Making a Game Out of My Run

After running yesterday in weather that was an aberration from the normal fall temps, things were back to the status quo today as I laced up my shoes. The temps were very fall like this morning with cool, crisp fall air enveloping my body and filling my lungs. I really wish it could be like that year round... you can't beat it. After having a good, solid 11 miler yesterday for my workout, I had the intention of easing off the gas pedal a bit today but that really didn't come to fruition. Oh, I started off running easy hitting my first mile at a little over 8 minute pace, but as the run progressed, the achiness in my knees gradually dissipated and my pace quickened. It didn't help matters when in my fourth mile I heard a bunch of noisy grade schoolers on their bikes off in the distance behind me. I knew they would be biting at my heels within a few minutes so I made it my mission to pick up my pace even more (especially on the hills) and try to keep them behind me as long as I could. Sometimes doing stuff like that, making a game out of your run, can give you some needed and added pep. It worked. I held off those little shavetails for a good mile or so before they eventually passed me on their bikes, one making a snot-nosed comment to me as he went by. The game didn't end there, though. After they passed me, I picked up my pace even more and did my best to catch up to those impish rascals. I was succeding in doing it too, until they caught on to my little game when the snot-nosed kid looked back and said, "He's catching up to us." With that, they started pedaling feverishly. Ah, it was fun while it lasted and I can credit them with helping to run my last mile around 6:45. Thanks you little rascals... you were annoying, but helpful. Race day is on Saturday... I'll talk to you then.

Today's workout: 5.1 miles > 38:21 > 7:31 pace

Miles this week: 21.3

A Humid Day in Fall?

When I woke up this morning I was worried I might have some problems getting in my long run because of the forecasted rain. It turned out that wasn't the problem. By the time I stepped out the door and was ready to run my first steps, the rain had subsided leaving nothing but wet pavement, and surprisingly, a touch of humidity. Who would have thunk it? Not me. Not in late September. Even though it was a touch muggier than I've been getting used to, it still wasn't bad. It was fairly comfortable out, what with the overcast skies and a bit of a breeze. Much cooler days are coming, I know it, so I can deal with a little warmer weather here and there. I don't want to get too spoiled. Anyways, the warmer temps weren't to much of a deterrent this morning... I was still able to get in a good 11 miler around Lake Monona. I started out with a fairly conservative pace, but as the run progressed, I just kept getting gradually faster and faster, finally leveling off at a solid 7:30 pace. It was a good confidence booster run, especially since I had done a hard 20 miler just a few days ago. I am planning on running tomorrow, but nothing fast or long... just easy all the way around. I want to allow my legs to re-coop and get rejuvinated for Saturday's half marathon in La Crosse. I have to say I'm really looking forward to getting back in the saddle again, putting on my orange racing shoes, and seeing what my legs can do.

Today's workout: 11.1 miles > 1:23:23 > 7:31 pace

Miles this week: 16.2

Last 20 Miler in the Bag!

Well, I thought today I should put in a blog entry. Sorry I haven't written in awhile but after my five day stint with Ziggy the wonder dog, I needed some down time, sleep, and shock therapy. Watching that dog takes the creative juices right out of me and I just needed some convelescing time. I'm better now. Anyways, I targeted last Sunday to be my final 20 mile training run leading up to the Whistlestop Marathon on October 11th. I set my alarm to get me up at 6am so I could be out on the road after having a bowl of shredded wheats and an energy bar. The day was pretty much idyllic. I couldn't have asked for a better day to do a long run. I overcast and a little foggy and there was a comfortable cool temperature lingering about. It was so comfortable that I even ran with out a shirt. I won't bore you with the details of the whole 20 miles (because I'm lazy and don't want to write that much) but one of the neatest parts of the run was going through the UW arboretum and encountering just a ton of wild turkeys. I have seen wild turkeys in the arb before, but not as many as last Sunday morning. A good portion of them were baby ones and was pretty neat to see because I had never seen that before. If I wasn't so keen on getting the 20 miler over and done with and breaking the pace that I was working on, I would have stopped and watched them awhile. Maybe next time. The other cool part of the run was running up West Washington near the capitol and seeing the fog ever so lightly cover the capitol dome and the bronze lady standing atop it. It was a very serene and peaceful sight and was another indellible moment of the run. As far as 20 milers go, this was one of my best ever. Starting out I was a bit achy and tired in the legs, but as the run went on I loosened up and kept getting stronger. I was very pleased when I checked my watch and found out that I averaged 7:32 pace for the entire run. That is pretty darn good when you have no support and have to generate the pace yourself. Hopefully that is a good precursor for the Whistlestop. Time will tell, though. I will get a good hint of what is to come this weekend, when I travel to La Crosse to run in the half marathon they put on during Oktoberfest. It is a fast and flat course and very conducive to good times. I did this particular race back in 2002 and it was actually my first half marathon, before I started the whole marathoning thing. I ran well back then with less training so I am hopeful of a good result this coming Saturday morning.

