15.8!

Monday

The secret of Monday's, especially after a hard Saturday, is the willingness to run as slow as you can stand it. That's exactly what I did this morning. I rambled for 63 minutes, thought briefly about going to 65 and put the breaks on and promptly stopped. I ran in the no pain mode which meant that I ran so slow that jogger-slugs on the track were blowing by me and walkers were gaining steadily.

It is what it is.

Wednesday

Cloudy, overcast sunless morning. Cold but no wind. I drifted up RR Tracks and over to the college. There was a group of students walking on the track. Another group was doing strides under the watchful eye of a coach. I stuck to the outside edge of the track and then rounded out my loops on the soccer field seeking a quiet uneventful run. All in all, 60 minutes of nada. It was a just do it sort of day.

Thursday

I didn't rush into work. I drove up to Forbes Mill and ran 60 minutes on the trails. It was sunny and cold but the weather began to warm up during my second loop. Ran into Debbie Brassfield (The Pink lady) and we ran together and talked. Hard to believe she is closing in on 50. She slowed her pace to run mine which as always was very slow. Enjoyable run. Cleared my head up nicely.

Saturday

I passed on a morning run and focused on the afternoon doodad at Gunn High School. It was in the low 50's but the wind died down as we showed up and then it was just hazy sun and perfect conditions. D and I ran a 22 minute warm up and then carved out a 20 minute AT run on an unmeasured course. I kept my HR in the low 170's throughout the effort but still wonder if this is really AT. We then went to the track and blasted 6 x 100 averaging in the 16's with the last one at 15.8. With a very slow warm down, the total was around 50 minutes.

Creating a load

Monday

I dawdled around this morning sipping coffee. No work this week. The Titanic is shutdown for Thanksgiving.

It was bright and sunny. Not too cool. I went out and ran (yes, ran) 63 minutes. My legs felt more than decent which was a big surprise given how I felt after Saturday's slash and burn workout at Gunn. I wore my tights anyway which kept my legs toasty. It tells me that I should give those compression tights a look see. I selected my usual course. Down the RR tracks and over to the college doing big loops around the soccer field and the track.

Wednesday

Rambled out of the house after 8 am (well, maybe a long time after 8 am) and did my usual. Legs were OK but not great. At the college I suffered the humiliation of being passed by a woman who was jogging in a workout outfit but carry her purse. She blitzed me good and simple. The only redeeming factor was that she was obviously breathing hard. I guessed she was late for a class because she did a hard left into the gym and pool area. Then there was the hefty girl on the track going by me laughing as she chatted with her boyfriend. I finally wandered off to the soccer field which was bereft of other runners and gave me peace of mind.

The weather was outstanding. Cool and sunny. Cooler than Monday but my gloves still came off about half way through the run as I warmed up.

Thursday

This morning I ran the traditional club 7 miler. I use to be able to blitz this in the 40's but today I got off slow, dropped to the back of the pack and ran with Danny and Dimitri. We ended up cutting the course short and running the old Farwell-Herriman gig. 4.68 miles. Luckily I had extra, reserve minutes in the cookie jar and covered my usual 60 minutes.

Saturday

It rained Friday so Saturday was blow dry city as the winds picked up and cleared the skies. I tested my achilles in the morning with a ten minute easy run. My achilles had been swollen on Friday but between icing and Advil it now seemed to be OK.

I came back in the early afternoon and met D over at Gunn. I decided to do a creating a load run. We warmed up for an easy 20 minutes and then launched into an out and back AT run of 18:30. No idea how far the course was but it was nice enough because it mostly consisted of bike and walking path with a wind in our face net downhill going out and a wind at our back gradual uphill coming back. Then we went to the track and ran 6 x 100 averaging 17 seconds (walking back to recover). The slowest was in the 18's and the fastest was in the 16's. I then slow jogged around to hit 60 minutes for the day.

Death by dying

Monday

Got up early Monday morning. It was cool and sunny. No wind at all. I drag-assed down the road for 65 minutes running as slow as I could. I could feel the effects of Saturday afternoon's workout. No way to escape it. I ran the RR Track to the college and did big loops around the soccer field and stadium sharing the place with a gym class that mostly walked and several Asian girls (One tall, one short) who walked and ran exactly alike (from behind). They changed me up because they were walking out separately for a time. Later, when they joined up I realized that they must be related. Sisters probably. Either that or they were taking "how to walk fast" classes from the same instructor.

