80 bleeping minutes!!!!

I ran the roads today ending up at the college where I executed one after another super loop. As I jogged back on the backside of the offices on Bubb Road I decided to jump up onto the RR tracks. An official looking vehicle was parked several hundred yards up from Steven's Creek. The driver waved me over. He was wearing a Union Pacific security uniform. We chatted for a few minutes before he told me (very nicely) that actually I should not technically be running on the trail alongside the tracks. I laughed and told him that hundreds of folks walked, biked or ran the tracks every day. How was he going to enforce that? We were both civil and he knew I wasn't challenging him. Just asking the question so to speak.

I said good-day and ran on to my house hitting a grand total of 80 minutes. Longest run in quite a while. The goal is to get up to 90 minutes of running each day I run unless I am doing something fast. Then it is whatever it ends up being. 90 minutes will be tough unless I am willing to double now and then.

77 minutes

I got out really early (for me that is).

8 am.  Gasp!

I ran around town at my usual snail mail clip covering 77 minutes in all. The spark plugs weren't firing on all piston but there were times where I felt I could have picked it up (but didn't). Mostly I slow putt, motoring along like a low powered scooter. I ran up the RR tracks to the college and ran super loops for what seemed liked forever.

I did a quick change and headed over to coach jumps at Lynbrook. Kids seemed either injured or at very low energy. I decided not to roust them.

Jake told me that Ray feels that he pushes the kids too hard. I told Jake that IMHO he is coaching like this is a NCAA division I program and Ray and I coach like it's high school.

We both laughed.

76 minutes

Very businesslike this morning. Got out by 8:15 AM and ran an easy 76 minutes. The weather was in the high 50's. Perfect running weather. My legs felt okay. Schools must be on spring break because the car traffic as about half of normal. Took my weight after the run. Back down to 144 pounds. Down roughly 5 pounds since I began this "diet".

Watched the Boston marathon (I recorded it). Fast times. Winner was 2:03.02! Second place was 2:03:06!

1. Geoffrey Mutai KEN 2:03:02
2. Moses Mosop KEN 2:03:06
3. Gebregziabher Gebremariam ETH 2:04:53
4. Ryan Hall USA 2:04:58

1		Kilel, Caroline	2:22:36		KEN
2		Davila, Desiree	2:22:38	MI	USA
3		Cherop, Sharon	2:22:42		KEN
4		Rotich, Caroline	2:24:26		KEN
5		Goucher, Kara	2:24:52	OR	USA

Double Day: 75 minutes

Double day!

Ran 25 minutes in the AM before breakfast with the club. Trotted this one very easily. Back a bit tight at the beginning but loosened up.

In the late morning I ran another 50 minutes at a very easy pace except for 8 x 100's over at the college track. Once again my back was tight for about 5 minutes but then loosened up and didn't bother me again.

I felt much better than Friday but didn't push.

73 minutes and a cloud of manure

I went out the front door in the late morning and plodded for 73 minutes. Not a great deal of energy. But the weather was outstanding. Sunny but on the cooler side. When I returned to the house I stepped on the scale and was surprised to see that my weight had gone north again. 146 which while not terrible, is not good. And here I was thinking that I was deficiting calories. What a joke. This little shock tells me that I need to step on the scale more often. I was doing it roughly every other week so if something is going wrong it has gone pretty far wrong by the time I find out about it.

I am also going to 1400 calories on the days I don't run. If I have calories left over from the days I do run then I can shovel them over to the non running days.

The only other adjustment would be walking on the days I don't run or adding another running day.

OUCH! and 20:22

I ran for an hour today mostly over at Forbes Mill.  Jake and I did two loops talking the first one easy (27:17). On the second one I let Jake get out before playing catch up. It was a bit of struggle. My legs didn't hurt and my breathing was okay. It felt like I was running on a low tank of gas. I still got up to the turnaround in 10:30 which was faster than my goal. I rested for about 20 seconds before heading back down finally arriving back at the start in 20:22. I tried several times to pick it up on the return trip but it wasn't there. I am sure my lack of oomph was a bi-product of this diet I have been on. Having peaked out at close to 149 pounds, I had sworn to go down to 135 but after today I decided to give it a rest and just get down to 140 (I was 143 as of last week).

Jake and I went to breakfast and I ate three big blueberry pancakes. When we got up to leave I felt my back spasm. OUCH!  By the time I got home it was really aching so I iced and took ibuprofen. I also set up a Thursday appointment with Big Bill. I don;t want to fool around with this.

72 minutes of the usual

Got out the house around 9 am. Cool (high 40's) but was able to get away with shorts and T.

I ran 72 minutes at the usual pace.

Forgot to step on the scale before eating a light breakfast. Yesterday was "meat" day. Went to the Giants game (they lost) and had a deli sandwich. Corned beef on rye. It was frankly GREAT! Then we had chicken for dinner last night with veggies, cooked potatoes and some wheat bread.

I need to step up the carbs as a percentage of my daily intake. Dieting is tough enough if there is not enough of the right calories. I regularly feel like I am running on low power. Probably because I am.

As slow as I could stand it....

Got out late in the morning and ran another 70 minutes slow. Weather was very mild. A bit of wind but mostly sunny and bright. I ran as a slow as I could stand it.

Blue Norther, California Style

Ran a slow-slow 70 minutes this morning.

My legs were tired from standing around at a track meet yesterday for 3.5 hours. That and the cold weather wore me out. I was limping back to the car around 6:30 PM feeling about twenty years older than I presently am. Or at least that was my guess.

The last few days have been moderate temps but with a cold, cutting wind blowing in the from the north. Maybe I overdressed again this morning wearing long sleeves, tights, cap and gloves but every time the sun was hidden behind the clouds, the air temperature seemed to drop and then roll back up when the sun peaked out again.

