BMI of 34.4.
Take that, chocolate cheesecake!
On Wednesday, I will be trying out a slightly different five-mile route. Instead of straight out and back, I'm going to follow some loops, and according to my car's odometer, it all measures five miles.
Just before I left on my run, I put Romeo outside on his dog run. He was fine as I stretched and warmed up, but just eight seconds after I started running, he barked. So, I stopped, turned around and brought him inside. Then I went back to my starting line.
I left the eight seconds on my watch, and maybe that had something to do with falling short of the two mile turnaround. Oh, well. Ultimately, the important thing is to get a good workout that boosts fitness. A loss of a tenth of a mile here and there will not make a big difference in the long run ... so to speak.
As I turned onto Redwing Drive, I felt slightly guilty because I remembered I had eaten two pieces of chocolate cheesecake last night. I wondered if that indulgence was slowing me down. But as I turned that corner, a lady who was probably in her 60s was walking towards me.
"You're amazing," she said. "You're very dedicated."
"Thank you," I said, suddenly wondering how many other residents on my route have noticed me. Hopefully, they will remember me as The Incredibly Shrinking Man, as I keep losing weight.
But it turned out to be an animal-centered morning. The minor distraction with Romeo was followed by sightings of three cats on my run. When I got back home, I found a new adventure waiting for me.
The boys were not quite ready to run the last mile with me. Jack found a mole in the bathroom. Ninja had lately been bringing these little creatures into our house to kill them, but this one was still alive. Jack was trying to capture it with a Tupperware container with no luck. Those things can move fast. I had him go get a shoe box, and after a few minutes I was able to get him into the shoebox, contained somewhat with the Tupperware.
Those suckers scream and squeak quite loudly when they are scared. I also know they bite. One bit Amy a couple of weeks ago. But this one we were able to get outside and released into the bushes in the front yard. Hopefully, it will be the last we see of him, but we've encountered pieces of dead birds and small animals in the morning before.
So, on my run with Liam -- with Jack running far ahead of us -- we spotted a baby snake in the grass, a cat, and a rabbit. It was all quite the adventure.
Jack finished his mile in 13:05. Liam finished his at 18:03. They both are improving.
I'm starting to think about a head-to-head race with just Jack, just to see how he does against me.
Oh, but the exciting news is I finally got down to a BMI of 34.4.
Take that, chocolate cheesecake!
On Wednesday, I will be trying out a slightly different five-mile route. Instead of straight out and back, I'm going to follow some loops, and according to my car's odometer, it all measures five miles.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Five miles in 1 hour
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| The five-mile run. |
Today, I finally hit my goal of running five miles in an hour.
But to back up, just a bit, I do want to report that despite a canceled run on Friday morning because of thunderstorms, I did run four miles in 49:11 by myself on Saturday, followed by a mile walk/jog with Liam. Jack ran a mile, mostly on his own. At one point early on, Liam actually caught up and passed him. But then he was exhausted and had to rest. So, I spent some time working on pacing with him. Jack's time for the mile was 13:07, about a half a minute faster than before.
I also rode my bike for about an hour on Sunday. It really helps the knees.
So, anyway, back to this morning's run.
I woke up at 6 a.m. and as usual dozed for about five minutes before actually getting up. What usually motivates me is thinking about all the reasons why I hate being obese.
Such as:
- It's hard to bend over and pick something off the floor.
- I inadvertently honk the horn on my car as I get out because my cell phone hits the steering wheel.
- I don't like exceeding the weight limits on some kinds of ladders.
- I get the sensation that the diving board is only inches from breaking.
- I have trouble fitting into the Go-Karts at Harris Hill, etc.
So, anyway, I get up and go for a run.
As I went through the kitchen, I saw that the screen door was slightly open. Somehow, our little black cat, Ninja, had opened it. I closed it and went to get a cup of water. Almost immediately, Ninja was at the door, meowing to be let in. So, I did, and went out my front door to the step.
That's when I saw another black cat sitting in our front yard, by our lilac bush, staring at me. At first, I thought it was Ninja, but then thought, "No, I definitely just brought him inside." Apparently, there is another black cat in the neighborhood and he spent several minutes staring at me as I drank my cup of water and stretched. It ran off when a car spooked it.
When I started the run, I just felt really good. Perhaps the weather had something to do with it. It was cool, and I didn't sense any oppressive humidity. I also hit the checkpoints right on time, some a little earlier than usual. Some just a little slower.
I made it to the turnaround point on Valley Lane off Old Ithaca Road at the 30 minute mark. It was just about at the 2.5 mile mark, as I measured it from Google maps. Hitting that goal gave me a boost of adrenalin and I was able to run a little faster on the way back. I reached all of my checkpoints ahead of time, and when I got home it was still only 59:14. So, I kept running and stopped at the corner of Stuart and Middle Roads when the clock hit 1 hour.
There is a discrepancy here. Google maps says my turnaround was at 2.5 miles. But I later checked it with the odometer on my car, which put the turnaround a bit farther down the road on Valley Lane. But even so, I ran half a block past the finish line, which I think makes up for the shortage on the other end. So, I'm calling this my first five mile run in at least eight years.
Tomorrow, I will be running four miles by myself and another mile with the boys. I think the varying intensities of these runs help boost my speed and endurance.
BMI is 34.6
Friday, July 8, 2011
Thunderstorm
My alarm clock jarred me awake at 6 a.m.
I snapped the off button and hear the distant thunder. I want to check the radar, so I put my hand on the edge of my bed and push to get up.
But the bed collapses. A support beam snapped.
I go back to bed and we try to sleep at an angle as we listen to the thunderstorm closing in.
No run today. We'll try again Saturday.
I snapped the off button and hear the distant thunder. I want to check the radar, so I put my hand on the edge of my bed and push to get up.
But the bed collapses. A support beam snapped.
I go back to bed and we try to sleep at an angle as we listen to the thunderstorm closing in.
No run today. We'll try again Saturday.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
4 miles in 51:11
Now that I've been running at either close to or more than an hour, I am starting to feel some warning signs. At the very end of these runs, I feel very mild pain, usually in either one foot or the other.
My sense is that this is just my feet feeling the strain of the run, that I am at the furthest extent I can go in a single run. This is strain, not injury, but it is the warning not to push myself beyond an hour. I think that at least until I lose more weight, a run of more than an hour could get me injured.
This morning I planned on running a mile with the boys after my solitary run. So, instead of running a full hour and then a mile with them, I cut my run to four miles, planning to run my last mile with them.
We started off well, but after about a quarter mile, Liam complained of pain in his side. So, we rested, and I had him focus on his breathing until the pain went away. I was trying to teach him a technique called "belly breathing" in which you make your stomach go out as you breathe in. It is the opposite of what you usually do, and it often relieves the pain of stitches.
But it is tricky for a 7-year-old to figure out how to do that. I don't think he really caught on to how to do it.
The pain went away, but came back as soon as we started running again. So, I had him stop for the day. You need to listen to the warnings you get from pain, especially when you are 7.
But in the meantime, Jack ran the mile route in 13:37. He seemed to like it much better this time.
So, Friday I will run a full hour, and Saturday I will just try to do a mile run with the boys. Jack and I may go for a bike ride after that.
Oh, my weight has dropped a little. According to the scale, my BMI is down to 34.5. If I can lose one more half pound and keep it dropping for another week, I will start posting my weight in pounds.