Wednesday

I did my usually early morning 60 minute run heading up the RR tracks and then down to the college. "The Gym Class" was there walking the big loop around the track. Taller, Asian girl was also present hop stepping it up and down the stadium steps. As for me. I slogged along feeling a bit better than Monday but still leg weary. It could be the way I ate on Tuesday. I got off to a good start but didn't have lunch substituting snack food. Dinner was a filet mignon stake with a sweet potato and bread. The food was washed down by a glass of wine. My guess is that it was not enough to refuel my body but it sure tasted damn good.

I was going to go out for a shorter lunch run but voted against it. There is only one vote and I own it.

Thursday

I met Jake at Forbes. He was walking (recovering from a cold). I ran 60 minutes. I wore tights, long sleeves, a hat and gloves. Even though the sun was out it was near freezing in the shade along the trail and warmer down on the track where the sun could have its way.

Saturday

I didn't run this morning. I chose to go out in the early afternoon when it had warmed up a bit. The problem was that the wind had picked up too. Dimitri and I met at Gunn High School Track and warmed up for 20 minutes. It was cool, crisp with a pesky breeze. There were skinny flags flapping around at the top of the goal posts. They told us that the wind seemed to be coming in from the northwest.

The workout was varied. 200-300-400-200-300-200. Equal recovery.

It went 37-58-77-37-57-37. Truth be told, it was hard but my legs stayed strong and snappy. But when I was finished I was truthfully finished. I lunged around the track for a 10 minute warm down but I was done in.

Death by dying.

I walked out to the car feeling slightly sick . Not sick-sick but that nauseous feeling you get when you have pushed to the limit. A drive home, an energy bar and a hot shower followed by a seafood pasta dinner set me right again.

Getting used to getting faster

Monday

I got up early and ran 65 minutes. It was all slow. I felt tired and a bit washed out. I feel like I am fighting off some sort of flu bug. The weather has turned. Low 40's but windless. I wore a ski cap and gloves. I probably could have worn tights. My legs were cold. Blocks of granite. Not good for running. However, I am very skilled at slowing down to whatever pace allows me to complete the workout.

I am beginning to realize that I am running on empty. It seems that I am either fighting off a cold or the flu and it is taking its toll. So far I have not come down sick so that is good news. I am going to back off for the next week or two and shorten my runs back to 45-50 minutes and keep them slow until I feel right again. Work isn't helping. Yes, I am still there. Despite all my bluster I am hanging in (by my neck). But I did meet with my boss and tell her that there needs to be an end date. Right now it looks like April of 2010.

Frankly, knowing that it gets deadly quiet between Thanksgiving and New Year, I may be able to squeak through but I am getting tired of just squeaking through.

Wednesday

I ran 50 minutes at lunch today. It was in the low 60's, sunny and with a slight quartering wind. For the first time in about a year I wore my HRM. I sailed along in the high 120's and low 130's for about the half the run and then picked it up so I was running in the low to mid 140's the rest of the way. The run felt good. Of course I am not so sure that mid to high 140's are 70% of max anymore. I will have to find out if I continue to use it.

Thursday

I met Jake over at Forbes in the morning and ran 50 minutes at an easy effort. Cutting back my running was a good idea. I am beginning to feel stronger again. I may have had a bug but I also exacerbated things last week by running a semi-hard effort on Thursday and coming back with 200's on Saturday. Jake ran hard last Thursday and then added in an extra 6 miles that evening. He told me that he wasn't right for a whole week. The message is clear.

Pick your day and make that your hard effort. The rest of your training days need to be easy.

Saturday

It threatened to be cold in the morning so I settled for a 15 minute shakedown run and met D at 1:30 PM at Gunn High School for our regular workout. We warmed up for 20 minutes and did a few striders.