The Troika

Went to Forbes and slow trotted at 26:37 something first loop. This was good because neither Jake and I had what could be called high energy. On the second loop we took off faster and quickly caught up to some 60 plus guy named Gary who was running with two attractive, leggy middle-aged women (the troika) who turned out to be ultra runners. We must have looked like beta males because outside of a few cursory words, the "girls" seemed engrossed in their conversation  and not being friendly to us.

Jake dropped back as the pace quickened a bit and I ran about 10 yards back of the troika reaching the turn around in 11:19. That was a big surprise. We didn't kill ourselves going back down but still ran in the low 22's. Not too bad for a dieting, calorie-starved runner.

If I include all the running I did, it totaled around 55 minutes.

Back to back and 143 lbs.

Back to back runs. First  I ran on Sunday and then again on Monday. It was cool at the start of a very slow 70 minute run but warmed up very nicely. I really worked at keeping the pace very pedestrian.  I know I was running on the edge of empty in an attempt to get my weight back down where I feel it belong. A month ago I was 148 and a great deal of change. Actually very close to 149. Too heavy for my taste. By last week I had dropped to 146 and today I was down around 143. My ultimate goal is to get back into 135-140 range. But I have to watch it. Running and dieting can cause me to get sick. It has in the past. So most of what I am doing is slooooooow.

Double

Ran a double today. 30 minutes in the morning before breakfast and another 40 minutes at around noontime.  70 minutes altogether. I wore my HRM on the second run and found that the high 130's and low 140's seemed to be fast enough. Weather was moderate. Plenty of sun and temps in the low 60's.

65 minutes of slow as I could go

It is heating up. So much for spring. Last week was the deluge of rain and this week someone turned on the oven. It's 5:15 PM and it's 87 degrees.

I ran early enough to avoid the worst of it. Took off during the late morning on my usual slow as I could go 65 minute jog. The track team was working out on the track at the JC. Strange. Other than the team and a few walker arounders, the campus seemed empty. Probably some sort of administrative day off.

20:49

I ran 60 minutes total today including two Forbes Mill Loops. The first was 27:13 which, given how slow Jake and I were trying to run, was sort of amazingly faster than expected. I let Jake get a minute  head start on the second loop and caught him right at the top in 11 flat. I ran down in 9:49 for a 20:49. Good run given that I kept myself reined in most of the way. Picked up the last section and ran in at 2:03-04.

Weather is improving. Crisp and sunny. Low to mid 50's.

Given that I am watching my weight (go down hopefully), this was a good effort.

72 minutes

I ran back to back days hitting 72 minutes on Monday. I dropped another pound on my diet and even though I am trying not to over-deficit calories, I still lack zip in my legs. But that is part of the deal.

Monday was sunny and relatively warm so I went out in long sleeve T and shorts. The weather has suddenly shifted to spring. At least for the moment.

70 metronome

The storms have ended for the time being. It was actually sunny out today. I ran for 70 minutes at my usual metronome slow pace. No tights. Just shorts and a long sleeve top. I felt a bit weary legged but less from running and more from watching what I eat (aka: dieting). Sort of pigged out last night at dinner on beef and some sort of excellent tart-type cake. Not many carbs in the mix. Will do better today. But sometimes I have to remember that extending life is not as important as enjoying it.

The day after the big storm

Thursday the rain drummed down on the Bay Area. I was glad that it was a day off. Friday things cleared out. There were still some light showers but nothing ominous.

Jake and I met over at Forbes and ran two loops. It was really a classic progression run for me. The first loop was in the 26:49 and the second was 22:44. Jake hung on through the last maker before the end and then jogged and walked in.

If I included 8 minutes of dump running (and I am) I was close to 58 minutes total.

62 minutes Wednesday in the rain

On Wednesday morning I ran 62 minutes in the rain. Never stopped the whole time (the rain that is). Not many people out there on the college track. I had running, as I know it, to myself.

Another Rain Man Run

I ran early. Was out the door before 8:30. It was in the 40's with a good threat of showers. I ran over to the college for super loops. Ran into my walking buddy. We joked about making it through our respective workouts without getting rained on. It's too late, he said and we both laughed. A few minutes later it began to come down steadily and without any respite until I got back home again. The track cleared out rather quickly and I may have even dialed back my run a bit. 

60 minutes total. Legs felt good.

70 minutes in the cold, rovercast and rain

Morning before club breakfast.

Cold, overcast, rain.

Ran 30 minutes.

Early afternoon.

Cold, overcast, rain.

Ran 40 minutes with 4 striders inserted as pickups.

21:33

Ran the neighborhood for 5 minutes before heading over to Forbes for my weekly Jake run. We really held back on the first loop but still ran under 27. On the second loop I  let Jake get a about a minute ahead of me.  I planned to run at 85-90% of max.  I was surprised that my HR went up quickly. Where my blood seemed little more than sludge back in January and February, the warmer weather seemed to have thinned things out a bit. I went right up into the mid 170's and stayed there all the way up to the top. I hit 11:10 before turning around. I pushed my HR up to 180, which wasn't that hard to do, and ran back down in 10:23 for a 21:33 overall time. 

Could I have gone faster? Probably much faster.  Certainly under 21. The fact is that I am a fairly long way from my 20:33 that I ran in February before coming down with that nasty cold.

If all goes well, I will blast the loop again in several weeks.

Slow As I Could Stand It (SAICSI)

Headed out mid morning trying to beat rain showers that had been sliding across the Bay Area skies over the last day.

Actually it was balmy but there were some dark rainclouds coming in.

I ran a slow as I could stand it (SAICSI)  for 60 minutes. Legs a bit sore from the 100's but outside that I actually felt better as the run progressed.

My weight is up (no wonder my pants felt tight). Need to lose 5-6 pounds of unwanted lard. Tough now that I am only running 3 days a week so this forces me to walk at least two other days. I am dieting even though I said I wouldn't again. I won't carry around extra weight. Just have to walk that razor's edge to make sure I don't get run down.

8 x 500 meter super loops

Enjoyed coffee and a leisurely breakfast with the club this morning. I had really planned to make it to the workout but based on the last year...well, let's face it. I am Mr. No Show.