My sense is that this is just my feet feeling the strain of the run, that I am at the furthest extent I can go in a single run. This is strain, not injury, but it is the warning not to push myself beyond an hour. I think that at least until I lose more weight, a run of more than an hour could get me injured.
This morning I planned on running a mile with the boys after my solitary run. So, instead of running a full hour and then a mile with them, I cut my run to four miles, planning to run my last mile with them.
We started off well, but after about a quarter mile, Liam complained of pain in his side. So, we rested, and I had him focus on his breathing until the pain went away. I was trying to teach him a technique called "belly breathing" in which you make your stomach go out as you breathe in. It is the opposite of what you usually do, and it often relieves the pain of stitches.
But it is tricky for a 7-year-old to figure out how to do that. I don't think he really caught on to how to do it.
The pain went away, but came back as soon as we started running again. So, I had him stop for the day. You need to listen to the warnings you get from pain, especially when you are 7.
But in the meantime, Jack ran the mile route in 13:37. He seemed to like it much better this time.
So, Friday I will run a full hour, and Saturday I will just try to do a mile run with the boys. Jack and I may go for a bike ride after that.
Oh, my weight has dropped a little. According to the scale, my BMI is down to 34.5. If I can lose one more half pound and keep it dropping for another week, I will start posting my weight in pounds.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
2.2 miles in 30 minutes
I felt rather sluggish today. While I was stretching, part of me wanted to climb back into bed. I started running and knew I was off pace. So, I opted for just a 30-minute run.
Tuesday's run had been the most successful in a while, and I think that my body needed a break. No need to always push myself on every run. Sometimes you need to step back and give yourself a chance to recover.
At least I resisted the urge to climb back into bed and not run at all. Therein lies the victory.
Tomorrow is another day.
Tuesday's run had been the most successful in a while, and I think that my body needed a break. No need to always push myself on every run. Sometimes you need to step back and give yourself a chance to recover.
At least I resisted the urge to climb back into bed and not run at all. Therein lies the victory.
Tomorrow is another day.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
4.8 miles in 1:02:08
It was Amy's first day back at work after vacation, and I needed to get the run finished before she left in the morning. So, I got up at 6, and got on the run shortly after 6:30.
For me, this is the only way to run in July. The air is still cool. In fact, I think I could see my own breath as I stretched, but perhaps that was my imagination. But the lower temperature makes it easier to run. Not as many people are out at this time, but that works for me. Fewer lost dogs and more bunnies.
I made it all the way to the end of Empire Drive and just around the corner onto Old Ithaca Road. The pacing was a little faster, but I lost some speed on the way back. I also made note of where I was at the 12 minute mark and the 24 minute mark. If I am running 12 minute miles, those marks are significant.
It turns out my 12-minute mark was the corner of Meadowlark and Wygant, and it was about 1 mile from my house. My 24 minute mark was at about 1.9 miles. The 2-mile mark is at about the intersection of Redwing Lane and Veteran Hill Road.
To run the full five miles, it looks like I have to run to the end of Empire Drive, turn left onto Old Ithaca Road, then make the next left on Valley Lane and turn around at the first house that faces the road on Valley Lane.
Can I reach this mark by the end of the week?
Tune in next time.
BMI is 34.8.
For me, this is the only way to run in July. The air is still cool. In fact, I think I could see my own breath as I stretched, but perhaps that was my imagination. But the lower temperature makes it easier to run. Not as many people are out at this time, but that works for me. Fewer lost dogs and more bunnies.
I made it all the way to the end of Empire Drive and just around the corner onto Old Ithaca Road. The pacing was a little faster, but I lost some speed on the way back. I also made note of where I was at the 12 minute mark and the 24 minute mark. If I am running 12 minute miles, those marks are significant.
It turns out my 12-minute mark was the corner of Meadowlark and Wygant, and it was about 1 mile from my house. My 24 minute mark was at about 1.9 miles. The 2-mile mark is at about the intersection of Redwing Lane and Veteran Hill Road.
To run the full five miles, it looks like I have to run to the end of Empire Drive, turn left onto Old Ithaca Road, then make the next left on Valley Lane and turn around at the first house that faces the road on Valley Lane.
Can I reach this mark by the end of the week?
Tune in next time.
BMI is 34.8.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Back home again, 4.4 miles in 1:00:30
So, I'm officially up to running a full hour, but I'm not nearly covering enough distance.
Obviously my pacing is off, and I need to kick it up a notch. However, just exercising for a full hour is a good place for me to be. But I was running this way too slow. For one, a "real" runner went by me on Wygant today. It felt like when you're out on the freeway doing the speed limit and someone passes you going 90. I watched as he made the bend in the road where it meets Veteran Hill Road and said to myself, "Yeah, that's how you're supposed to do it."
Second, it seemed to take FAR too long to pass the walkers I encountered on my route.
Anyway, what I need to do is record where the miles end on this new route and set my goal of running 12-minute miles.
I didn't rescue any dogs today.
BMI is still 34.7.
Obviously my pacing is off, and I need to kick it up a notch. However, just exercising for a full hour is a good place for me to be. But I was running this way too slow. For one, a "real" runner went by me on Wygant today. It felt like when you're out on the freeway doing the speed limit and someone passes you going 90. I watched as he made the bend in the road where it meets Veteran Hill Road and said to myself, "Yeah, that's how you're supposed to do it."
Second, it seemed to take FAR too long to pass the walkers I encountered on my route.
Anyway, what I need to do is record where the miles end on this new route and set my goal of running 12-minute miles.
I didn't rescue any dogs today.
BMI is still 34.7.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Roundup of runs
We went to N.J. this week, and I didn't do any blog postings about those runs because I didn't have time to run and blog. But if I had to give up one, it should be the blogging, right? The actual running is more important.
But it was an exciting few days of running. I met my goal of running five days in a row for the week, plus I also kept up to date on taking my medicine and my Metamucil. I didn't even eat the bacon that came on the chicken sandwiches at Perkins.
So, here's my round up.
42:05, Dog Interrupted
Wednesday morning we were heading to N.J., but I got up as usual for my run. It was a simple plan: run out for 28 minutes through the new Birdland route, turn around and come home. I ended up on Empire Drive, and just as I reached the 28 minute mark, a dog that was sleeping on the front yard there pops up and comes into the street after me.
"Oh no," I said to himself. "His collar batteries have run out, and he's coming out to defend his property."
But it was a nice dog, and we quickly made friends. So, obviously, that was not his property he was sleeping on. The owner of the house opened her front door and asked if I knew whose dog he was. I suggested she call the animal shelter, but she worried that they wouldn't be open yet.
"I'll bet if you started running again, he would follow you."
She was right, and when he started following me, I knew it would get dangerous for him. I didn't want him following me into traffic. I stopped and petted him, and realized I needed to walk him to the animal shelter himself. So, I took a shoelace off one of my shoes and tied it to his collar and walked him there.
It turns out it is not easy to walk with one shoe missing its shoelace. But he was a very good dog, and a very good walker. It took me a half hour to get him there, and the owners called me on my cell phone the next day, extremely grateful that I had found their dog.
His name is Rusty and he was about a half-mile from his house when I found him.
I ran about 2.1 miles before I met Rusty, then walked 1.2 miles without a shoelace to the Horseheads Animal Shelter, then jogged another mile to get home.
4.4 miles in 1:02:35
On Thursday morning, we were staying at my sister's house in Flemington, N.J. and I got up at 6 a.m. and got started on my run around 6:30, close to my usual routine. I'd asked about which direction I should go, and headed out on County Route 523, but that was very busy and I took the first left I could on what looked to be a quiet road.