The workout was a new one for me. 3 sets of 300-200 with an equal walk-jog afterward. The goal was to do the 300's in 63-64 and the 200's in around 40. It was sunny and cool with a slight breeze but the track was dead empty. We took off and ran the first 300 in a hair under 65. Then we walked 100 meters and jogged 200 meters launching into a 200 in 40 flat. The next set was 62-38. Much faster plus I felt much stronger. The last set was 61-37 with a sub 18 last 100. I jogged down for 10 minutes while D ripped off a 61 second 400 followed by a 46 second 300. So a good day for both of us.

Carb Crash

Monday

Early morning 70 minute run over the college, seemingly endless loops and back home. My legs were tired from Saturday but responded well enough to bit faster than usual pace. I could feel the water spraying up as I ran the astro-turfed carpeted soccer field. The sun was up and warming the day but there was still a remnant of the cool night air. I wore a long sleeve top but could have escaped with a t shirt.

Wednesday

Tough run. Got out early but was tired and listless. I coaxed myself through the run by stopping often, walking now and then and generally drifting myself to 60 minutes of slow. Can't figure it out. Sleep has been good. Nothing hard since Saturday. Maybe it's not enough carbs. Will go down that road.

Thursday

After carbing up yesterday, I felt much better during my morning run at Forbes Mill. I ran total of 58 minutes including one up and back in 22:06. So all in all stronger.I had Oatmeal for breakfast after the run and pasta salad for lunch.


Saturday

Cool and sunny. Slight breeze.

Over to WVC track early for some track work. I warmed up for 25 minutes, ran a few creaky striders and then went to the meat of the workout.

The beef was 6 x 200. An old Danny Moon favorite.

With D leading we ran 39-39-39-39-37-37.

Recovery was a 200 meter walk.

I then warmed down for 12 minutes.

The week that was

Monday

Felt lazy and so I did not run in the morning. Instead traded emails with a friend of mine who lives in Colorado. I ended up running at lunchtime. The day was more like spring than late fall. 70's, slight breeze and very sunny. I took off at a pace that was little more than a walking-jog but as the run progressed and my legs "warmed" up, I picked up the pace slightly.

Still, everyone who was behind me at any point of the run but in shouting distance, passed me. I hung in for 65 minutes and felt better at the end. Could easily have gone on.

Wednesday

Cool and windy morning but I went out anyway for about 50 minutes. My legs actually felt good so I moved along (which is relative these days). I ran variations of my college route which minimizes the time I have to spend with a head wind plus it gives immediate access to bathrooms (if needed). Small numbers of students scurrying around campus heading to classes were the only distraction. Outside of that, it was a quiet run.

Thursday

I ran with Jake over at Forbes in the morning. 60 minutes of medium paced running. It was "gloves" weather. Cool with a slight breeze but after a time it (or I) warmed up. We went to breakfast afterward.

Saturday

Cool and overcast. Drove over to WVC to meet "D".

25 minute warm up. Threw in some striders at the end to get ready for the hard stuff.
We did 4 x 400 alternating 1500 and 800 pace.

88-83-88-81

My legs finally seemed warmed up by the last 400 and I decided to end up with a 300 at 60 second pace. But I felt better than that (finally) and ran a 58.

Warmed down for a total of 45 minutes.

Not quite what I had in mind

Saturday

WVC Track.

I warmed up for 25 minutes and then ran the following with D leading all the way.

• 1 x 400 shake down in 90 flat.
• 1 x 800 in 2:59
• 1 x 600 in 2:11.
• 1 x 400 in 82.

I then jogged down about 20 minutes for a total workout of 50 minutes.

The workout generally hit the times I had in mind with the exception of the 600. I was thinking of 2:07 but we came through the 400 off pace and there was just no way to make it up without a gut wrenching sprint. Really D was protecting me because I had a slight achilles problem and I got through the workout without further damage.

I seemed to have flattened out a bit either physically or emotionally. Right now I can't tell the difference. But D and I agreed that even if we focus on 90's it is better than where I was before.

The Good Week

Monday

I ran 62 minutes this morning just ahead of some light rain. Great day weather-wise. Yeah it was overcast but the wind was low and it was cool. Good for running. I dropped onto my normal course up the RR Tracks, down McClellan and looping around the soccer field and the track. My legs felt little of Saturday's 5 x 300 effort.

