For now, this will have to do

It seemed cooler this morning. I blended into the pavement while trotting around Cupertino for 55 minutes. Eventually I ended up on the track doing big loops. That little par course section gives me the momentary feeling of being on a trail in the woods. Of course it is an illusion. It's just some dirt and trees at one end of a junior college track in the middle of suburbia Silicon Valley. But right now it's all I got. The price of getting onto some really great trails is the need run up some decent hills and I don't trust either calf to hold up.

For now, this will have to do.




Dirt and Trees lower part of the photo

Stumbling through 68 minutes of slow

The weatherman has really turned up the heat. Even though I got out the door by 8 am it was already very warm. I ran as slow as I could (almost falling asleep several times in the first few miles) taking a long route to the track. Once I arrived, I spotted Charles and Donna and ran with Charles for a while chatting about heart rate monitors (He wears one now. I rarely do). By the time I got back home I had stumbled through 68 minutes of hell bent for leather slow running.

Actually, once I started to match strides with Charles my pace picked up ever so slightly and my legs felt better. Second wind of some sort.

>On the "thinking what the hell I have to do going forward" stream of consciousness.

>I would like to get down to 135-36 but I have not been paying very much attention to my weight.

>I NEED TO START! I believe I will run faster if I take this step. 5-7 pounds under what I am today.

>I need to eat better. These protein days will kill me for sure. More carbs.

>Don't fiddle too much with my training. I can add slow minutes bit the rest has to remain the same.

1200 meter time trial

I am becoming a machine of sorts. After spending yesterday summarily executing people at work (a.k.a. RIF's) I was not at my best this morning. My mind was else where (LIKE ON RETIREMENT!!!!). But if you are a machine you flip the "on" switch and go do what you are supposed to do.

Met at Dimitri over at Prospect which once again was thankfully deserted and we warmed up for 20 minutes as slow as we could. I did some striders and my legs felt anything BUT heavy so I knew that I was OK. The goal was to break 4:40 for 1200 meters. I last did that 2 years ago.

We went out softly, running the first lap at 95. I had promised D that I wouldn't keep checking my watch so I had no idea what the split was. I wasn't full of energy but I felt alright. I could feel the pace shift slightly during the second lap as we scooted through in the 3:08 I had requested. Once again, I didn't check the watch. I found out this later on.

On the 3rd lap I could feel the effort but nothing I couldn't maintain. With 200 to go D said "Alright Rich," so I knew we were on track.

I clicked the stop watch and at last looked. It read 4:36:94. In my book, a 4:36 and change. 10 seconds faster than the last time I did this workout on May 23rd.

We walked a lap and then ran one more 400. "Nothing hard," I said. I was thinking 92-93 but as easy as it felt, it was an 87. A GOOD SIGN boys and girls.

I then did the requisite 14 slow...slow minutes as a warm down.

The time age grades to a 3:32 at age 30.

Tolerating Slow

I woke up early. 5:45 AM. I am not a morning person by design but have made myself into one because of running.

I did the coffee thing, a few chores and then ran a very easy 50 minute slow jog. As Galloway says for folks in my age group, it is best to run 3 days a week max. In other words every other day. he's probably right but he also mentions that a runner can do more days if there is no leg soreness.

Well, having no leg soreness is my middle name. You just have to have the ability to tolerate really slow days.

55 pain free, sluggish minutes

Low energy Tuesday.

I rolled out of bed and put away a big mug of coffee. Then I went out the door for an uninspired but resolute "crawling along" 55 pain free, sluggish minutes. Some days you just have to just do it even if laying around on the couch, sipping more coffee and browsing the web sounds much more enticing.

Anything sounded more enticing.

The weather has begun to heat up so getting out early made the run palpable. I suspect I am feeling the residuals of running reps on Saturday and then running a bit too hard on Sunday.

Still, my legs were pain free but then I have become a master of that.

Finally got on the web after showering and saw that 80 year old Earl Fee had run a 2:48, 800 meter. So we're 16 years apart and 6 seconds. I ran 2:54 last Saturday and even though I was time trialing, I am sure Fee looked the part.

Mistakes were made but......

Mistakes were made but not by me.

How often have I heard that?

Yesterday's run was too fast. A 9 minute per mile pace for 5K is very doable but not smart at this point of the game. If I am going to make it back (whatever back is) I need to keep my easy runs very easy.