I got out around noon and ran 23 minutes of easy stuff around the neighborhood and over to the track. Once there I ran 8 x 500 meter super loops striding 100 meters on each loop. Averaged 19-20 without going to the well. Slow jogged home to make it an hour total.

Forbes Mill

I ran at Forbes Mill this morning with Jake. I also did 6 minutes of dump running before.

The first loop surprised both Jake and I. We ran 25:39.

On the second loop we hit the top in 12:25 but I got back in 10:05 and ran 22:30.  I had company. Some young slender young gal and her dog. Nice company plus the pace was perfect for a sub-tempo effort.

Given that I have been drip...drip...dripping and coughing a great deal, I expected less but got more.

@54 minute total.

Short Hills & Wind

Got out around 8:30 am. Very windy. Ran over to the college and did short hills at an even pace and then jogged back home.

Saw basketball guy on the track and said hello.  Legs felt okay. Some residual tiredness from strides on Saturday.

60 minutes total.

It's all simple now.

• Strides for leg turnover
• Hills for power
• Tempo for stamina

At age 65 going on 66 I don't think there is more I can do anyway.

70 minutes with strides

Broke my workout into two parts.

In the morning I ran an easy and somewhat creaky 30 minutes.

Came back towards noon and ran another 40 minutes with 6 x 100 strides in 20-21. Surprised that they were this fast. I DID NOT PUSH AT ALL!

Tired Legged 40 minutes

Easy, tired legged 40 minute run. Took off around 9 AM. Sunny and moderate.

Must be light on conditioning.

Back at it

Today was the first real training run since I came down with that cold back in early February.

I basically lost a month of training.

I met up with Jake at Forbes and ran two loops. Including some extraneous dump running I covered 61 minutes. The first loop was 27:06 and the second was 22:18 (12:02-10:16). 4 weeks of very little running showed up big time.  The 22:18 felt like a sub 21 several months back.

40 minutes

Ran 40 minutes this morning. First run since last Wednesday.  Weather was cool and sunny but more rain coming in.

35 minutes

I ran 35 minutes yesterday morning. Nothing to write home about. Kept the pace slow and easy. Weather continues to be cool.

30 minutes

Stumbled out the door this morning and ran slow for 30 minute minutes. Weather was cool and clear. Took me a long time to warm up.

22 minutes

22 minutes of slow jogging this morning.

The rain has stopped for the time being. Sunny and cold.

It is tough to get going again. Two weeks off. It's difficult to get the "on" switch to stay on.

17 minutes

Drove over to West Valley. The club was putting on its annual Valentine's Day race. I jogged around a bit while the runners were out on the course.  Probably did around 17 minutes. Nothing big. Just enough to keep warm and to initiate a return to running.

Two weeks off

Tomorrow will be two weeks since I last ran. For a week I was under the weather.

Cold...Flu...cough...cough. Banished upstairs. Didn't miss running one bit.  Felt like CRAP!

After about a week, I finally began to feel human again but I decided to take  a whole extra week off. So as I said above. Two weeks off!

Unheard of but probably smart given my forever cold of last year.

It's been raining constantly for the past several days. My running shoes are very dry.

Banished upstairs

Okay, I have a cold.

The coughing was a warning and now I am paying the price. Cold and flu???? Chills, maybe a fever and cough, cough, cough. Lousy appetite.  Canceling coffees and coaching for at least the next several days.

I am banishing myself upstairs to the bed of pain.  I will languish there until I sleep through the night.

Back to Back 60 minutes

Friday and Saturday were uneventful. Back to back one hour runs.  I seem to be dealing with some sort of respiratory problem. Been coughing (mildly but persistently) for weeks. Not sure if it is an infection or just allergies. I have decided to call the doctor on Monday and go in and see him. I don't feel sick or have cold symptoms but something unusual is going on.

A Good AT Run

I ran for 10 minutes around the neighborhood before driving over to Forbes to meet with Jake. It was sunny but felt very cool. We then ran a warm up loop in 25:30 which frankly felt very easy. HR was up in the 130's and 140's.

I let Jake go ahead of me on the second loop giving him a 90 second head start. Then I took off attempting to run at an AT effort. I actually felt very strong but while I could see Jake up ahead, I never caught him on the out going leg. My HR was in the high 160's and low 170's and I held it there not wanting to drive it too hard.

I caught Jake at the top (he had stopped for a short rest) and without any pause headed right back down pushing into the mid 170's. My time at the top was 10:40 so I could figured that I had a good chance of running faster than the 20:55 I had run several weeks back. 

I felt good all the way down finally coming in at 20:33.

I still have a way to go before getting within shouting distance of the 20:05 I ran last year. 

65 good minutes

Got out by around 8:30 AM and did a relatively strong 65 minutes. The HRM seemed to hover in the 130's most of the run. There is no question that it is getting tougher and tougher to run in the 140's on cool mornings. I could read it that I am getting in much better shape and hence, when that happens, you have to push to get your heart rate up.

What I need to do is put in test runs.

There are three kinds that I have used in the past.

70% test run best done in the morning when it is cool. Run 4-5 miles pushing my HR up to 70% and holding it there throughout the run. Do this once a week.

75% test run. This can be done at anytime of the day. generally 4-5 miles. Once a week is good enough.

85-90% AT run generally over 3 miles to 5K.  This should be done every 3-4 weeks.

If over time these runs get faster than I am getting in better shape. They don't lie.

An Underwhelming 5K

It rained most of last night and this morning. I got up way too early and drank coffee in the dark before going out and jogging 6 minutes in the neighborhood to shale things out. Stepped into several puddles which soaked my shoes and socks. When I got back home I took out the blow dryer and dried my shoes and pulled out a pair of dry socks.

I then drove up to Shel's house in Foster City and from there he drove us the rest of the way up to the Dolphin Club 5K which started and finished across from the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park.  It rained all the way up.