That was Sutton Farm Road, which lead to Mason Farm Road. These were developments with wealthy homes, properties that apparently had been divided up out of former farmland. It was very hilly, and as it turned out, I was running downhill most of the time. So, it made the return trip tough. I kept running though.
The only thing that stopped me was the traffic when I got back on 523. Another jogger was running the same way I was, but on the wrong side of the road. She was running WITH the traffic, and not against it. So, traffic would try to swerve a little to avoid her, and other traffic was trying to swerve to avoid me.
When things got tight like that, I just jumped off the road and stood in the culvert to the side until the danger passed.
4.4 miles in 59:27
On Friday, we were at my mom's house, two blocks from the beach in Avon. This is where I grew up. I slept in this morning, got up at 7 and started running by 7:30.
But I really enjoyed the run. The boardwalk is flat, safe and the boards give as you run. Much less stress from the impact. They've also upgraded the boardwalk and improved the area that connects Belmar to Spring Lake. They also extended the boardwalk in Spring Lake. All around, good news.
On the way back, I encountered what looked like a high school cross-country team. A few of them had T-shirts that said "Wall High School," so I guessed that was what team they were. When I tried to ask, none of them responded. "Pay no attention to the fat man jogging in the other direction."
After my run, I walked my mom's dog and later jogged/walked a mile with Liam for 18:47. All together, that may have been about six miles of exercise.
So, I made a run all five days to meet my goal. I didn't do anything Saturday, that was when we were heading home. This morning, Sunday, I would have rode my bike, but there was rain and the threat of thunderstorms. So, I gave it a miss this time. I'll try to ride the stationary bike later on.
But it was an exciting few days of running. I met my goal of running five days in a row for the week, plus I also kept up to date on taking my medicine and my Metamucil. I didn't even eat the bacon that came on the chicken sandwiches at Perkins.
So, here's my round up.
42:05, Dog Interrupted
Wednesday morning we were heading to N.J., but I got up as usual for my run. It was a simple plan: run out for 28 minutes through the new Birdland route, turn around and come home. I ended up on Empire Drive, and just as I reached the 28 minute mark, a dog that was sleeping on the front yard there pops up and comes into the street after me.
"Oh no," I said to himself. "His collar batteries have run out, and he's coming out to defend his property."
 |
| Rusty |
"I'll bet if you started running again, he would follow you."
She was right, and when he started following me, I knew it would get dangerous for him. I didn't want him following me into traffic. I stopped and petted him, and realized I needed to walk him to the animal shelter himself. So, I took a shoelace off one of my shoes and tied it to his collar and walked him there.
It turns out it is not easy to walk with one shoe missing its shoelace. But he was a very good dog, and a very good walker. It took me a half hour to get him there, and the owners called me on my cell phone the next day, extremely grateful that I had found their dog.
His name is Rusty and he was about a half-mile from his house when I found him.
I ran about 2.1 miles before I met Rusty, then walked 1.2 miles without a shoelace to the Horseheads Animal Shelter, then jogged another mile to get home.
 |
| The Flemington, N.J., run. |
4.4 miles in 1:02:35
On Thursday morning, we were staying at my sister's house in Flemington, N.J. and I got up at 6 a.m. and got started on my run around 6:30, close to my usual routine. I'd asked about which direction I should go, and headed out on County Route 523, but that was very busy and I took the first left I could on what looked to be a quiet road.
That was Sutton Farm Road, which lead to Mason Farm Road. These were developments with wealthy homes, properties that apparently had been divided up out of former farmland. It was very hilly, and as it turned out, I was running downhill most of the time. So, it made the return trip tough. I kept running though.
The only thing that stopped me was the traffic when I got back on 523. Another jogger was running the same way I was, but on the wrong side of the road. She was running WITH the traffic, and not against it. So, traffic would try to swerve a little to avoid her, and other traffic was trying to swerve to avoid me.
When things got tight like that, I just jumped off the road and stood in the culvert to the side until the danger passed.
I had run out for 28 minutes, and should have returned at 56, but I'll blame the hills and the traffic for the slow return. It was not the ideal situation, but if I run in Flemington again, I'll have some better ideas for a route.
4.4 miles in 59:27
On Friday, we were at my mom's house, two blocks from the beach in Avon. This is where I grew up. I slept in this morning, got up at 7 and started running by 7:30.
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| The Jersey Shore run. |
On the way back, I encountered what looked like a high school cross-country team. A few of them had T-shirts that said "Wall High School," so I guessed that was what team they were. When I tried to ask, none of them responded. "Pay no attention to the fat man jogging in the other direction."
After my run, I walked my mom's dog and later jogged/walked a mile with Liam for 18:47. All together, that may have been about six miles of exercise.
So, I made a run all five days to meet my goal. I didn't do anything Saturday, that was when we were heading home. This morning, Sunday, I would have rode my bike, but there was rain and the threat of thunderstorms. So, I gave it a miss this time. I'll try to ride the stationary bike later on.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Running in Birdland
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| Today's run. |
4.2 miles in 55:33
I changed my route again, opting to meander through Birdland, a neighborhood in which every road is named for a bird. The new route is safer and quieter. Very little traffic, and what traffic there is drives slow. Toy cars were sitting in a dirt hole at the end of a driveway, which means that kids can play near the road without worry.
That's much different from life on Middle Road, where drivers often ignore the speed limits and go 45 to 60 mph in a 30 mph zone.
Today was also different because I ran with my boys for the first time since last summer. I had Jack run the first half mile with me and then run back home. It took him about 14 minutes to do his mile.
Then, at the end of my run, Liam and I ran around the block. He often stopped for breaks, but he could run fast. I really had to push it at the end just to tie him at the finish. That was about 8/10s of a mile in about 13 minutes.
It will be interesting to see which one is better at running a mile by the end of the summer.
Monday, June 27, 2011
4 miles in 52:49
Mondays always seem to be a little harder. I lose a little bit from the two-day break from running. But if I were to run six or seven days in a row, I think that would be too much for my knees. The break is necessary.
So, if I can run every day this week, I should be up to running a full hour by Friday. That may be a five mile run, but only if I can get up to the right pace and stay there. Also, we'll be traveling this week, so I will need to put in the extra effort to get the runs in.
One or two of my runs will probably be on the boardwalk in New Jersey where I grew up. I'm looking forward to that. I used to put in 15 miles on the boardwalk every Saturday, and I averaged about 70 miles a week. That was a million years ago when I was in high school. The high school version of myself could run circles around me now.
Literally.
I remember my fastest time for the quarter mile was 54.9. Today, I'd be lucky to make it in three minutes.
Oh well, remember Teddy Roosevelt: "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
BMI is 34.7.
So, if I can run every day this week, I should be up to running a full hour by Friday. That may be a five mile run, but only if I can get up to the right pace and stay there. Also, we'll be traveling this week, so I will need to put in the extra effort to get the runs in.
One or two of my runs will probably be on the boardwalk in New Jersey where I grew up. I'm looking forward to that. I used to put in 15 miles on the boardwalk every Saturday, and I averaged about 70 miles a week. That was a million years ago when I was in high school. The high school version of myself could run circles around me now.
Literally.
I remember my fastest time for the quarter mile was 54.9. Today, I'd be lucky to make it in three minutes.