The day after my long run I wasn't in too much of a great mood to go for a run. I never am the day after a big training run or big race... it's just the way it is. I was tired, my legs were a little achy and I was just feeling plain indolent. It was the first day of Fall, though, and I wanted to get at least a little run in and get the remaining stiffness from the previous days run out of my legs. Once I pryed myself out of bed and shoved myself out the door, I was so happy that I decided to go. The first day of fall was just great. The air was so refreshingly cool that if I could have hugged an air molecule, I would have. It really helped wipe the drowsiness away from my eyes and made the achiness in my legs feel a little better. What a great way to start Fall! I didn't run particularly fast that morning, or far for that matter, but I didn't care. I just wanted to enjoy the run for what it was and not have to worry about distance or pace or splits. I just wanted to enjoy running for what it was... running... outside... in the Fall. It's one of the many best things life has to offer.

Sunday's workout: 20.1 > 2:31:30 > 7:32 pace

Miles last week: 51.9

Monday's workout: 5.1 > 41:02 > 8:03 pace

Miles this week: 5.1

Ziggy: Part II

Well, I'm back at it again. After nine days of convelescing from Ziggy the dog, I'm back over on the westside looking after the graying gremlin. Hopefully this shorter five day stint will be a little better, and I am able to get some decent sleep instead of getting up at all hours of the night so he can water the lawn. I'm not holding my breath, though. Before leaving Monona to head to the westside, I was able to get in one last run around the lake yesterday and it was a good one. I wasn't sure if I were going to be able to get in any run at all because when I peeked out the window to check the weather, the skies were looking somewhat ominous and there was already a light rain falling. I thought I'd give it a shot though, because I really didn't want to get up early and run today with having to work at Movin' Shoes for four hours, then the tv station, and also having to check in on Ziggy. Suffice it say, I wanted to get the run in yesterday, no matter what the weather. Once I got outside it actually was very comfortable running weather. The clouds were definitely gray and there was a light rain falling on and off, but it was actually very refreshing and invigorating. The temp was also just the way I like it... nice and cool. Like Tuesday's Elysium Run, this one also started off great and kept getting better as the run went on. I again felt very fluid and strong... like I could keep on going like the Energizer Bunny. Although the pace was just a tad slower than Tuesdays workout, it was still a very solid 7:24 pace for the 11 miles. I don't know about you, but I'll take that any day of the week.

Thursday's workout: 11.1 miles > 1:22:20 > 7:24 pace

Miles this week: 27.3

The Day After...

I knew yesterday's run woud be hard to top... at least so soon after it. After all, yesterday was a pretty idyllic day... or as I called it... Elysium. (I hope you all looked up that word, too.) Today was The Day After Elysium... today was Averagium. Since there is no Merriam-Webster or Cambridge definition of that word (because I made it up), I will give it to you:

Av - er - a - gi - um [av-ir-ah-gee-uh m]
-adjective
1. a fancy word for "your average"
2. not a place or state of perfect happiness; not paradise
3. non idlyllic
4. an okay day
5. a state of "blah"-ness; a "blah" day
6. nothing to write home about
[Origin: Me; dummkopf; today]

Where else are you going to get a translation like that? What other blog would break down the root and the origin of the word like this one? (Hopefully no one is stupid enough to waste their time doing it!) Anyways, it is true that today's run was nothing to write home about. It was again a very nice, crisp, sunshiny fall day to go for a run, but other than that, it was just and "okay" run. My knees and legs were pretty achy from yesterday's hard effort and it didn't help matters either, when this morning, a little over a mile into my run, I rolled my right ankle running over a grassy area. There was no injury that was sustained... it just scared the crap out of me when I did it. All in all, it wasn't a bad run... but it wasn't a great run either. That's ok, though. At least at weeks end I can say I had one really outstanding training run. Sometimes, that's all you really need.