I warmed up an additional 17 minutes while it still continued to rain. I wasn't very motivated but I went on auto pilot and just did it.  At the start of the race, I began talking to a guy named Scott Johnson, from North Carolina who was visiting the area. We ended up just jogging the race which suited me to a "T".

The conversation was great and the time was slow. 30:12.

Slow As I Could Run

I did bricks today. First I got up and drank a big mug of coffee while watching TV and the events that are unfolding in Egypt. Then I drove over in a heavy fog and met Danny for breakfast at Holders. I am known there as Danny's friend.

I finally got out for a slow as I could run 60 minutes around 12:30. It was still cool but the fog had lifted and had been replaced by high overcast.

Getting into really good shape

I got up early and after enuf coffee I jogged the neighborhood for ten minutes. Then I drove over to Forbes and met up with Jake for our usual two loops. Jake seems to have found a program that works for him. Two weeks ago he was slaughter city and barely running. He struggled with a 28 minute and change first loop. Today we ran the first loop in the 26:40's. My HR was in the 130's most of the way. Some 140's coming back down. I jogged over to the restroom at the track, did my business and jogged back

On the second loop, I let Jake lead. We reached the top in 12:25 and then came back down in 10:32. My HR on the trip out was mostly in the high 140's. The downhill side of the run was at a quicker pace but my HR stayed around 150 until we hit the flat section and Jake began to pick it up. Gradually my HR went up to about 155-158 and stayed there until we ran by the ramp. Then we both went harder seeing that we had a chance to break 23. The reward was 22:57.

Total running time was about 67 minutes.

Okay. I am ready to run now.

Strong throughout

Ran early again. Out by 8:15 am. There seems to be no 10 am run in my life these days.

Headed over to the college after running a loop in the neighborhood.  Nice and cool. It took about 20-25 minutes to get my HR up into the high 130's and low 140's. I ran my usual super loops at the college. Boring, I know but for some reason I like it. I kept working my HR up towards 148 as I went along. Sort of a mini progression run. It wasn't that hard. If I backed off my HR dropped easily.

I was out about 65 minutes and felt strong throughout. Don't ask me what my mileage was. It was 65 minutes and that's all my body needs to know most days.

The Perfect Run. I just don't know where it is.

70 warm minutes

I missed on the club 5K on the track. Dwight did his usual 20:13 which despite mega miles and supplements is his new level. Still not bad for a 63 year old runner.

The other "don't tell me to cut my miles"  Jim showed up and ran in the 23's. My guess is that he is on the road back from his don't cut my mileage injury. In any case I am glad he can run again.

Or not.

His girlfriend may have let him out to play for once. I wasn't there, so I am not sure.

As usual I quaffed coffee and hung around the house until it was time for breakfast at Carrows. A big crowd showed up for breakfast including Dimitri who thinks he may have fractured a bone in his left foot. I bet him a breakfast that it was a simple sprain or muscle pull so he he is going to get an x-ray and let me know who won.

I got out at about 12:15. The temperature had climbed into the high 60's and even though I know that is not hot, I perceived it as warm. No trouble getting my HR up in the 140's. I had to even slow down several times to keep it from going over 150. No question temperature is a key factor on HR.

I ran for 70 minutes throwing in a few short big loop hills over at the college. Felt fairly decent (after all I did run 50 minutes yesterday).

Bare Footing

It was a cool Sunny morning. I got out at around 8:30 AM. and ran for 50 minutes keeping my HR in the 130's and 140's. My legs felt very good so I moved things along. The college track was busy. Chatted with a few folks including a guy bare footing it. I asked him how that was working for him. He told me that he had back problems but that it had stopped bothering him once he began running without shoes.

Good run. Pushed coming back and saw 151 flicker on my HRM.

Carpe Diem

Forbes Mill day. I ran 10 minutes around the neighborhood to shake things out and then drove the usual route over to Los Gatos. It was colder than the last several days but I still decided that shorts with gloves, ski cap and long sleeve T was enough. Jake was feeling a little bit less beat up so I let him set the pace on the warmup. We ran 27:12. My HRM mostly read in the 120's so this was a very easy pace. A fast leggy blond blew by us on the way up (I couldn't even hear her breathing).

When we got back I asked Jake if he was going to do another loop and he said "yes" so I decided to trail him up and back and keep it easy.  The second loop was more in the 130's and 140's with a flash of 150 over the last short section.  This one was right around 24:50. The leggy blond was coming back from whatever summit she had run to and just torched us again.

Total for the day was 62 minutes which was enough for my greedy running heart.

Strange day. Had breakfast with Jake but also had a lunch and dinner scheduled both of which were canceled. In my line of work this often happens. I decided to carpe diem and just go with the flow.

MLK Day Run

Thick fog this morning. Kept things cold and damp. I went out before 9 am and ran for an hour at what was mostly a low HR. MLK day so little school traffic. College was empty of studentia. Ran some super loops and picked it up going back. Worked my HR into the 140's. It flickered at 147-48 and I certainly was not laboring at all. It's probably the cool weather but my HR does not jump up and say, "Wow, you are really tired and we need to slow down."

Drove over highway 17 for lunch with a colleague at the Crows Nest in Santa Cruz. Had a great time. The fog burned off once I passed the summit and the ocean side was sunny, t-shirt weather. I had truly died and gone to heaven.

Crows Nest, Santa Cruz

Light headed and then okay

I sucked down coffee and breakfast for my morning workout and then went home and surfed the computer until sometime after 12:30 pm. Finally went out and ran mid day in the sun.

It wasn't that warm. Maybe low 60's but I wilted early in the run, feeling kind of light headed. My heart rate was stuck in the 120's.

Finally, I just stopped and walked. I drank some water and then began running again.

And I began to feel better. I picked it up slightly and adjusted. The second half of the workout was normal. HR up in the 130's and 140's. I moved along feeling better as I continued to run. Finally ended up doing 70 minutes.

I need to run in the warmer weather to get used to it. No other way out.

Hates it but needs it.