Wednesday

I walked Amber this morning and put off my run until lunch. It was the right decision. A slate gray sky gave way to bright sunshine, low 70's temps with a slight breeze. I ran 50 minutes with the workout framed around 8 x 100 meter strides. I warmed up for about 20 minutes and then ran a stride every 3 minutes. I did not time them. I focused on moving my legs quickly with a strong upward motion of my legs. If I can handle it, this mid week workout will be most accurately labeled as running drills.

Thursday

I met Jake at Forbes in the morning at around 8 am and ran 50 minutes. My legs felt good and seemed to have no immediate problems after the strides on Wednesday. Weather was cool and overcast. Very little wind so almost perfect.

Breaktime (again)

I read Breaktime back in the late 1970's and was inspired to take a year off. I was in a toxic job and needed to break out. Unmarried, no debts, I had just sold a condo I owned and made a small profit. I walked away from an offer of a promotion with more money.

The department I worked in had just been through a corporate pogrom. I had survived but back then I was genuinely immune to money as a motivator. Either I had enough or I didn't. Enough was relative. Enough was just that. Enough to walk away.

I walked.

It took me a month to detox. I was still rattling on about work until a friend caught me up. "You are still there," he said one night after dinner. That was it. I stopped talking and thinking about work. I stepped into the non-workasphere (is that a word???). It wasn't perfect. I dabbled in helping my parents out in their real estate development business. I got tangled up in program managing the building of their house. I realized that I had simply replaced one misery with another so that by Thanksgiving, 3 months into my "break" I had to tell them I was "out".

I became a road racer. Running that is. I had been training and racing since 1972 and now seven years into it, I was peaking as far as any talent I had.

It wasn't perfect but then what really is. I was generally the happiest I had been in years. By January of 1980 I was running some of the fastest times I had ever raced. Then a month later I met the woman (Sue) who would become my wife. I could devote myself to that relationship and my running. But I could also see the end. If we married, I would have to go back to work. We decided to get married in the late spring and that summer I found a job. 10 months had passed.

I was back behind a desk. I would remain behind that desk and many other desks in many other companies almost without a break for the next 22 years. This was followed my 7 years of consulting and contracting which gave me various shades of independence. I ended that by going back inside late last year partly because of the economy and partly to improve our medical benefits coverage. Well, mission accomplished.

Now I am going to break free again. My so-called career has always been non linear and I am sure it will continue to hurtle along this winding path.

5 x 300

I met D over at a very deserted WVC track. My back and shoulders were feeling much better after Big Bill worked me over on Thursday afternoon. I decided to do some cut down 300's. Five seemed like the right number. We agreed to start out at goal mile pace and drop it down to goal 800 meter pace. I warmed up for about 25 minutes, did some strides and met D by the start line.

The first was toughest (always is). We ran a weak 67 and then walked 300 recovery. The next was a much smoother 64 as was the one right after that. The 4th one was a blazing 59 so we agreed to let off a bit and ran the last one in 61.

I jogged down for 15 minutes for a total run of 45 minutes.

All in all a good workout.

Departure

Today I finally put back on my consultant, "freelancer" hat and asked my boss to put me on the "time to leave" list. The VP of HR has left and the department has been thrown to the dogs. If I stay I will be in a slightly variant but similar version of the 3 month gig I did last fall.



Departing is not sweet sorrow. It is simply overdue. I was dragging myself into work for weeks.
I apologize (to myself). I don't usually let things like this happen to me.

I am trying hard to sound like Howard Roark in The Fountainhead.

He is talking the Dean.

"I owe you an apology. I don't usually let things happen to me. I made a mistake this time. I shouldn't have waited for you to throw me out. I should have left long ago."

The Rains Came

Monday

I ran an easy 62 minutes in the morning. My legs actually felt good and so I had to hold back. Nice breezy morning. Supposedly the rain & wind comes on Tuesday.

Tuesday



Wednesday

The rain cleaned up the air something awful on Tuesday. Like many, we lost power yesterday evening. In the morning things had cleared out but I decided to put off my run until lunch. I got out around 12:30 and ran 50 slow minutes. A group of 3-4 guys charged by me as I headed down the Baylands Trail asphalt path next to Highway 237.

In fact they blew by me. They got me coming and going. I think they were running long repeats. Not sure. I didn't stick close enough to find out.