Oh well, remember Teddy Roosevelt: "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
BMI is 34.7.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
14-mile bike ride in 1:30
I'm exploring new options for my bike route. What I've learned is that 1) I really like the Catharine Valley Trail and 2) Getting to the Catharine Valley Trail on a bike is difficult because you either have to ride on state Route 14 or go up Middle Road.
Going up Middle Road is not too bad. However, the problem is making the cut over from Middle Road over to the Millport Post Office on state Route 14. Middle Road is at a higher elevation and while there are at least three decent roads that will take you over to Route 14 -- Smith Road, Stafford Road and Burch Hill Road -- they all have steep, wicked hills.
I tried Burch Hill Road today, and worried all the time I was going to either burn out my brakes or crash. On the way back, I tried Stafford Road, and the uphill on that was so steep that I had to get off my bike and walk.
But I think that is the answer.
I could go up Middle Road, take Stafford and when the hill gets too steep, get off and walk the bike down.
Either way, the biking is definitely worth it. I can always feel my knees get stronger every time I get a good bike ride in.
Back to running on Monday.
Going up Middle Road is not too bad. However, the problem is making the cut over from Middle Road over to the Millport Post Office on state Route 14. Middle Road is at a higher elevation and while there are at least three decent roads that will take you over to Route 14 -- Smith Road, Stafford Road and Burch Hill Road -- they all have steep, wicked hills.
I tried Burch Hill Road today, and worried all the time I was going to either burn out my brakes or crash. On the way back, I tried Stafford Road, and the uphill on that was so steep that I had to get off my bike and walk.
But I think that is the answer.
I could go up Middle Road, take Stafford and when the hill gets too steep, get off and walk the bike down.
Either way, the biking is definitely worth it. I can always feel my knees get stronger every time I get a good bike ride in.
Back to running on Monday.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
40-minute bike ride with Jack
Now that school's out, I'll be taking the boys on my excursions when I can. This morning Jack and I went on a 40 minute bike ride down into the village square and to the library.
It was a good distance for Jack and a short distance for me. But I'll probably go for a longer ride on Sunday. Actually that works. Instead of a day off completely from exercise, I'll do a short bike ride with Jack one day a week and still keep my longer bike ride for myself.
During the summer, the boys will be running with me in a limited way. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Jack will run the first half mile with me, then turn around and go home. When I get back from my run, Liam is supposed to be ready and waiting to run around the block with me.
We'll see if that works.
It was a good distance for Jack and a short distance for me. But I'll probably go for a longer ride on Sunday. Actually that works. Instead of a day off completely from exercise, I'll do a short bike ride with Jack one day a week and still keep my longer bike ride for myself.
During the summer, the boys will be running with me in a limited way. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Jack will run the first half mile with me, then turn around and go home. When I get back from my run, Liam is supposed to be ready and waiting to run around the block with me.
We'll see if that works.
Friday, June 24, 2011
4 miles in 51 minutes
I had no idea I'd hit the four-mile goal until I plugged my route into Google maps later on. The run felt good on the way out, and slower on the way back. I'm learning not to worry about it so much because every day I am increasing the length of my runs by time and distance.
My pace today averaged out to 12:45 per mile. Well, every time I finish is a victory for me.
It showered while I was stretching before the run, so I went back inside to get a Ziplock bag for my phone. Another shower started as I began my run, but it was light and so I just tucked the rim of my hat close to my glasses and chugged on.
I don't know what I'd do if I got caught out in a heavy rain or thunderstorm. Take cover and call for Amy, I guess.
On my outbound run, I saw a sheriff's deputy standing guard as a red pickup was being towed away. Something happened there.
Going up the hill on Overlook Drive, I pass a homeowner and tell her, "Nice hill you have here."
My BMI is now down to 34.7. I am approaching one of my mileposts in weight loss. If I get the BMI down below 34.4, I will wait one more week and then I'll be discussing actual pounds.
I've decided to ignore the two days I missed earlier this week. It is more important for me to bike on Saturday because I need to keep up the strength in my knees.
Later
My pace today averaged out to 12:45 per mile. Well, every time I finish is a victory for me.
It showered while I was stretching before the run, so I went back inside to get a Ziplock bag for my phone. Another shower started as I began my run, but it was light and so I just tucked the rim of my hat close to my glasses and chugged on.
I don't know what I'd do if I got caught out in a heavy rain or thunderstorm. Take cover and call for Amy, I guess.
On my outbound run, I saw a sheriff's deputy standing guard as a red pickup was being towed away. Something happened there.
Going up the hill on Overlook Drive, I pass a homeowner and tell her, "Nice hill you have here."
My BMI is now down to 34.7. I am approaching one of my mileposts in weight loss. If I get the BMI down below 34.4, I will wait one more week and then I'll be discussing actual pounds.
I've decided to ignore the two days I missed earlier this week. It is more important for me to bike on Saturday because I need to keep up the strength in my knees.
Later
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Oops!
I almost titled this post "Blame it on the Rain," but then remembered that my wife HATES Milli Vanilli, not just because of their fakery, but because they robbed the Indigo Girls of their chance for the Best New Artist Grammy.
And, I certainly wouldn't want to add insult to injury. I owe her a big apology this morning because I started my run much later than usual and did not leave a note. So, by the time I got back, she was very concerned and even called me on the cell while I was walking up to our mailbox while finishing my warm-down walk.
Sorry, honey. My bad. What I learned is that when the routine gets changed, there's a chain reaction of consequences that I have to adjust for. Next time will be better.
So, yeah, I started late this morning because I could hear rain on the skylight in the kitchen. I hate running in the rain because I wear glasses and the water drops obscure my vision and make it harder to run. I also worry about ruining the cell phone, but that's easily fixed by putting it in a Ziplock bag in its case.
I left a half-hour later, and it was a different experience. More joggers and walkers are out. More traffic on the roads. Ok, here's today's roundup.
3.8 miles in 49:20
The run out went very well, and it seemed like the return trip was going well, but turned out to be slower. The turnaround was much higher on the hill on Overlook Drive. I just about made it to Ridgehaven Drive, about a block past last week's best mark.
I continue to increase the distance in each run. From now on, each outward bound run will be 1 minute longer than the previous day's until I get to one hour of total running time.
I got slowed up a bit on the return because I had to wait for traffic here and there. I keep the timer running on these breaks because they give me an artificial rebound, so it all works out. It's all part of the run. Just simpler to let it keep going.
BMI is 34.9.
And, I certainly wouldn't want to add insult to injury. I owe her a big apology this morning because I started my run much later than usual and did not leave a note. So, by the time I got back, she was very concerned and even called me on the cell while I was walking up to our mailbox while finishing my warm-down walk.
Sorry, honey. My bad. What I learned is that when the routine gets changed, there's a chain reaction of consequences that I have to adjust for. Next time will be better.
So, yeah, I started late this morning because I could hear rain on the skylight in the kitchen. I hate running in the rain because I wear glasses and the water drops obscure my vision and make it harder to run. I also worry about ruining the cell phone, but that's easily fixed by putting it in a Ziplock bag in its case.
I left a half-hour later, and it was a different experience. More joggers and walkers are out. More traffic on the roads. Ok, here's today's roundup.
3.8 miles in 49:20
The run out went very well, and it seemed like the return trip was going well, but turned out to be slower. The turnaround was much higher on the hill on Overlook Drive. I just about made it to Ridgehaven Drive, about a block past last week's best mark.
I continue to increase the distance in each run. From now on, each outward bound run will be 1 minute longer than the previous day's until I get to one hour of total running time.