Light Headed

The Sun...Finally

 Danny and I went to see Big Bad Billy in the morning. Had late breakfast afterward.

I hung around the house digesting food and then went out after lunch with my new minimalist HRM and ran for 35 minutes keeping in the 130-140 range. After a really soppy Thursday, today brightened up nicely and I was able to actually go out on t-shirt, shorts and a hat to shield off the sun.

I felt pretty much recovered from Wednesday's AT run.

AT run

Forbes Mill day. I ran 6 minutes in and around the neighborhood just to shake things out. Then I drove over to Forbes to meet up with a much beat up and tired Jake. We really slow jogged the first loop in just under 30 minutes. Jake is weighing in about 10 pounds more the usual and this along with his "mike" workouts have killed off his legs. On the other hand, wimpy me, running as slow as I can stand it, felt pretty good. I ran the second loop as an AT effort, reaching the top in 11 flat and coming back down in 9:55. I ran with the HRM and worked my heart rate up to 85% going up (it seemed to take a long time) and then grooved it at 88-90% coming back down.

I hit 20:55 which was just under my hoped for goal of breaking 21 minutes.

Rounded off my 6 + 30 + 21 equals 57 minutes.


This is where I turn around. Just beyond is the trail up to the dam.

Back in session

I ran early this morning. Early being about a quarter past 8 am. Not as cold as Sunday. My legs finally felt good again. I wasn't dragging. I headed over to the college, which is now back in session, and shared the track and my par course hills with the swarming members of a fitness class. I was out for about 55 minutes.

I am running back to back days so I figured that 55 was enough.

Flickering thought

Oh man, it was {{{cold}}} this morning. Low 40's but a quartering headwind made it seem like it was much cooler. I ran a slow, creaky 65 minutes.

I could not warm up! Now and then a thought flickered across my mind about doing some hill charges or a progression effort coming back home but I simply wasn't up to it.

The college was empty. No soccer games and the track was deserted except for a tall guy who often walks there. We know each other by sight and often chat.

An empty, hollow "filler" run. Allows me to eat more.

Back at it again

I took three days off. I was at a client off site for two of those days which began early and ran late. I just decided not to run and try to get myself rested. So today was my first workout since Tuesday. Even then, I  put it off to after mid day and didn't get out the door until around 12:40 and ran for 65 minutes. I ran my normal course over to the college and ran super loops focusing on repetitions of the par course hill at the West end of the track. It was around 50 degrees and the sun played hide and seek behind a layer of cloud cover. The run was unremarkable. But I wasn't drag-assing and my "tired cough" seemed to have gone away. No complaints.

There were a few walkers on the track and one runner who was heavy breathing as he bled along the outside lane. There was also a plump chick who was alternately walking and running and fighting the battle of the bulge. Sort of cute in her own way but getting that middle aged spread in her lower body. Not fat but no longer thin.

Traps

Traps

• I start feeling good and then begin to push each and every run until I break down.
• Thinking I can run more than 3-4 days a week and be effective.
• Not understanding that a day off is a training day. It's called rest. Long run, tempo run, easy run, rest.
• Listening to training advice from runners who, no matter what age they are, have young legs.
• Ever thinking that too slow is really too slow. Walking now and then isn't too slow.
• Dieting while I am training.

Why am I waking up so early?

I woke up way too early. 4:30 AM, I think. I lay in bed until around 5:45 and finally got up and made coffee. I took it slow finally jogging the neighborhood for an 8 minute shakedown run. Then over to Forbes to meet Jake. I jogged around another 3 minutes trying to stay warm. It seemed like it was in the low 30's. Jake and I ran the first loop in 27:36. 15:00 going up and 12:36 coming back down. I did the second loop alone getting up there in 13:01 and then heading back down in 10:07. I hitched a ride with some younger guy who was setting a hard pace. I passed him, he came back on me and I finally hung on to him and let him lead until he got tired. We finally ran in together with him cutting off at the ramp. I thanked him for the ride and ran the last section back to Forbes.

Why am I waking up so early? Sleep has been a problem. My take is that the diet has me running around with a "I'm tired cough" and is affecting my sleep. Can a cold be far behind?

My resolution is that I am going to back off on the calorie counting for right now.

The top of the ramp

Another 60 minutes

Sunday Afternoon

I decided not to run until early afternoon. I had my 3rd consecutive breakfast at Carrows with Danny (It just happened. Not planned) which must be some sort of record.

It rained most of last night and was still coming down this morning but more like showers. The wind had died down and outside of very gray skies, it really wasn't too bad. I finally put off running as long as I could and stomped out the door right around 1 pm. I ran for an hour throwing in some easy hills  mid run. 

Tomorrow is the official end of the holidays and everyone will go crazy again for about week before settling back into work as usual.

Breakfast Run

New Years day 2011. I woke up earlier than I would have like but who has control of such things anymore. Made myself the usual mug of coffee and listened to the wind howl and the rain fall for almost an hour before I finally went out to run. The wind had dropped and the rain spigot had been reduced to a drizzle. I slow jogged for 60 minutes heading over to a mostly deserted college campus, doing some loops and the  coming back home. Then I drove over to breakfast @Carrows for breakfast with Danny and Jake.

Snapping Cold Run

It was in the mid 30's this morning at Forbes. It was cold enough for the air to have a snap to it. I was double gloved and wearing tights and a ski cap. But no complaints. The wind storm of the last two days had finally backed off and the sun was out (even though down on the trail the sunlight was hidden). Jake and I took our time getting up to the top on the first loop. We hit the marker in 15:06 but came down in 12:16. We were beginning to warm up. The second loop was faster at 24:39. Nothing spectacular but I felt strong. Adding in my around the neighborhood 10 minute shakedown run, my total was right around 62 minutes.

Same ol'

Quiet day all around. No clients, no work to do. I drank coffee and hung out until after 8:30 AM and finally got myself going. It was another one of those run as slowly as you can stand it slogs. The skies were clouding up and it felt like it was in the high 40's or low 50's. I slow jogged over the college and did my usual Big Loops (over and over again). My legs were not at their best but I started feeling better as the run progressed. I added on some time and came in at 70 minutes.

