Long Run, New Bike, Short Run

Learned this week: Don't run without the orthotics. Buying a bike can be confusing and expensive. Riding a bike is hard on the legs. Kool-Aid has a tasty new flavor. Damn, it's hot outside.

Last Wednesday I ran 5.25 on the treadmill, including 1.0 mi at 7.0 mph (max HR 183!). The leg pain/shinsplints hover around a pain level of "almost noticeable" most of the time, but as long as it doesn't go above that, I think I can manage things. Slow and steady progress is my new training maxim.

I bought a bike on Thursday night. Say hello to my little friend:


Biking is hard on the knees and quads, especially when you haven't ridden a bike in 15-20 years. I want to commute on the bike at least 3 times a week until the snow files; the trip is about a mile one way, which isn't much, but it keeps me from using the car.

Today I warmed up then did a mile on the treadmill, then ran the 2.08 mile loop around the neighborhood in 16:58 (pretty hard 8:09 pace). Total mileage was about 4.1.

In nutrition news, Kool-Aid has a new flavor - Invisible Watermelon Kiwi. I made some homemade Gatorade with it today and I can recommend it. (The recipe: one 1/2 liter water bottle, 1/4 packet of unsweetened Kool-Aid, medium pinch of kosher salt, small pinch of Lite Salt - for the potassium, sugar to taste - 1-2 tablespoons, water to fill.)

Weekly total: 12.83, 27.83 July to date, 527.81 YTD. 11 weeks to Wineglass Marathon, which is looking less and less likely.

Are You A World Famous Runner?

No, but I am staying at a Holiday Inn Express tonight - the motel with a sign on the AC unit in the fitness room that says "UNIT IS OUT OF ORDER. WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE." You mean like the inconvenience of passing out in a strange city and housekeeping finding your desiccated body 14 hours later? At least breakfast is complimentary.

Anyway, I busted out a 3.25 mile run in desert conditions (remember, you don't create your own wind on the treadmill) at up to 6.5 mph/9:14 pace just to get it over with. I felt as good as I could have under the circumstances. Then I had a half-pound barbecue bacon cheeseburger and a pint of Sierra Nevada while reading The Competitive Runner's Handbook. Ta-da!

Philly Cheesesteak Day

Also an easy day in beautiful weather. 3.6 miles in 31:42 (8:48 pace). Safety tip: save the big, greasy lunches for off days.

Not sore at all from yesterday's speed workout, but the day's not over yet. I should be the poster boy for DOMS.

Long Run Day: Plan, Other

The plan for today is to do a half marathon on the treadmill in under two hours. That works out to an average 9:09 pace (about 6.7 mph) which is faster than my training pace of 9:40+ (6.2 mph) so I'm not sure if this makes sense. Last Saturday I averaged 9:23 (6.4 mph) for 12.8 miles outdoors in 2:00:13. Really, what's 3/10 mi over two hours?? Check back later for a full report.

Today was also a race simulation regarding breakfast. Got up with the dog at 6:45, had a big bowl of oatmeal with a banana and a cup of tea, plus a calcium supplement, vitamin E, 2 Advil and lots of water. I'll also weigh myself before and after to check on fluid balance (I was down to 170 the other day!). Time to get dressed and warm up.

I had a dream this morning that I was running a short race, and about 10 minutes before the start, my clothes and shoes were all wrong. So I went to change and nothing was right - it took forever to put my clothes on, and there were racing shoes with laces like fishing line. Then it started raining, and I woke up. :-(

Saturday Update

One thing that was different about today's run was breakfast. It was supposed to snow by midday and I wanted to get out early. After I took the dog out, I had a banana, a handful of granola and 8 oz. of Gatorade around 7:00; I was on the road by 7:30. Normally, I like to have a big bowl of oatmeal, go back to bed for a couple of hours, then run late morning or early afternoon. In the past, having any food in my stomach was a recipe for heartburn, but I'm on acid reducers, and I should probably get used to early runs with food on board. My stomach felt fine on the run, and coffee and a bagel went down easy when I met up with the Club about 9:30.

I replaced Daniels' Running Formula with Bob Glover's Competitive Runner's Handbook. I already know it's a lot of repetition from the Runner's Handbook, but I am comfortable with his style of both writing and training. When I tweak the training plan, or if I learn anything new before my first race of the season, you can bet I'll write it up. Comments on running/training books are always welcome.