I got slowed up a bit on the return because I had to wait for traffic here and there. I keep the timer running on these breaks because they give me an artificial rebound, so it all works out. It's all part of the run. Just simpler to let it keep going.
BMI is 34.9.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
3.6 miles in 48 minutes
On Monday, I woke up with a mild head cold. On Tuesday, I was recovering, but still feeling too sluggish. On both days my body was telling me I needed to rest, so I lost two days of running.
Last night was fitful because of thunderstorms that came and went all night. A couple of times they made me jump awake. At one point, I woke up and checked the clock. It was blinking at 2:25. I checked my cell phone and found it was really around 5 a.m. I got up an checked to make sure my computer made it through the power outage OK, and to check the radar. The storm had been right on top of us, but was now moving off to the east.
So, I dozed until 6 a.m., then got up for the run. All the birthday wishes -- especially those that cheered on my running -- helped get me out of bed. It's hard to sleep in when you sense that a few people will be checking on your progress. That's also how I knew I was really sick enough to stay in bed. I just felt so lousy that I didn't worry about what it would look like on the blog.
Anyway, I opted for the same run as last week. I ran out 23 minutes, turned around and came back. I wore the new running shorts and shirt that I got for my birthday, and they made a difference. The new shorts have pockets and a waistband that I can clip my cell phone on. Up until now, I had been carrying the cell phone in my hand. It is much easier to run with your arms moving freely. The arm motion is part of the running effort.
I didn't get quite as far in 23 minutes as I did last week, and I was quite a bit slower getting back. But not bad for making a comeback after laying off for a couple of days.
The next question is how I will adjust these two unplanned days off? Should I just start running 5 in a row now, and put it through the weekend? Or keep the running days on Monday through Friday?
Stay tuned.
Last night was fitful because of thunderstorms that came and went all night. A couple of times they made me jump awake. At one point, I woke up and checked the clock. It was blinking at 2:25. I checked my cell phone and found it was really around 5 a.m. I got up an checked to make sure my computer made it through the power outage OK, and to check the radar. The storm had been right on top of us, but was now moving off to the east.
So, I dozed until 6 a.m., then got up for the run. All the birthday wishes -- especially those that cheered on my running -- helped get me out of bed. It's hard to sleep in when you sense that a few people will be checking on your progress. That's also how I knew I was really sick enough to stay in bed. I just felt so lousy that I didn't worry about what it would look like on the blog.
Anyway, I opted for the same run as last week. I ran out 23 minutes, turned around and came back. I wore the new running shorts and shirt that I got for my birthday, and they made a difference. The new shorts have pockets and a waistband that I can clip my cell phone on. Up until now, I had been carrying the cell phone in my hand. It is much easier to run with your arms moving freely. The arm motion is part of the running effort.
I didn't get quite as far in 23 minutes as I did last week, and I was quite a bit slower getting back. But not bad for making a comeback after laying off for a couple of days.
The next question is how I will adjust these two unplanned days off? Should I just start running 5 in a row now, and put it through the weekend? Or keep the running days on Monday through Friday?
Stay tuned.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Unexpected day off
I didn't feel well when I woke up this morning. It feels like a mild head cold. I'm shaky and tired. Today will be a day of rest, and we'll see what tomorrow brings.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
13.5 mile bike ride in 1 hour, 30 minutes
I headed south for my bike ride this morning, mostly along Main Street and Lake Road in Horseheads. But I did take a side detour up Franklin Street to the Mill Street Pond and the Horseheads Post Office before I got back on the Main Road.
I ended up at Eldridge Park in Elmira and finally found the dog park there. I'd been trying to find it for a long time. It was over by the ballfields on the other side of the lake from the main pavillion. It was smaller than our backyard. But then again, we have a pretty big backyard.
Other sights from the ride: A deer popped out of the bushes near the Holding Point ... a "Free" sign on a fire hydrant ... Some young guys playing cricket ... bunnies, gophers and assorted wildlife ... a cocker spaniel at the park.
Coming back I realized I was going uphill for most of the way back. How is that possible? Coming back from a northbound ride also seems to be more uphill as well. Maybe it just feels uphill because I'm on the second half of the ride and I'm tired.
Back to running on Monday.
Happy Father's Day!
I ended up at Eldridge Park in Elmira and finally found the dog park there. I'd been trying to find it for a long time. It was over by the ballfields on the other side of the lake from the main pavillion. It was smaller than our backyard. But then again, we have a pretty big backyard.
Other sights from the ride: A deer popped out of the bushes near the Holding Point ... a "Free" sign on a fire hydrant ... Some young guys playing cricket ... bunnies, gophers and assorted wildlife ... a cocker spaniel at the park.
Coming back I realized I was going uphill for most of the way back. How is that possible? Coming back from a northbound ride also seems to be more uphill as well. Maybe it just feels uphill because I'm on the second half of the ride and I'm tired.
Back to running on Monday.
Happy Father's Day!
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Day off
Today's my day off from running or biking. I will be trying to bike a couple of hours Sunday morning before church.
See you later.
See you later.
Friday, June 17, 2011
46:04 minutes, 3.8 miles
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| Today's run. |
On a complete whim, I decided I didn't like the Ridge Road to Old Ithaca Road route and opted instead to go my old route to Wygant via Greenridge Drive. This brought me onto Old Ithaca Road at a higher point and it eliminated the long incline coming back on Ridge Road.
The tradeoff was that by the time I hit my turnaround mark at 23 minutes, I was going up a pretty intense hill on Overlook Drive, but when I turned around, I immediately got a payoff by going back downhill.
I got back to Wygant Road about 14 seconds late and was able to regain another 10 seconds by the finish mostly because this route is relatively level, with a small downhill on Greenridge Drive.
Had I mentioned that running is a good way to build your math skills? I do a lot of addition/subtraction in my head as I run.
Anyway, I'm very happy with today's run. But with every run, I am doing more than I had in at least eight years. Each run is a test to see if knees and ankles will work with these supports, but so far no sign of trouble. BMI is still 35.2.
OH! This also concludes my third week of running five days in a row. Wahoo!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
3.6 miles in 45:19
Thanks to some upgrades on Google maps, I'm able to get a more precise measurement on my runs. Today, I ran out for 22 minutes and nearly made it Wygant Road where it meets Old Ithaca Road. I was just a few feet shy when I had to turn around. But now I can grab the markers on Google maps and put them right where I turned around, so I feel confident that I made it 1.8 miles before the turn.
I got back to the corner of Ridge Road and Old Ithaca just about on time, but lost time on the uphill on Ridge Road again.
Oh well, I'm happy enough just extending the amount of time that I run. It should take another eight runs or so until I am able to run for a full hour.
The run felt good on the way out, and then I lost steam on the way back. I was 1:19 over my target time. But again, every time I finish a run is a victory for me.
My weight is exactly what it was on Wednesday. No change in BMI.
I got back to the corner of Ridge Road and Old Ithaca just about on time, but lost time on the uphill on Ridge Road again.
Oh well, I'm happy enough just extending the amount of time that I run. It should take another eight runs or so until I am able to run for a full hour.
The run felt good on the way out, and then I lost steam on the way back. I was 1:19 over my target time. But again, every time I finish a run is a victory for me.
