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If you wish to reach me: lastchancerunner@gmail.com

Monday, May 31, 2010

Welcome to the world of slow

Jake and I decided to run from Forbes today instead of Thursday. Jake was tired as a dog (whenever a dog gets tired) so we ran super slow. Each loop was right around 33 minutes which is a new record for super slow. I had run a 5 minute shakedown at home so my total running time was a blistering 71 minutes.

The weather was on the comfortable side with sun and moderate temperatures so it was easy to see that summer's coming on pretty fast.

Jake will be traveling to Texas and back over the next week so my plan is to run Forbes again alone on Thursday and see if my "alone" slow is as slow as today. I doubt it.
http://run4change.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/running-slow.jpg

In the meanwhile Dwight (he of the 100 mile weeks) is on his way to South San Jose to rejoin the human race after drinking the cool aide snow cones in Fort Collins (mostly snow) for many winters. Of course he expects us to do some training together. I can't see it. I am way to slow on my runs. He is at least two minutes per mile faster. My secret training is to run as slow as I can stand it most days and I have NO intention of changing any of that.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Back running

I was back running early this afternoon. What a difference from two days ago when it was raining mice and fish. Today it was sunny and breezy. On the warm side. I did a very easy 60 minutes broken up into segments of 1 minute walking and 4 minutes of running. It was good to be out there again even after only 4 days. I will take Sunday off and run again Monday.

Dennis Hopper died today. A rebel who made it, lost it and made it all the way back again. In way, a glimpse of James Dean had he lived. He was built in the same mode. I just enjoyed seeing him up on the screen. You always wondered what he was going to do next.
http://www.altmanphoto.com/DennisHopper.jpeg

Friday, May 28, 2010

Feeling better

3 days of meds and I am feeling better. Less coughing today. If I feel good on Saturday I will run, take Sunday off and run again Monday. When you get a cold, an ear infection and then another infection in the throat and chest, there must be some meta message in all of that.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

On the IR list again

I seem to have some sort of secondary infection left over from that cold I caught back in late April. So I am on antibiotics for a while. I am going to take some time off from running. At least the next several days and maybe the rest of the week. Between the cold, ear infection and now this, it seems that I need the symptoms to pretty much disappear before I get serious again.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Trotting

I got out early (for me) and trotted for an easy 70 minutes. Supposedly there is rain coming again. There were some dark clouds but they were intermittent and now and then the sun would come out and break everything up.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

The Weekend Results

Saturday

I ran mid day and cruised for 65 minutes. Very windy as in VERY! I took the RR Tracks up to McClellan and around the pond and then down to the college and did loops around the track and through the campus. My legs felt very good but I had no desire to go beyond and hour. My motivation is not what it was before my recent cold. Hope it will return.

Sunday

Got out relatively early and ran another 65 minutes with 8 x 1oo thrown in for good measure. I did 6 of them on the track and kept them in the 18 second range. The last two were done on the road on the way home.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

69er

We have been having very strange weather. It has been raining & drizzling some days each week followed by sunny days and then cycling back to wet. Today was all good though. I went to Forbes with 14 minutes of shakedown under my belt and did another 55 minutes with Jake of really slow stuff to hit 69 total. So the longest since I started running after my cold.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Rain-Run Man

The rain http://lh5.ggpht.com/_lhmnlBFNfko/R9fboL9VBrI/AAAAAAAADMU/OMCOcu3ZN98/rain+falling.gifthat was supposed to hit the Bay Area yesterday , arrived last night and drizzled its way in to this morning's run. I went out bravely anyway hitting the pavement, track and soccer field for 60 slow minutes. My legs felt better. I felt recovered.


More Rain
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_lhmnlBFNfko/R9fboL9VBrI/AAAAAAAADMU/OMCOcu3ZN98/rain+falling.gifhttp://lh5.ggpht.com/_lhmnlBFNfko/R9fboL9VBrI/AAAAAAAADMU/OMCOcu3ZN98/rain+falling.gifhttp://lh5.ggpht.com/_lhmnlBFNfko/R9fboL9VBrI/AAAAAAAADMU/OMCOcu3ZN98/rain+falling.gifhttp://lh5.ggpht.com/_lhmnlBFNfko/R9fboL9VBrI/AAAAAAAADMU/OMCOcu3ZN98/rain+falling.gif

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Pitty Pat 50

I went just before 9 am on Sunday and pitty-patted through a slow as I could run 50 minutes. I could feel those 100's from Saturday. I felt very vulnerable. To be a veteran runner of so many years means putting up with tired, sore leg days. The key is to run slow enough so it doesn't hurt.