My runs are very much the same these days. Not eventful. Same route, same terrain. I probably need to shake it up a bit.

Mission Rock

 Shel and I drove up to the city to run the DSE, Mission Rock 5K.

Between my usual dump run around the house and the city (SF) I warmed up for about 23 minutes total. I then ran 26:22 for 5K. Nothing spectacular. I didn't push which was good because the energy level wasn't there. I could feel the results of my tactical dieting over the last few weeks. As usual even if I eat just the right number of calories, it results in me bonking. Go figure that out.

So I bonked but had fun regardless.

I ran into Bob Anderson, an old friend from the 70's and 80's when he ran Runner's World and I just ran. We caught up. He ran a decent 21 minute 5K. Not too bad for a guy who is about ready to turn 63. At 63 that was about my conditioning too.

This was the area (below) close to the start and finish of the run. The photo is from 1954 but the big terminal (the white area in the foreground) looks the same. AT&T Park now occupies the area just north of it.

Hill Charges

The weather cleared up for a few days. I had coffee and lazed around the house until about 11 am and then I finally went out. My legs felt great. I breezed down to the college by a longer route and ran my usual boring super loops. At about 48 minutes I did two hill charges, except the word charges may be too strong. I did pick up the pace for about the 8-10 seconds it took me to get up to the "summit" but I smartly did not run all out. Then I ran back home. Had to hold back. I cut the run off at 60 minutes.

Running between storms

I am glad I didn't run Sunday. It was an all out rain and wind storm (or at least a bay area version of the real thing). I took Monday off as a matter of course and was rested and ready to go this morning. I got out before 8 am and ran an easy 60 minutes. The weather held nicely. Cool but no rain. I went over to the college and did super loops. At 50 minutes I picked up the pace (don't ask me what the pace was..I have no idea) and ran moderately back to the house for the next ten minutes.

I am de-emphasizing  both the distance and days I run in a week and focusing on getting some controlled quality in the mix.

Leap of Faith Plan

I have decided to cut back to three days a week running through the end of March. I guess it is the next logical move for the aging runner. I believe that I have already long since passed any adaptive benefit I get from mileage. It just isn't there anymore.

So three days....

To begin with my training will constitute the following:

Long run. Easy pacing until the last 10-15 minutes at which time I will pick it up all the way in. Of course this is given that I feel okay. No pushing through tired  or dead legs.

Easy run of 30-40 minutes followed some hill strides. Nothing long. Maybe 8-10 seconds. If I am running them at the college then I will jog home for 10 minutes afterward. If I am running them at Forbes I can do them at the very end.

Tempo day which will include a warmup and a warmdown. The tempo will be either a continuous run or segmented effort. So I might run the 2.7 mile loop at Forbes at 85-90% of max or break the run up into two segments with a tempo run up, 1-2 minute rest and then a tempo run back down.

There are two test efforts possibilities:

1. 5 x 1K at 5K date (two minute rest interval)

2. 3 mile 88-92% run

These are not to be done too often. Maybe every 4-6 weeks.

Minimalist 2 minutes

Did the usual. Slept in, had coffee and went to breakfast with the club. It has been raining since Thursday evening. I feel like I am in Seattle for God's sake! But a warmer gentler Seattle. In Seattle you get the rain and the lead gray skies but also a perpetual 38 degrees.

I went out for an easy run around high noon. My legs felt good so I moved it along. Just steady. Nothing hard. After doing my usual college route, I came back by the house at 50 minutes, dropped on my racing shoes and ran a minimalist 2 extra minutes.

Forbes Mill Thursday

It was Forbes Mill Thursday and man was it cold. Temps dropped into the 30's so I wore long sleeve top, tights, two layers of gloves and a wool ski cap.

I ran my usual 10 minutes around the neighborhood and then drove over to meet Jake. We did the first loop at 27:44. Slower than last week but who cares. On the second loop we got to the top in 13:13 (not that fast) and then I told Jake I was going to push the downhill. I was thinking sub 10 minutes which up until recently I didn't think I could do because of the lingering after effects of the same sciatica I have been dealing with Since Early August.

But there were no issues. I purposely kept the pace at tempo and not race-like. Hit the last maker at 21 flat and picked it up, covering the last section in 2:03. My final time was 23:03. So 9:50 coming down.
If you check back to April 15th of this year, I ran 19:30. A long way from where I presently stand.
 I also caught a cold after that run. Not right away but within a couple of weeks. I tend to run myself down into colds rather than catch them. So I need to be careful...

65 minutes before a busy day

Yesterday morning's run was a slow 65 minutes. It was not that cold and I was able to get away with shorts, cycling gloves, a hat and a long sleeve T.

AT at the track

Overcast and light drizzle again. Today was supposed to be a "Day of Sun" according to the weather folks. No such luck.

I strapped on my HRM. A rare event these days. I did my usual shake down and then headed down Steven Creek to the college (aka, the other route). At 21 minutes I found myself on the backside of the track at the 200 meter point. I then ran 3 x two super loops driving my HR up to the 169-172 range and recovering by letting my HR drop back under 148. So up to 85% of max and back down under 70% of max. I then slow jogged home running a total of 55 minutes.

As near as I can tell a double super loop is about .642 miles or 1033 meters. I average just over 5 minutes a double loop. There is a short hill that I had to go up each time around. Not sure what this all means except that I am slow. Around 7:50 pace a loop.

The good news was that my hip did not bother me one iota and that stands for something.  

35 instead of 60

I promised myself that I would run 60 minutes today (even if it meant doubling) but ended up running 35 instead. I ran in the morning before breakfast. It was drizzling lightly and actually quite pleasant.

I almost went out again around 1 pm but got to the door and turned back. It was simply the "will" to go out again.