My weight is exactly what it was on Wednesday. No change in BMI.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Getting back on track: 44:24, 3.4 miles
I ran better today than the past two days. It seems that to run every day, I need to keep everything else in my life in balance: how much I sleep, what I eat, how I spend my day. It helps also when the weather cooperates. For now, it seems that these runs count for about all my exercise for the day. I put everything I have into running for 40 minutes, and then I'm finished.
Today I ran for 21 minutes out, made it to Woodview Avenue and came back at 44:24. Last week, I was able to make it to Woodview in 20 minutes and back in the same time. So, I'm slower than last week, but covered more ground than this Monday and Tuesday.
Starting this week, I'm focusing more on time than distance. Each run will be 1 minute longer on the way out, and I will try to get back in the same time. So, today's was 21 minutes out, and then back. For Thursday, I will go out for 22 minutes and then return. The goal will be to increase this time to 30 minutes on the way out, and return for a total time of 1 hour.
That should put me at about 5 miles, and that is where I will stay. Five miles a day, five days a week is my goal now. I will stay there until the day I can run 5 miles in 50 minutes. So, that means going from a 12 minute mile, where I am now, to a 10 minute mile.
BMI is at 35.2, but Amy says I'm definitely getting thinner.
Today I ran for 21 minutes out, made it to Woodview Avenue and came back at 44:24. Last week, I was able to make it to Woodview in 20 minutes and back in the same time. So, I'm slower than last week, but covered more ground than this Monday and Tuesday.
Starting this week, I'm focusing more on time than distance. Each run will be 1 minute longer on the way out, and I will try to get back in the same time. So, today's was 21 minutes out, and then back. For Thursday, I will go out for 22 minutes and then return. The goal will be to increase this time to 30 minutes on the way out, and return for a total time of 1 hour.
That should put me at about 5 miles, and that is where I will stay. Five miles a day, five days a week is my goal now. I will stay there until the day I can run 5 miles in 50 minutes. So, that means going from a 12 minute mile, where I am now, to a 10 minute mile.
BMI is at 35.2, but Amy says I'm definitely getting thinner.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
30 minutes
Just one of those days when you have to almost force yourself to run.
I woke up at 4:30, shortly before our 6-year-old, Liam, burst through our door announcing the cat, Ashley, had thrown up in his bed. We let him climb into ours and told him we'd take care of it in the morning. Then the cat decided to pound on our door for the rest of the night. No way were we letting her into our room.
I dozed until my alarm went off at 6 a.m. I switched it off and heard rain against the window. Uggh!
But I got on the computer to check the radar. "Misting rain," reported the Weather Underground. And the radar showed the heavy concentration was right on top of us. That meant that by the time I was ready, it should have moved on. But the cat drama upset the cycle of the morning. Our dog, Romeo, insisted on going out first. He usually is not even up when I leave. Then the other cat, Ninja, ran out and faked an emergency of getting caught in the tree. He wasn't. He just didn't like the rain.
Anyway, I got out on the step a little late, it was rainy and I was tired. I might have canceled the run, but decided that if I cancel for marginal conditions like this, I'd be canceling too many runs. So, I opted for a 30 -minute run, and once I started I was glad I did. I just felt sluggish and slow the whole time.
All sorts of minor factors could have contributed to that. The stomach trouble the day before, the loss of sleep, playing soccer with first graders the previous evening, not eating enough pasta. .... blah, blah blah.
At least I ran. At least I finished what I set out to do. And there will be better days of running very soon.
Sorry for the griping today. Anybody want a free cat?
I woke up at 4:30, shortly before our 6-year-old, Liam, burst through our door announcing the cat, Ashley, had thrown up in his bed. We let him climb into ours and told him we'd take care of it in the morning. Then the cat decided to pound on our door for the rest of the night. No way were we letting her into our room.
I dozed until my alarm went off at 6 a.m. I switched it off and heard rain against the window. Uggh!
But I got on the computer to check the radar. "Misting rain," reported the Weather Underground. And the radar showed the heavy concentration was right on top of us. That meant that by the time I was ready, it should have moved on. But the cat drama upset the cycle of the morning. Our dog, Romeo, insisted on going out first. He usually is not even up when I leave. Then the other cat, Ninja, ran out and faked an emergency of getting caught in the tree. He wasn't. He just didn't like the rain.
Anyway, I got out on the step a little late, it was rainy and I was tired. I might have canceled the run, but decided that if I cancel for marginal conditions like this, I'd be canceling too many runs. So, I opted for a 30 -minute run, and once I started I was glad I did. I just felt sluggish and slow the whole time.
All sorts of minor factors could have contributed to that. The stomach trouble the day before, the loss of sleep, playing soccer with first graders the previous evening, not eating enough pasta. .... blah, blah blah.
At least I ran. At least I finished what I set out to do. And there will be better days of running very soon.
Sorry for the griping today. Anybody want a free cat?
Monday, June 13, 2011
30-minute run
My stomach is off today. I'm going to say it's because I didn't have enough fiber this weekend. The long and short of it is that I ended up getting out the door about 15 minutes too late. Also, my cell phone had died during the night.
These seemed to be bad omens, so I took it easy today and only ran for half an hour. Just an easy 15 minutes out and back. I didn't want to push it. I got to the mile mark around 13 minutes.
I don't like running without my phone. I'm just at that age when I may need help very quickly.
So, if things go better Tuesday, I'll try for a 41-minute run then.
These seemed to be bad omens, so I took it easy today and only ran for half an hour. Just an easy 15 minutes out and back. I didn't want to push it. I got to the mile mark around 13 minutes.
I don't like running without my phone. I'm just at that age when I may need help very quickly.
So, if things go better Tuesday, I'll try for a 41-minute run then.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Sunday, the day of rest
Today is a day off from running/biking. BTW, on Friday my knees had been hurting a little. Last night, after I recovered from the bike ride, they felt much better, much stronger. The pedaling appears to be therapeutic.
So, how can a 45/46 year old return to exercise and be able to run everyday without soreness or stiffness?
The key is stretching.
Now, I did have soreness and stiffness when I first started running, but I found a trick. I'd take a hot bath at night, followed by some stretching, focusing on my thighs and quadriceps where I usually felt most of the soreness. It really worked. The soreness went away.
So, make sure to stretch well before you run, warm down with walking and light stretching afterwards. Use a hot bath with stretching to work out the remaining kinks.
On Monday, I shall return to running, and I will be slowly increasing my time from 40 minute runs to 1 hour runs. I haven't decided whether to increase each run by 1 minute or 2 minutes each day.
So, how can a 45/46 year old return to exercise and be able to run everyday without soreness or stiffness?
The key is stretching.
Now, I did have soreness and stiffness when I first started running, but I found a trick. I'd take a hot bath at night, followed by some stretching, focusing on my thighs and quadriceps where I usually felt most of the soreness. It really worked. The soreness went away.
So, make sure to stretch well before you run, warm down with walking and light stretching afterwards. Use a hot bath with stretching to work out the remaining kinks.
On Monday, I shall return to running, and I will be slowly increasing my time from 40 minute runs to 1 hour runs. I haven't decided whether to increase each run by 1 minute or 2 minutes each day.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Saturday bike ride
I'm going to guess that I did about a 20-mile bike ride today. Hard to say because I rode for about about 30 minutes, about 6 or 7 miles, before I got on the Catharine Valley Trail at the Millport Post Office and then rode for another 15-20 minutes on the trail itself before I turned around. But it's hard to measure the distance because I didn't have a landmark where I turned around that I could plug into Google maps. Also, the pictures on Google maps are way outdated and don't show the newest extensions to the trail.