Work is starting to creep back in with Bill gone and Pgs in command. I don't want to let her down but I want less work, not more. As it is I am on fumes just trying to get to the end of the year. She is a good friend but I am close to the bottom of the tank. This is not burnout but rather burndown.

Thursday

I met Jake at Forbes Mill. We ran two loops in 52 minutes and small change. The air was clear and I ran effortlessly but still slow. Jake and I didn't chat much because I was plugged into a business meeting via my cell phone and hands free ear piece.

Mixed day

AM: 40 minute slow run. Went to breakfast. Will have to revisit 800 meter trial effort. It was cold and I felt sluggish.

PM: Ran 10 minutes over to DeAnza and did some striders. Then ran 6 x 100. First one in the 18's then a mix of 16's and 17's. Recovery was a walk back to the start. 12 minute jog back home. Upper back tightened up. Weather was just about perfect. Warmer but breezy.

Jordan Hasay Grows UP

Good news. Much heralded runner Jordan Hasay finally has breasts. You can barely see them poking out in the picture below. The Oregon freshman, who resembled a prepubescent 11 year old girl throughout high school is finally is beginning to look like a young woman. Can dating be far behind?

By the way, that's her second from the left.





Meanwhile Lolo Jones shows "the path" ahead for a world class runner. If I was a woman and had a body like this, I would pose too. Especially for $$$$!!!!

Monday

I trotted out for 50 easy minutes this morning with my legs feeling very good. No residual soreness from Saturday. The morning was fall-like. Cool and clear. Used gloves for the first time in a long time.

Wednesday

Got out early for 50 minutes of luvin' the road type running. Tromped down the RR Tracks, to the college and ran loops around the soccer field, the track and the campus. Never sure I was really awake throughout but I was on autopilot so it worked out fine. I wore a long sleeve shirt but frankly it wasn't near as cold as Monday seemed.

I don't normally wish I were someplace else but this morning I would have been happy to be on the beach with the sun just coming up.



I had to settle for Cupertino.

Thursday

I ran early morning shift @ Forbes Mill pitty pattying up and down the dam course for 50 wonderful minutes of how slow can I run and not have my legs hurt. I was so slow that several times I broke into a walk, so slim was the delta between running and walking. Jake was out there too pounding loops in the mid to low 20's (he staggered to breakfast afterward and back to the car again). Great day. Cool, overcast and breezy in sections.

Getting Out

It is strange even to be thinking about this.

My whole Silicon Valley work life since 1977 has been about networking, staying connected and helping others. This has resulted to 16 jobs, numerous consulting assignments and a continuous flow of cash.

Now, I am thinking of getting out. Probably not forever but maybe forever from this field of work.

One thing I have learned from studying history of people and nations is that you can just walk away. But if you want to leave in an orderly manner you need some time.

1. Stop looking for new work. If work comes your way pass it quickly to others.

2. Stop networking. Just stop.

3. People may reach out to you but don't reach out to them.

4. Be less available.

5. Make them come to you.

6. Give advice but not help. This needs esplainin' as Ricky Ricardo use to say. It means you can give advice but don't offer to connect people. Give them their contact information and tell them to use your name. Don't do the connecting for them.

7. Cut yourself off from any networking sites for job's sake. Like Linkedin for example. Just go cold turkey.

8. People won't generally understand all of this so create a reason to be gone. I am writing the great American novel. I have to take care of sick relatives. I used that one in 1979 but back then it was true.

9. Leave your cell phone off. Use it when you want to call someone. Think outbound and answering center rather than 24-7 inbound.

10. Stop discussing jobs and careers. This is crucial. Learn to change the subject or make an excuse to get away. You have to train the your network that this is no longer something that interests you. Be kind about it though.

11. Work may come your way that interests you. That lures you back in for the moment. Charge heartily for it. That way if they can't afford you fall back on #1 and pass the work forward.

12. Act dumb about what's out there. After all you are busy writing the next great American novel. You just don't know what is out there.

13. Focus on other passions. Don't read about business or specific companies.

14. Create or seek a qualifying event that takes you of the workaday world. Hawaii is a nice idea. That strip of beach down near Santa Cruz. Who cares about work there?