The soccer field has been empty for the last two days. There must be a break in the weekend amateur soccer season. It is great being able to do the BIG, BIG loop.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

8 x 100

I really had every intention of going over the Saturday club workout but a big mug of coffee got in my way. I did make it over for breakfast however and then ran around 12:30. I got off to a good start. It was all sunny and around 60 degrees (but not at all cold). My legs felt good. Plenty of early energy that propelled me down the RR tracks around the pond and over the college at a good pace. I felt good enough to stride 8 x 100 each lap around the big loop hitting 19's right off and working my way down to the 18's, 17's and finally a 16. I struggled back home. I was wrung out but still covered 65 minutes before I called it quits.

So good early and middle energy and low energy at the end. No complaints though.
http://www.northstartrack.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/track.jpg

Thursday, May 13, 2010

He of the 100 mile weeks

56 minutes of mostly easy running this morning over at Forbes Mill with Jake. The weather was cool but sunny. I ran 5 minutes before and then Jake and I ran a 26:30 loop. On the second loop I picked up the last 500-600 meters and ran in from the marker in under 2 minutes for a 24:30. This was a good sign that there is still some speed in them thar legs. I was going to round the running off to 60 minutes but thought better of it. I am still coming back from that cold and minor ear infection. Time to hop things up in the next several weeks.

Dwight (he of the 100 mile weeks) sent me an email saying he was moving back to the Bay Area. He is going to reside in South San Jose. This is good for our 60 plus team.


The Marker!
http://www.finchester.org/dogs/dog_diary/uploaded_images/PA170014LosGatosCreekTrailMileMarker_rt-722625.jpg

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Hazy Run

Slept very well Monday night. I woke up around 7:30 and staggered into the kitchen to quaff large amounts of coffee. I got out around 9 am for a 55 minute easy slow (did I say easy?) run. I was pretty well hazed out on whatever NyQuil I drank the night before (time to get off that stuff). But the combination of the run and shower and some food woke me up in time for lunch with an old work buddy of mine.

In a way this has been like post-party time runs back in the day. Running with a hangover. Pretty crazy. My legs feel really good. It's my brain that is back on the flat bed of this truck.

Sunday, May 09, 2010

45 minutes in a low key

I ran an easy, low key 45 minutes this morning rather than get up early and go to the DSE race. Sleeping in was the priority.

It drizzled through most of the run. The college track and soccer field were crowded up because of some sort of event that was going on so I did a run-by and decided to seek alternate paths and roads.

All in all, I felt good. I may have turned the corner on getting enough sleep and ridding myself of the last vestiges of this cold. Who knows, I may be able to work my way back to the master bedroom from my self imposed exile up in the den.

Thursday, May 06, 2010

Back To Business

51 minutes today of running up and down the dammit trail with Jake. Legs felt fine. 26 and change on the first loop and 24 and change on the second. I also did an 8 minute shakedown run at home beforehand. So 59 minutes total.

Is my cold gone? I believe it has departed but left behind some wicked post-cold symptoms. I may have a slight infection in one ear. Nose still runny and I am sure I will remain in night time seclusion up in the den until I can sleep through the night without a coughing jag. I had a real good'un last night and had to swill some NyQuil to calm things down so I could get some sleep. Morning coffee is my major weapon in bringing me around.

I know.This too shall pass.

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

35 minute buzz-run

This cold doesn't want to let go. I had to take a dose of NyQuil again last night at 3 pm to get back to sleep. It's mostly the evening and night time post nasal drip and coughing. But I rolled out of the sack this morning feeling hung over but generally okay. I ended up running 35 minutes with a slight NyQuil buzz but my legs felt good and my energy was there. Go figure.

Must have been the double dose of carbs. Pasta salad for lunch and pasta again for dinner.


http://www.zug.com/daily/journal/graphics/102006_dd_nyquil.jpg
Not me but the expression fits!

Monday, May 03, 2010

The Green Goddess

A week into this "cold" and I am dealing with dripping and coughing. Finally had to move into the ups stairs den so I wouldn't keep Sue up at night with my bouts of hacking. I was planning on running Sunday but decided it just wasn't worth it. Slept better last night but still not right. Between the green goddess NyQuil and a lessening need for nose drops I am drugging myself to sleep and so it takes part of the morning to shake out the cobwebs. I told Sue that I will come back down to the bedroom when I am sleeping normally through the night.

My running is stuck on a sand bar and I will attempt to back it off during high tide and get things turned around and going right again.

I ran 25 minutes late this morning as the first step back. I mean it's only been a week.

By the way an American finally broke 27 for 10K. Solinsky ran

26:59.60 !!

Yikes! A good 4 miler for me.