DSE runs are a trap right now. If I run them at all I need to stick to the back of the pack or just show up and run my own workout.

S%#T! Can't believe that I am having this discussion about a 9 minute pace. ;-)

GG Park for 55 minutes

I drove up to Shel's this morning (early) and we high tailed it up to the DSE Race in GG Park in San Francisco. In keeping with my motto (I am not ready to race) I stayed towards the back of the pack and ran very easy. I had already warmed up for 25 minutes beforehand actually doing some very gentle hills. The race was from the conservatory down to and around Stow Lake and back. Two good hills but both were short stuff and not too steep. I started off with Bob who went off on how he had never recovered his strength from a water skiing accident that took place 10 years ago. His problem, IMHO, is that he runs twice a week and maybe totals 10 miles (maybe).

My total running time was around 55 minutes. I could have jogged for another 5 but decided to let it go.

The weather you ask? Spectacular. Sunny and mild. Just incredible.

Bob, Shel and I went for breakfast afterward.

2:14!!!!!!

OK. Just joking. I went up to Prospect and ran a 2:54 800 meter. If I age grade the time, it works out to be a 2:14 at age 25.

The actual workout was a 22 minute warm up with strides. We (Dimitri and I) then ran a shakedown 400 in 93 (felt very easy). I was announced that I was ready so we went out and ran a fairly even paced 87-87 equaling the 2.54. We then ran another 400 in 92. Lap walk in between reps. I jogged a 12 minute easy easy warm down.

Next week we'll go do a 1200. Of course we were supposed to do it this week but I wanted that sub 3, 800 meter.

No fuel in the gas tank?

On Wednesday morning I went out the door and did another ultra slow 50 minute run.

I Met Jake on Thursday and ran a combination of the trail and track at Forbes. 50 minutes again. Will be a while before we do this again. He will be running daily coaching sessions for his HS kids and I will run from Forbes alone or do my workouts from the house.

How slow can I train? That seems to be critical right now.

I also made sure I ate enough carbs especially that night at dinner. I believe that at times I under fuel myself (is that a saying???). Too much protein. Steaks two night in a row this past weekend. It just doesn't work. It's fun but no fuel in the gas tank.

I also wonder about 5 days a week. I will stick with it for now but it might be better for me to run Monday morning (long run), Tuesday afternoon (sprints), Thursday morning (longer run), Saturday morning (reps). This gives me 36-48 hours between workouts.

Little or no room to screw..............up

I decided to slow things back down. I have been feeling tired and slightly on the dragged out side of things. Maybe I had allowed my slow runs to get too fast (even though they were still really slow). Maybe I was inching up my daily running time on my recovery days (Yes, I was!). So today I went out in the morning and drifted for 50 minutes and kept the effort really easy...easy...easy.

I am realizing that at age 64 there is little or no room for screwing up. I am already playing with the five days a week fire. That and my hard workout are enough for now.

Ran into Ohio at the track. My pace was so slow that we were able to have a brief but detailed conversation about the NBA finals as I went by.

60 minutes

I ran for 60 minutes this morning. The weather can't last. It can't continue to be this good. Temps in the low 60's and overcast. I ran OK at best. Still tired from yesterday but I slowed down enough to complete the run without wiping myself out.

The club continues to put on the Holy City race (as in TODAY). I last ran it in 1976. It died a long time ago and often has more volunteers than participants.

Sluggo-ish 4 x 400

I felt sluggish today but went out to the track anyway. I did a 26 minute warm up with strides and and then Dimitri and I hooked up for 4 x 400. I asked that we start easy so we did the first one in 89 followed by a 88. I seem to be warming to the workout and got an 85 on the third one and 83 on the last one. I then did a slow 8 minute jog.

Still a long way from the 80 second average I am looking for but at least I held serve.

Probably will do a 1200 meter trial next week. We'll come through in 3:10 if all goes well and push the third lap.

Another 53 minutes..and another

Wednesday's run was a replication of Tuesday (almost exactly). Same general course & the same finishing time. In fact at one point of the run I began to wonder if it was still Tuesday.

Thursday:...And again. I seem to be stuck on 53 minutes and the same course.

Endless Big Loops

Amber woke me early by shoving her wet nose in my face. I am half asleep and she is already on her daily path to being the ultimate optimist; wagging her bushy tail. I stumbled out of bed, made coffee and sat around getting myself together. It was cool and overcast again. I finally got out the door and ran over to the college, did endless big loops and came back home.