I really love that trail, and I hope that someday it will be extended all the way down to Horseheads. It would a great thing to hop on my bike someday and within minutes be on a protected, safe peaceful trail, rather than risking life and limb on Route 14 or on Middle Road. They are working on it, and my guess is that so far they have extended parts of it about a mile south of the Millport Post Office, but the new extension is not complete and they have signs warning people to stay away.
Anyway, I think the bike riding is important to my fitness regimen. Because of my weight, the running could be bad for my knees and ankles. (They are my achilles' heel, as it were). I am able to compensate by wearing the soft braces, but I think that although the braces allow me to run, they can also weaken my knees. So, I need the bike riding to strengthen my knees without straining them under my massive weight.
I allegedly gained a pound today. The BMI is 35.2.
Tomorrow will be a day off. Days off are also critical. I'll probably post some tips on how to manage running every day as a returning runner at my age.
I really love that trail, and I hope that someday it will be extended all the way down to Horseheads. It would a great thing to hop on my bike someday and within minutes be on a protected, safe peaceful trail, rather than risking life and limb on Route 14 or on Middle Road. They are working on it, and my guess is that so far they have extended parts of it about a mile south of the Millport Post Office, but the new extension is not complete and they have signs warning people to stay away.
Anyway, I think the bike riding is important to my fitness regimen. Because of my weight, the running could be bad for my knees and ankles. (They are my achilles' heel, as it were). I am able to compensate by wearing the soft braces, but I think that although the braces allow me to run, they can also weaken my knees. So, I need the bike riding to strengthen my knees without straining them under my massive weight.
I allegedly gained a pound today. The BMI is 35.2.
Tomorrow will be a day off. Days off are also critical. I'll probably post some tips on how to manage running every day as a returning runner at my age.
Friday, June 10, 2011
40:12, 3.4 miles, Day Five!
A good week of running, and it pays off because on the last day I ran the best distance and returned close to the goal. I was only 12 seconds late getting back to the starting point, and I'll take it.
Each day was an adjustment, and today I got on target. The weather helped today. It was much cooler, and now I realize the heat and humidity had been a factor in my struggle on Thursday. It was probably also why I may have felt faint after the run. That seems obvious now.
I also now know my check points and roughly what times I need to be at as I hit each mark:
Corner of Middle Road and Ridge Road -- just under 2 minutes.
Wygant and Ridge Road -- just under/or around 5 minutes
Old Ithaca and Ridge Road -- 12 minutes (which works, because that is 1 mile from the house.)
Today, I hit the intersection with Wygant at about 4:44, a little fast and so I adjusted my speed a little. As I turned on to Old Ithaca Road -- at exactly 12 minutes -- I hit a mild headwind. So I was going against the wind and uphill at that point. It made little difference. I made it to the other side of Woodview Drive at the 20 minute mark. On the return trip, I hit Ridge Road at 28 minutes, which was about perfect, and I got to the intersection with Wygant at around 35:30. That meant I needed to finish in 4:30, and I just didn't have it in me.
So, I lost time on the uphill on Ridge Road. That's why I came in 12 seconds late, but like I said, I'll take it.
I'm starting to see the same faces at about the same point in my run. I've learned that if you wave to someone for a couple of days, they start waving back.
For Saturday, I may take a long bike ride, and then take Sunday as a day off.
BMI is 35.
Each day was an adjustment, and today I got on target. The weather helped today. It was much cooler, and now I realize the heat and humidity had been a factor in my struggle on Thursday. It was probably also why I may have felt faint after the run. That seems obvious now.
I also now know my check points and roughly what times I need to be at as I hit each mark:
Corner of Middle Road and Ridge Road -- just under 2 minutes.
Wygant and Ridge Road -- just under/or around 5 minutes
Old Ithaca and Ridge Road -- 12 minutes (which works, because that is 1 mile from the house.)
Today, I hit the intersection with Wygant at about 4:44, a little fast and so I adjusted my speed a little. As I turned on to Old Ithaca Road -- at exactly 12 minutes -- I hit a mild headwind. So I was going against the wind and uphill at that point. It made little difference. I made it to the other side of Woodview Drive at the 20 minute mark. On the return trip, I hit Ridge Road at 28 minutes, which was about perfect, and I got to the intersection with Wygant at around 35:30. That meant I needed to finish in 4:30, and I just didn't have it in me.
So, I lost time on the uphill on Ridge Road. That's why I came in 12 seconds late, but like I said, I'll take it.
I'm starting to see the same faces at about the same point in my run. I've learned that if you wave to someone for a couple of days, they start waving back.
For Saturday, I may take a long bike ride, and then take Sunday as a day off.
BMI is 35.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
41:16 Day Four
Well, the first half of the run was fun.
Today, the 20 minutes on the way out got me a block and a half past Chestnut Drive, which had been my turnaround point the day before. So today I turned around between Woodview Drive and Oakview Circle on Old Ithaca Road. I could see Wygant Road just up ahead.
Google maps measures the route from my house to Woodview Drive via Ridge Road as 1.7 miles. If I put Oakview in as my destination it doesn't even give the Ridge Road route as an option. Anyway, it was at least a 3.4 mile run.
However, my total time was 41:16, which means it was a struggle on the way back. I blame the 17-year-old in my head for getting me to start out too fast. And on this route, a fast start going downhill means you will cover a lot of ground in the first half of the run. Then you have to work much harder going uphill on the way back.
I would much rather be able to cover less distance consistently than cover more distance and end up struggling at the end. If I do run farther on the way out, it doesn't fully count in my mind unless I can get back in the same time. That's where pacing comes in.
BTW, on the way back, I heard a twig snap behind me, and I knew another jogger was closing in. It turned out to be a female runner, who passed me fairly easily. Back in the XC days, I would have used that to try to run faster to keep ahead. At this point in the run, I just couldn't even keep up as she passed me. Anyway, it helps to keep the ears clear.
As a side note, I felt light-headed about a half-hour after my run. I was making the boys their lunches for school when it hit me. I felt better after I sat down and ate.
I'm not too worried about it at this point. I attribute it to how I have been eating recently. The running has been boosting my metabolism and lowering my appetite. I'm eating less and snacking less. For dinner, I usually eat a plate of spaghetti, but to me that's just fueling up for the next day's run. It's like pulling into a gas station and filling up the tank. The spaghetti is all carbs, and it all gets burned off in the run. By the time I was making the lunches, my body was starved. That's why I felt faint, and I felt better after I ate.
So, the weight loss is not so much from the running. The weight loss is happening because of the higher metabolism and lower intake of food.
These are all things to be tinkered with as I go along.
Today the bathroom scale says I gained a pound from yesterday. BMI is at 35.1.
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| Run for 6/9/2011 |
Google maps measures the route from my house to Woodview Drive via Ridge Road as 1.7 miles. If I put Oakview in as my destination it doesn't even give the Ridge Road route as an option. Anyway, it was at least a 3.4 mile run.
However, my total time was 41:16, which means it was a struggle on the way back. I blame the 17-year-old in my head for getting me to start out too fast. And on this route, a fast start going downhill means you will cover a lot of ground in the first half of the run. Then you have to work much harder going uphill on the way back.
I would much rather be able to cover less distance consistently than cover more distance and end up struggling at the end. If I do run farther on the way out, it doesn't fully count in my mind unless I can get back in the same time. That's where pacing comes in.