Today's workout: 5.1 miles > 39:29 > 7:45 pace

Miles this week: 16.2

In Elysium

Wow, did I fly today... and it felt good! Last week I got in a solid 47 miles but none of the runs felt very strong or fluid. Most of my runs were around 7:40 pace and even though that is still a pretty good pace, it wasn't the 7:30 pace or under that I had been getting accustomed to the last couple of months. We all have our down weeks and maybe that was mine. I thought this past Sunday this past Sunday that my pace would pick up a bit because the running weather was really ideal. On Sunday, I decided to get up at 4:45 am so I could get my long run done early so I could get down to the Monona Terrace to watch the start of the Ironman Triathalon. When I stepped out the door and felt the cool and briskness of the air, I was very optimistic that I was going to have a fast training run. I was wrong. The run went well, don't get me wrong, but it was another 12 mile run at around 7:40 pace. Maybe I just needed to get a little more rest. I haven't been getting a ton lately. I decided to give myself the day off on Monday since I had run the previous three days. The break did me good. After sleeping in a bit 'til 8:30 am this morning, I woke up to find another cool and brisk sunny day. Even though I much prefer it cloudy when I run, the brightness of the sun didn't bother me at all today. I actually enjoyed it. The temperature was just so darn cool and comfortable that I couldn't help but enjoy the sunshine. I was in elysium. The temps felt so good that it made my legs feel fresher and livlier, and from the get go I was was able to kick up a really good pace. After a down week last week, I was finally to crack off a good long run at 7:15 pace and again, it felt good. It was one of those training runs where for mile after mile you just feel like you can just keep on going without getting tired and without slowing down. It really is a wonderful feeling and one that I would love to experience more often. Some people call it a runners high. I call it elysium.

Miles last week: 47.3

Today's workout: 11.1 miles > 1:20:25 > 7:15 pace

Miles this week: 11.1

Here Comes Fall... And With It The Ironman

As much as I enjoy running some different routes on the westside of Madison, it's always nice to be back in Monona to be able to run around the lake. I was originally planning on doing a little five mile run yesterday morning for my first day back in Monona since my dog sitting stint, but a cold drizzle was falling yesterday, plus I thought my legs could use an extra day off, especially since my left knee was still a little achy and sore. Today though, it was time to get back to business no matter what the weather was like or how my knee felt. The weather this morning was pretty fall like. It was very overcast with a chill in the air, and there was a light mist falling at times with a pretty decent wind blowing. Fall is definitely a comin'. I actually broke my streak and wore a running shirt for the first time in a few months. That has to be a new record for me. I was actually getting pretty accustomed to running bare chested, what with the warmer temperatures of summer, but with the thermometer taking a little nose dive as of late, I thought it would be best to don a shirt today. I'm sure that disappoints most of the women in Madison, and Dane County itself for that matter (yeah right), but I'm sure they will survive. I do have to say though, that I did get a semi nice tan with with all the shirtless running. Now people can't accuse me of being the human nightlight or asking if my parents are albino's. I digress, though. Anyways, once I got outside and hit the pavement, it was nice to run the 'ol Lake Monona route again. There was quite a bit of activity going on too. For one thing, there were more bicyclist commuters than I had seen in quite a while. On the bike path's, they were coming from everywhere. No wonder gas prices have been dropping a bit lately... everybody is riding their bike to work. The second hub of activity was down at the Monona Terrace where all the Ironman athletes were taking a dip into the waters of Lake Monona to get in a light workout before the big competition on Sunday morning. Even though the event is a couple days away, you could definitely feel the excitement exuding from the athletes, which in turn helped me pick up my pace a bit. You know, people think I'm nuts for running the miles I do and the marathons I race, but I have to say I look pretty sane compared to those Ironmen and women. I honestly have never fathomed how they can line up on a given morning and do a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile run. How could anyone enjoy doing that? I give them all the credit, though. It's an incredible testament of the human will to be able to accomplish something like that. They are true athletes in every sense of the word, and even though I think they are a little nuts (and I mean that in the nicest possible way), I will be down by the Monona Terrace on Sunday morning cheering them on as they start, and encouraging them several hours later as they finish, some even into the late hours of the night. After running by them this morning and thinking of all the pain and hard work that they've had to endure over the past several months just to reach this point and this weekend, it really dumbfounds you on what the human body can endure. To say it succinctly... it humbles you. And it makes the little 11 mile training run I did this morning seem a like spit in the bucket... a cakewalk. To say it succinctly... like nothing.

Today's workout: 11.5 miles > 1:28:19 > 7:41 pace

Miles this week: 31.7

Hallelujah!! Dogsitting is Done

Tonight, I get to sleep in my own bed and don't have to worry about the bladder issues of a certain dog. Hallelujah! Yes, today marked the end of my tenure as Ziggy's keeper... for the moment anyway. In nine days I'll be back to look after the impish pooch. I bet you can tell I'll be counting the minutes. In the meantime, nine days will allow me to take a nice sabbatical away from the dog. It should give me just enough time to check myself into a mental health facility and straighten myself out after 10 days of potty patrol with "Zagnuts." I'm just kidding... I'm just deliriously tired from getting fractured sleep time thanks to you know who. Enough of my diatribe...