53 minutes total.

Pretty Slow

Cool and overcast. I slogged through a 60 minute slow run. I could feel yesterday's workout so I ran as slow as I needed to so there was no soreness or pain. In the end that was pretty slow.

2 x 800

Key workout day over at Prospect High School. 2 x 800.

The track was basically empty except for 3 jogger women so after a 25 minute warm up including some striders, I was as ready to go as I would be. The signs hadn't been good. I had cut my finger and bumped my knee before I could even get out of the house. If I were the suspicious type, I would have bailed but instead I threw the sacred chickens overboard and ran the workout.

I settled behind Dimitri and just let him drag me through.

The first one was 3:04 with a 95 second first lap and an 89 second second.

On the next one we went through in 92 feeling much better than the last one. We then picked up slightly and ran in at 89 or 3:01 for both laps.

Jogged down for 9 minutes. 40 minutes total.

The last time we ran this it was 3:10-3:08 so this was a vast improvement.

3:09 average versus 3:02.5.

Zoo Animals

I am reading articles about people who had to take big cuts in pay to get back into the job market. The result was selling off or losing their homes, their enlarged life styles, their cable-telephone packages and of course their pride in where they were.

I will often say this. I know what it's like.

But then any animal in the zoo who thinks everything is linear gets caught like this. My pay will go up. My title will go up. My seniority will go up. The zookeepers will feed me each day at 4 pm. I can roar now and then and rev up the visitors.

Out in the wild life just doesn't work that way.

You survive as long as you can, any way you can.

No 4 pm feeding.

You eat when you bring down an animal prey. Your jaws close around its throat and you asphyxiate the thing that soon will be dinner. And even then it may not happen. Other prey animals have a way of showing up (lions for instance)who will think nothing of chasing you off and enjoying the fruits of your labor. You can't take it personally. You off looking for the next victim.

As much as possible I have adjusted my thinking about life styles and careers. I have whittled it down to the basics. I hunt, I eat. Sometimes I am the leader of the pack and more often I hunt alone. It changes day to day, week to week. I never get that attached. Certainly not to other beast of prey. I work on my hunting skills. I will collaborate if it means a meal. I am willing to share. I am even willing to help another animal hunt and let them have the meal. Especially if I am already full.

But cars. Houses. Cable packages. I have them all at various levels. I don't need much.

My car is 10 years old. 105,000 miles on it. I would like a new car. I can afford a new car.

But (and this is important)I don't need a new car. Not right now.

Beasts of prey often go long times between meals. You have to get used to being hungry at times and also enjoying the times when you have made a "kill", can roll over in the high grass and feel the sun.

Zoo animals enjoy the sun too. But they also like that 4 pm daily feeding. So they will suffer a cage or a fence.

I have recently wandered in from the wild and am enjoying living in a habitat. I have a great deal of freedom so for now whocan complain? It won't be for long though. It suits me for now (barely) but eventually I will bolt and seek the plains again.

Jakeless in Los Gatos

Jakeless today but I went to Forbes Mill anyway. The house cleaners were coming over so I had to vacate the place.

I ran a variety of different routes most of which were on soft surfaces. I dinked around for 54 minutes total. Could of gone to 55 but what's the point?

After the workout I spent the rest of the morning running errands and generally hanging out. Oh, and I changed the left rear tire on my car. I knew I was going up to see Big Bad Bill (my chiro) for an adjustment so the timing was right. The tire has a slow leak and now I can drop it off and have it fixed without tying up the car.

Early Morning Wake Up

Another early morning wake up call. Went out and slow jogged 53 minutes. Actually ran the short hills on the par course that caps one end of the track.

I used to run until my legs hurt. Now I run at a pace so that they don't hurt. Hopefully that makes sense?

52 minutes of slow

52 minutes of slow this morning.

Another action at work for late June/early July. My initial reaction was that of a Zoo Animal. The thought of it didn't panic me. It was more in the nature of wanting to know what might happen. Prey animals don't know what is going to happen. The only certainty is uncertainty. So I have shifted back to the veld.


In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight

Near the village, the peaceful village
The lion sleeps tonight
Near the village, the peaceful village
The lion sleeps tonight

Hush, my darling, don't fear, my darling
The lion sleeps tonight
Hush, my darling, don't fear, my darling
The lion sleeps tonight