BTW, on the way back, I heard a twig snap behind me, and I knew another jogger was closing in. It turned out to be a female runner, who passed me fairly easily. Back in the XC days, I would have used that to try to run faster to keep ahead. At this point in the run, I just couldn't even keep up as she passed me. Anyway, it helps to keep the ears clear.
As a side note, I felt light-headed about a half-hour after my run. I was making the boys their lunches for school when it hit me. I felt better after I sat down and ate.
I'm not too worried about it at this point. I attribute it to how I have been eating recently. The running has been boosting my metabolism and lowering my appetite. I'm eating less and snacking less. For dinner, I usually eat a plate of spaghetti, but to me that's just fueling up for the next day's run. It's like pulling into a gas station and filling up the tank. The spaghetti is all carbs, and it all gets burned off in the run. By the time I was making the lunches, my body was starved. That's why I felt faint, and I felt better after I ate.
So, the weight loss is not so much from the running. The weight loss is happening because of the higher metabolism and lower intake of food.
These are all things to be tinkered with as I go along.
Today the bathroom scale says I gained a pound from yesterday. BMI is at 35.1.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
40-minute run, Day Three
Today, the 20-minute outward trip got me to the intersection of Chestnut Drive on Old Ithaca Road, about 250 feet longer than my run on Monday, and much further than Tuesday's run. Google maps still says it's 1.6 miles from home, but it felt great to me.
What was exciting was that on the way back, I felt a surge of energy. I took advantage of the slight downward incline on Old Ithaca and then was able to attack the hill on Ridge Road. I ran most of Ridge Road pretty strong on the way back, but started to lose steam when I was still three blocks from home. When I hit the point where I'm usually about 2 minutes from home, I was WAY ahead of schedule, and even as my pace slowed a bit in the last block or so, I got to my starting point at 39:23.
However, since my goal was to run for 40 minutes, I decided to keep going. I kept running to the end of the block and stopped at 40:08 at the corner of Stuart Street and Middle Road. That's an extra 400 feet. Google maps says the return trip was 1.7 miles. So, this was 3.3 miles in 40:08.
What also feels good is that I can run every day now and not be sore.
Today's earworm was "Run Around" by Blues Traveler. I'd rather have an earworm than use headphones or earbuds.
You need your ears to be clear when you run. Your eyes can give you nearly 180 degree coverage of of what is happening in front of you. Your ears give you 360 degree awareness. They are a second pair of eyes, and can warn you about dangers that can come from any direction. You need your ears especially on busy roads like Old Ithaca Road, which has a lot of truck traffic. For women, having your ears free also gives you an edge over any potential attacker. (Sorry, that is a reality to deal with. My wife teaches self-defense for women, and that makes me aware of these issues.)
If my bathroom scale is to be believed (and we have our doubts), I've lost about 1.5 pounds since yesterday. My BMI is now down to 34.9.
OK, I'm am looking forward to tomorrow's run. Ciao!
What was exciting was that on the way back, I felt a surge of energy. I took advantage of the slight downward incline on Old Ithaca and then was able to attack the hill on Ridge Road. I ran most of Ridge Road pretty strong on the way back, but started to lose steam when I was still three blocks from home. When I hit the point where I'm usually about 2 minutes from home, I was WAY ahead of schedule, and even as my pace slowed a bit in the last block or so, I got to my starting point at 39:23.
However, since my goal was to run for 40 minutes, I decided to keep going. I kept running to the end of the block and stopped at 40:08 at the corner of Stuart Street and Middle Road. That's an extra 400 feet. Google maps says the return trip was 1.7 miles. So, this was 3.3 miles in 40:08.
What also feels good is that I can run every day now and not be sore.
Today's earworm was "Run Around" by Blues Traveler. I'd rather have an earworm than use headphones or earbuds.
You need your ears to be clear when you run. Your eyes can give you nearly 180 degree coverage of of what is happening in front of you. Your ears give you 360 degree awareness. They are a second pair of eyes, and can warn you about dangers that can come from any direction. You need your ears especially on busy roads like Old Ithaca Road, which has a lot of truck traffic. For women, having your ears free also gives you an edge over any potential attacker. (Sorry, that is a reality to deal with. My wife teaches self-defense for women, and that makes me aware of these issues.)
If my bathroom scale is to be believed (and we have our doubts), I've lost about 1.5 pounds since yesterday. My BMI is now down to 34.9.
OK, I'm am looking forward to tomorrow's run. Ciao!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
How fat am I?
Fair question.
In earlier posts, I've mentioned that I am obese and that I need to lose weight. Already the pounds have started to come off, but you might be curious about where I am and how far I have to go.
As far as I can tell, just about all the extra weight has gone into my abdomen. My legs and arms look the same as they always did. I just walk around with this enormous gut. I look like I'm about 20 months pregnant, at least.
Frankly, I'm too embarrassed to post how much I weighed at my peak last year. I'm not even ready to post my current weight. But I will post my Body Mass Index, which is a means of determining the amount of body fat by comparing height with weight. A BMI of 25 to 30 is considered overweight. A BMI above 30 is obese.
At my worst last year, my BMI was 36.7. My BMI today is 35.2. So, I'm making progress. According to the online calculator I'm using, if I want to be of average weight, I need a BMI of about 27. I'll include my BMI in future posts and eventually include the poundage so you can do the math later.
In earlier posts, I've mentioned that I am obese and that I need to lose weight. Already the pounds have started to come off, but you might be curious about where I am and how far I have to go.
As far as I can tell, just about all the extra weight has gone into my abdomen. My legs and arms look the same as they always did. I just walk around with this enormous gut. I look like I'm about 20 months pregnant, at least.
Frankly, I'm too embarrassed to post how much I weighed at my peak last year. I'm not even ready to post my current weight. But I will post my Body Mass Index, which is a means of determining the amount of body fat by comparing height with weight. A BMI of 25 to 30 is considered overweight. A BMI above 30 is obese.
At my worst last year, my BMI was 36.7. My BMI today is 35.2. So, I'm making progress. According to the online calculator I'm using, if I want to be of average weight, I need a BMI of about 27. I'll include my BMI in future posts and eventually include the poundage so you can do the math later.
Day Two of 40-minute runs
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| Here's today's run. |
It's just a matter of adjusting to the new route. I'd noticed Monday that I was going more downhill on the way out and therefore more uphill on the way back. Today, I think I overcompensated by going out too easy on the way out because I knew I was going to have to work harder on the way back.
I also realized the variations in the incline. It's not all downhill on the way out, but it trends that way.
The thing to remember with hills is that if you start and finish at the same spot and come back the same way, for every hill you climb it will pay you back with momentum on the other side. When I ran cross-country a million years ago, we used that to our advantage in a races. We would try to attack the hills, not slow down, and then just as we reached the top try to accelerate, open our stride and use the downward momentum on the other side of the hill to break away from our opponent.
I don't run like that anymore. Nowadays, if someone else is out there with me, I'm more likely to see if I can keep pace with them. But stride is key. The longer your stride, the fewer steps you need to take, the more distance you can cover with less energy.
To get a sense of stride, just stand with your feet together, then take one step with one foot and leave the other foot where it was. The distance between your feet is your stride, how much distance you cover with one step. An easy way to increase your stride while running is to keep your knees up.
Earlier, when I was struggling with the three mile runs, I'd notice I was looking down at my feet. That's going to slow you down. You are literally driving yourself into the ground when you run like that. So, I kept telling myself, "Head up, stride open." It helped me finish stronger.
Cheers!
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