Soft Rain at Forbes

Soft rain this morning. Not cold at all. Did a ten minute shakedown around the neighborhood before heading over to Forbes. Met up with Jake. Morphed into old men running up the trail. We covered the first loop in 26:30 which was faster than last week and didn't feel badly at all. On the second loop we ran up in 12:48 and then Jake told me he was gonna AT it back down. I stayed with him most of the way but then grew too impatient and ran on ahead to finish in 23:30. Nothing spectacular but I felt strong.

Wally came by and we went to breakfast. The Persian Girl is getting big (very pregnant) but still looks great. She told me that the baby is kicking now but mostly at night when she is trying to sleep. We laughed. It is all part of the preparation I told her.

60 minutes flat

Got up early and sucked down a giant cup of coffee before going out.  It was clear and cold. I dressed to the "nines".  Hat, gloves. The works. I ran around the neighborhood at first and then down in back of the office buildings off Bubb to McClellan and on to the college.

Same old, same old.

I slow jogged super loops before heading home again.

60 minutes flat.

The Way To Slowtown

I ran another 60 minutes this morning ahead of some dark clouds that "might" mean rain (actually it's raining as I write this). My legs felt good so when I got over to the track I added in some easy striders. Otherwise the run was uneventful. Just another milepost on the way to slow town.

Dark Clouds

Grooved in a rut for 60 minutes

It threatened to rain today. Honestly it did. I decided not to run until early afternoon which gave me time to laze around the house, drink coffee and then go out to breakfast with the club. I finally got out the door close to 1 pm and jogged an easy 60 minutes. I was kind of punkish early on but then began to feel better as the run progressed (late energy). I never did get rained on.

I am in a rut. It seems that I have grooved into this railroad track, college, super loop course.

Arguing our way to 67 minutes

Cold Silicon Valley morning. low 40's. Could have been worse.

I ran a 17 minute shakedown around my neighborhood and over at Forbes. Then Jake showed up and we argued ;-) our way through a 26:30 first loop. The time surprised us both. On the second loop we ran a bit harder coming in at just under 24 minutes.

Total running was 67 minutes.

Oh, yeah. Jake and I were arguing about school politics. Jake had been presiding over informal training sessions with his runners when the league rules say give it a break until the end of January.  So the AD got on him and Jake decided to just to back away.

Damn, it is like a job!

Another Hour

It was in the mid 30's when I trotted out the front door this morning. My intention was to run for 65-70 minutes but I ran into "Ohio" and we chatted for way too long.  I had to hard step it back home just to get in an hour or running. I had a late morning meeting and so I was basically out of time. Thought briefly about going out again in the afternoon but realized that I would gain nada from it so I passed.

Slow with walk breaks

The rain disappeared and the overnight temps went down into the 30's. I went out before 9 am and ran 70 minutes with Galloway walking breaks peppering my efforts. This was the second day of back to back but my legs held up well. The walk breaks and the general slow pace seemed to preserve my energy level.  No complaints.

Stormy Weather

The rain had come back so I put off running until around 1 pm. I joined the club for breakfast though listening to the stories of how bad the weather was for Farwell. Dimitri had a terrible run coming in around 27 flat for 3.54 miles. He wondered what it was worth for a 5K equivalent. I took out my iPhone, dialed up the club website and looked it up.

"Low 23's," I said.

"You're too slow to train with me," I joked, "but don't worry, I'll help you."

It was raining when I finally did get out the door. I ran for an hour and in the meantime the rain stopped and the skies actually cleared up.

Thanksgiving Run

Thanksgiving day run with the club...NOT!

I woke up early and decided to run from the house and then head over to Carrows for breakfast. So I ran 65 minutes in sub 40 degrees (might have been closer to 35) but at least it was sunny and not very breezy.  I got over to the restaurant and found Jake sitting in Sue's old car in the parking lot. He didn't end up running with the club or running at all. Legs dead. May be "coaching firing time" again.

65 easy

It was raining this morning but I went out anyway well before 8 am. Did my usual combo of neighborhood and college routes. Not much wind so it was pleasant. Kept things easy running for 65 minutes.

Running with Charles

I got out the door in the morning trying to beat the rain but it caught up with me anyway about 27 minutes into the run. I did the neighborhood for a time but then headed over to the college where I collided with my friend Charles and so we hung together doing repeat super loops. I finally headed home while the weather continued to be intermittent. Rain, sun, clouds. More sun. More rain.

I cut the run off at 65 minutes.  My legs were okay but not as fresh as yesterday. Back to back days remain a challenge.

The Nines

I was lazy this morning so I slept in. I then went over to Carrows for breakfast with the club. A good crowd showed up including several of usual racers. The XC finals for the Pacific Association are on for tomorrow in Golden Gate Park. Rain is expected so it will be muddy and slippery on the course.

It was beginning to rain by the time I finally got out around 12:30 PM and pretty much was a sprinkler the whole 60 minutes. I was dressed to the nines so I really didn't suffer. I ran slowly as usual but my legs felt good so I just enjoyed the trip. It was my usual course. The track was empty because of the wet conditions. Given a normal winter this is what it is going to be like until spring.

21:55

Got up early and ran 12 minutes of "shakedown" around the neighborhood and over at Forbes Mill. Then Jake and I hooked up and ran a loop in just over 28 minutes. He was dead on his feet so I did the second loop alone. I pushed up to the top, running a steady and even effort. I hit the turnaround in 11:50 and thought that if I kept the same effort going down, that I would run in the mid to high 22's.  So I pushed the downhill sections figuring that this would give me a slight chance at sub 22 without slicing and dicing myself. I passed the last marker in the mid 19:30's and pressed the gas pedal down a bit to finish in 21:55.

Went to breakfast afterward. 

Galloway 4-1

I threw in Galloway from the start running 4 minutes and walking one. I stayed with this formula right through 50 minutes and then I shifted to 20 minutes of continuous running until the end.  The total time out on the roads was 70 minutes. My legs felt good  and strong but I kept the pace slow anyway. I had to make some change in my approach. I was beginning to get that beat up feeling again. My plan is to run continuously on Thursday and then shift back to 4-1 on the weekend. The goal now is to extend my time out on the roads but make the time spent out there the workout. Not the intensity.