Since it was my last day on the westside, I decided get in one last 10 mile run of the Camp Randall loop. The weather conditions really changed quite dramatically overnight. Yesterday was pretty hot and humid (which made me glad I took the day off) and this morning it was like fall had arrived overnight. It was pretty overcast, very cool and fairly breezy... just how I like it. Despite the nice weather conditions, I didn't exactly feel the greatest today. My left knee was a little achy and stiff starting out, and although it eventually limbered up, I just didn't feel like my normal running self today. I actually felt somewhat sluggish during the first half of the run. The second half was a little better and I was able to run some splits that I'm accustomed to. Overall though, it was kind of stiff run... not as fluid as the last few have been. Still, it was a good workout and I was happy that I was able to average 7:40 pace despite not feeling up to par. Every run can't be a good one, though. That's what makes running a challenge.

Today's workout: 10.1 miles > 1:17:25 > 7:40 pace

Miles this week: 20.2

Highlights of My Weekend: A 22 Miler and Some Ice Cream

Over the holiday weekend I got in some good quality running. It started with a 5 a.m. wakeup call on Saturday morning. Saturday morning was forecasted as being in the mid 50's and whenever I hear that I get pretty excited in knowing that I can get in a good quality long run with those kind of temps. With that, I locked up the house, left "Zagnuts" the dog to fend for himself, and hit the road just as the sun was yawning and stretching its bright tendrils over the morning horizon. (Eat your heart out John Steinbeck.) The morning did prove to be a pleasant one. Starting out, the air seemed a little heavy with a little fog lingering about. The temp was comfortable, though, and as the sun rose, it burned off whatever fog there was and got considerably cooler, even more so in the shade. The beginning part of my route was through the Village of Shorewood and the bike path behind the UW Hospital that leads to the Memorial Union. On my way there, it was pretty cool to see some morning rowers out and about, dipping their oars into the calm waters of Lake Mendota and getting in their morning strokes. When I got up to the capitol, it was still pretty early in the a.m. but you wouldn't know it. People were out setting up their respective stands around the rotunda, getting ready to sell their goods and produce at the farmers market. "The Taste of Madison" was also starting up on Saturday morning, so those vendors were feverishly setting up their booths as well. From the capitol I headed down West Washington towards Vilas Park to do a loop around the arboretum. There were quite a few runners out in the arb that morning and it was nice to see. They must have had the same line of thinking as I had... get in that early moring run in the cool of the day. One of the neatest parts of the run was about two miles into the arb loop. I was just about at the arboretum nature center when I ran by six wild turkey out foraging by the side of the road. It didn't look like they had missed too many meals, either. They were pretty big birds. I never get tired of seeing wildlife like that up close. After I finished up the arb loop, I headed toward Monroe St. and Camp Randall where things were starting to jump with the anticipation for the first Badger football game of the year. It's always pretty cool to see all the fans decked out in their red and white for a Badger game and smell the brats cookin' on the grills. My Badger gameday experience was shortlived, though, as I quickly exited the area and headed up the East/West bikepath towards home. It was a good run overall. The weather was great, I got to see wild turkeys, wild Badger fans, and got in a quality long run in the process. To treat myself for getting up early and running 22 miles, I headed to Cold Stone Creamery in Greenway Station for a little cookie dough ice cream... actually not a little... a lot. It was a large waffle cone bowl of it and it tasted good. It was funny, as I was sitting outside enjoying it, an older couple walked by and the guy said, "I bet there is no calories in that." I told him it was my reward for running 22 miles earlier that morning. He and his wife laughed and said, "Well you need to replenish what you lost then." That indeed I did... and I enjoyed doing it too.

Sunday I didn't much feel like getting up early before church to get in a run. 'Ol "Zagnuts" the dog had me up and about several times during the night so he could water the lawn. He even gave me the added pleasure and bonus of cleaning up the contents of his stomach that he barfed up on the floor... twice. He really knows how to treat his sitter, doesn't he? So with that, I decided to sleep in a little bit and do my run late in the afternoon. I'm glad I did too. I needed the rest. By the time the late afternoon rolled around I was ready for a little run. It was sunny out but the temp was mild so it was pretty comfortable running conditions. My legs actually felt surprisingly good, too. There was no residual soreness or achiness and I actually ran my last mile in under 7 minutes. It really makes me feel good in knowing that my legs can recover so quickly now. A little over a year ago that wasn't the case.

Monday was Labor Day and the last official day of summer. It was again supposed to be a nice morning so I thought I'd see how my legs would react to a 10 mile run, two days after doing a 22 miler. Again I was pleasantly surprised. After a slow opening mile (which was just fine by me) I gradually got into a comfortable pace and kept getting stronger as the run went on. I wound up averaging 7:35 pace for the 10 miles and was extremely happy in knowing that I had run 37 miles in the past three days. It was a good way to head into a day off today.

Saturday's workout: 22.1 miles > 2:52:51 > 7:49 pace

Sunday's workout: 5.1 miles > 38:39 > 7:35 pace

Miles last week: 48.5

Monday's workout: 10.1 miles > 1:16:33 > 7:35 pace

Miles this week: 10.1