15. Don't be blabbermouth about what you are doing. Just go quietly.

16. Read Breaktime by Bernard Lefkowitz if you can find a copy of it. It is the bible of the stop working (or caring about it) world. It was published back in the late 1970's but it still is relevant today. You can generally find it on the internet at rather cheap prices.

If all else fails use the card below.

The Limit (for now)

I hit my limit this morning.

After warming up for 25 minutes D and I ran an 86 shakedown 400. Faster than normal but it made sense given our workout.

Then we ran 3 x 400 at goal pace for 800 meters. 80-81-81.

It was fast as I could go while staying relaxed and not losing form. The message was simple. My recovery was relatively quick so I just didn't have the muscle memory to be able to run much faster. Rather than run another 400 I elected to run 2 x 200, both coming in at 38 and change. Not fast enough to hurt but enough to push the barrier.

I jogged down for enough time to get 45 minutes total.

Rolling Kenyan

Monday

I run very much like the Kenyans. They are known for starting their runs very slowly. I do the same thing but with one major difference.

I never really pick it up.

The wages of wear and tear for a runner with around 100K on his legs. This morning I jogged 60 minutes on legs that felt surprisingly fresh but I also had early morning low (low) energy syndrome.

By the way, I am not as thin as Kenyan runners are. I am 5' 6" and around 140 pounds. If I were a Kenyan I would weigh in around 120. The last time I weighed that little my girlfriend of that long ago era made me walk right down to the local donut shop and stuff my face with glazed everything.

Anyhow......

My 800 meter oriented workouts mostly look like this right now.

Monday: 50-60 minutes
Wednesday: 45-50 Minutes
Thursday: 50-60 minutes
Saturday: 40-45 minutes including one of the following each weekend:

3-4 x 400 at 800 meter goal pace

2 x 600 at 800 date pace.

1 x 800 time trial to find out were I am

Wednesday




I woke up to an early alarm forgetting that I didn't have to run in the morning but could go out to the Baylands @lunch. It was sunny and breezy (typical). I covered 60 minutes of nondescript jogging. The one negative was that for the first time in a long time I went over on my right ankle.

OUCH! Followed by a deleted expletive!!!!!

But it was a half roll so while there was some pain it quickly passed and I was able to continue my run. I guess all of those one leg balancing drills I have been doing in the shower are finally paying off.

Thursday

I went back to Forbes Mill this morning and ran variations of the dam course for 55 minutes of activity. One my interior up and back's was in the very low 24's. My legs felt good (too good). Now I need to rest up for Saturday's 400 workout.

Walkin' A

Walkin' A.

I scooted over to West Valley College to meet D and run 2 x 600 at goal 800 meter pace. We warmed up for close to 25 minutes. It was cool enough but the sun was coming up and the track was heating up.

We ran a shakedown 400 in 90 seconds. Not too bad. It felt OK so we walked a bit and then launched the first 600. I just settled in and followed the big guy around for a 2:06. Between the 200 and 400 I was thinking of excuses to get out of this but by then we only had 200 to go so I hung in there.

Pain is good. Pain is good.

Well, except I really wasn't in pain. I actually felt strong so we recovered with another walk and shot off the second 600. This one was 2:05 and change. All in all a 2:47 800 meter pace workout.
Three weeks ago I ran this same workout in 2:09-2:06.

I jogged for 15 minutes.

Heading back to our cars we decided next week would be 400's and the following week would be an 800 meter trial.

Pain is good! Pain is good!

Tall, tan, slender and fast

Monday

The next two-three days are supposed to be barn burners. I am hearing mid to high 90's so no lunch running for a while. I got out early this morning while a layer of fog still blotted out the sun. Easy paced 60 minutes over to the college and back. There was some young gal zipping around the track and soccer field. Tall, tan, slender and fast. I believe those are the big 4 athletic attributes, aren't they?

Wednesday

The fog blanketed the sky again this morning keeping the temps cool. I ran 50 minutes on legs that felt unusually decent. I thought about doing some striders but laziness and my lack of valor got the best of me. I just ran.


Thursday

I ran 61 minutes mostly at Forbes with Jake. Cool and overcast. Nice reminder of what fall can be like (whenever it gets here).