No one our age is getting any faster at this point of the game. We're all just trying to hang on and maybe beat what we did last year.

Sissy Running

I ran a very slow 62 minutes on Sunday. It had no rhyme or reason but I was tired and lacking energy. In other words, flat lined.  I helped things along in the latter part of the run by throwing in some one minute walks (Galloway) and this did help. 4 minutes of running and one minute of running. After a few of these I did begin to feel better. I think that I am beginning to struggle with 4 days of running which has served me well since shifting to that sort of schedule almost twenty years ago.  More and more I think about three (3) day running weeks. I remember going through this when I went from 6-7 days of training to running every other day. Of course running every other day eventually became four days a week.

So either I go back to every other day (literally) or make one of the four days, half of what I run on the other days. But then I think to myself, is that worth anything? Just go to three. It is inevitable. Every other day has certain guidelines.

• Run every other day. 
• If you are happen to run back to back days either take two days off before or after.
• Run more on the days you do run.

Aging ain't for sissy's.

The HRM Again

I decided not to run until midday. I dropped of the XC stuff with Jake over at Lynbrook (now the season is really over) and was almost run over by hundreds of cars whipping around the parking lot. The cars vomited out parents and kids of all ages. Turned out it was Asian School. I dumped the stuff and got out of Dodge as quickly as I could. I drove over to the relative peace and tranquility of the Carrows' Parking lot for breakfast with some of my club members.

It warmed up nicely and was in the low 70's by the time I went out the door for my run. I wore the HRM to see where I was. I snapped it on and my resting was already at 70 after quaffing coffee and moving around quite a bit. That is a good number by the way. For some reason if I am fit my resting heart rate actually drops in the late afternoon. But 70 at noon is good. I went out and ran my usual college course. It took a long time for my HR to get up around 130. I wasn't pushing but I also wasn't plodding and tripping over myself.

I ran for a total of 68 minutes, picking up the last mile and getting my HR up around the mid 140's. I topped out around 148 (my theoretical 70% of max).

Route for 66

I upped my running minutes to 66 today. A slow climb back up into the 70's or so I hope. I tried to vary my route heading up the RR tracks to Rainbow, back through Jollyman Park and then a few laps around the college before heading home. 

 I am paying the price for stupid training (see past posts) and had to run very slowly (as in really, really slow). It is what it is. I run as slow as I can to avoid fatigue and pain. Dare I strap on the HRM and become dangerous again?
 


Jollyman Park

Compression Run

I ran 65 minutes yesterday morning. Nothing fast. I wore my compression tights because it was in the low 40's and I wanted to protect my legs. The run went okay. Nothing dramatic. I kept it slow and easy. No hamstring issues.

Basically running slow and now and then extending the duration seems to be the key to not getting injured.

Rain Man

A {{{mild}}} rain storm swept into the Bay Area. I got out around 8 am which was really 9 am because of the time change. It was another 55 minute jog with more than few bathroom stops. My energy level was better than yesterday but I was still sub-par. My guess is that I picked up some sort of minor flu bug. Nothing serious but enough to slow me down. As I was finishing the run my right hammie tightened (shades of August) and I had to slow down even further.

Should have mailed it in

I was out on the roads just before 8 am this morning. The warm weather of last week has cooled down nicely. Not too cold yet. But the run was not good. Multi bathroom stops, walk breaks and generally a body that was unresponsive. It would have been better if I had just mailed it in. I guess this is payback for feeling so good on Thursday (or not). In any case it was just a poor run. I got back to the house in 55 minutes and decided that going on for another 5 minutes was a waste of time.

After I got back home from breakfast I looked up "Bad Run". Of course I know it is not a phenomenon that I experience. I have had hundreds and hundreds of bad runs. Dozens of articles popped up. The bottom line is get over it and move on. Yeah, I knew that. I have been getting on for 42 years (of running).

After all, tomorrow is another day.

Surprising effort

Forbes Mill with Jake. I had to get up early, down some coffee and run a 5 minutes shakedown run. Then I drove over to Forbes. Jake and I ran the first loop in 27 flat. Way faster than the last several weeks. Sort of surprising in fact. On the second loop I went out slightly faster but did not push. I got to the top in just under 13 minutes and came back down to finish in 23:51. That was a surprise too. My hip was sensitive but didn't bother me. I stayed away from anything resembling torque. I kept it nice and steady.

Now, did I run this fast because I took it so damn easy on Tuesday or was it a combo of running hard twice last week  and then backing off? My guess is that it was the former. Easy running generally leads to faster efforts for me. That's because I am ass backwards training-wise.

56 minutes all told.

Pay the Price

My right leg was bothering me again on Monday. Probably pushed too hard last week. I figured I would have to recycle and rehab all over again. But Tuesday I ran 60 minutes with little or no problem. The lesson is engraved in my mind. Push now, pay now. So I can run but I have to keep it easy. Once a week seems not to be the issue but I went relatively hard two days last week and paid the price. It is hard to see that a 7:30 - 8:00 pace is hard but these days it is. Age grade it and it is a 5:30-6:00 pace back when I was in my early 30's.

This afternoon was my last XC meet as a coach fro 2010. It was the league finals at Crystal Springs. It was unusually warm for November. Temps climbed up towards 80 and some of the runners suffered. Finally a few collapsed and someone called the fire department. Then the police came and emergency response vehicles. Pretty soon there vehicles lined up all over the place. The last race of the day was canceled and the teams were sent home. Luckily the last race wasn't for CCS. That had already been decided. But still, there were some disappointed runners standing around with no place to go (except to the buses).

The results indicate that both the boys and girls made CCS. The head coach, Jake will motor on without me.

The Lynbrook camp

CHAMPS!

Giants win World Series behind Lincecum, Renteria