Bucktown 5k. . .Done!

Fun time at the Bucktown 5k this past Sunday. Coach and I met up with my old friend Judy. 8:30 and we are ON it. First mile in 10:15 or so which was fine. Coach then spotted the fast runners going the other way on the other side of the street and decided to 'air it out'. Go Leah GO! She ran the last two miles in 8 something while Judy and I chugged along at our 10+ pace. Overall a good race. I finished in 32:54 which is fine.

Now I'm looking to add a LITTLE distance and run a 10k in a month or so.

Marathon is this coming Sunday. I'm a little sad (and my entry fee is gone!) but I'll go out my front door and watch the elites go by. Maybe next year. . . Like the Cubs!

Last Training Run

I think so before the 5k on Sunday. I know it's only a 5k but I look forward to any small challenge. My plan today was to take it fairly easy by only running 2 miles at about a 11 minute pace.

Oops.

Mile 1 - 9:55
Mile 2 - 9:32

That's all I'm saying. Is there another sub 10 minute mile in the tank? I guess we'll see on Sunday!

Stay tuned!

After a week off. . .

. . . Good news. Feel good and ran my 3 in 32:39. The race is a week away! I was afraid that with a week off I'd be back to wheezing a mile and walking home but maybe this was a good week off. Everything was hurting, new shoes didn't work, ick. So I ran in my old shoes today and felt pretty good. I probably could have gone faster but was actually trying to keep myself slow to get in a good solid three. I'll have to consult with my coach to see how I should train in this week before the Bucktown 5k. Should be fun.

Goals: A. 32:00, B. 33:00, C. 34:00

Splits from today 10:27, 11:39, 10:32

hmmm...maybe that middle mile is measured a little long.

New Shoes!

And they SUCK! Damn. I was very excited to try out my new pair of Brooks - Adrenalin. Got fitted today at Fleet Feet. Size 12 seems right as I measure 11.5 and I know you're supposed to go a half size or so bigger. They felt great in the store.

The girl was very nice. She explained to me that "as time goes on" your feet actually can get a little bigger. I thought that was a nice way to tell me that I am becoming elderly!

I ran south along the lake. After about 15 minutes both my feet were numb and tingly. That ain't right. My right foot felt like there was a ridge running fore and aft down the middle of the bottom of my foot. I thought maybe my sock had folded up or something. At 20 minutes I stopped and loosened both shoes. I took off the right one to fix my sock but it fits tight and couldn't have been folded up like that. Just a weird pain I guess. After 3 minutes I started back. Nine minutes into it my feet hurt and were going numb again.

Guess I'll be taking these back! Damn. It was a real nice day too.

Another 3

Yet another little experiment. I ran a half mile real slow and THEN stretched and got my wind back. Now for a timed three miles. My half mile was to the water fountain which is really only a guess. Since it's four miles from my start to north ave beach house and back I figured to the beach house and back to the fountain should be about 3.

Off I go. . .jeez I feel like crap! Kind of dissapointed that I've been running pretty regular in Chicago for a year and I could get winded running less than a mile. But, there's nothing for it now but to keep a going no matter how bad!

DAMMIT!

16:25 to the beach house which is half way. Could be worse. I'm still feeling pretty bad and running really slow. I finally started feeling better on the last mile. Passed the guy who had passed me some ways back and picked it up for the last quarter. I was hoping to get a negative split but total was 33:05. Still under 35 so there's that.

I think tomorrow I'll try a run I used to really like. Go by time. 20 minutes out and see if I can get back in less than 20.

I really think I need new shoes. My feets be hurting!

Chill coach. . . I already iced!

Easy There!

Had a GREAT idea today for some "speed" work. I planned to run three miles but at above my usual pace and rest and stretch between miles. Good plan!

First mile: 9:04! Are you freaking kidding me!
I stretched and rested as planned because I think that one key to getting faster is to just take bigger strides. Not that that doesn't cost you more energy but by getting a little more stretched out perhaps possible.
5 minutes of stretch and rest
Second mile" 10:15 Not bad. I didn't think another 9 minute mile was going to happen.
more stretching and resting
Third mile . . . .well there you go. Tank was empty but I had some nice jogs on the way back.

Just a Thought

So many people running up and down the lake front which is great except for how many of them pass me but that's ok. I'm getting faster. Last run I had this bit of a thought.

Why do we run? There are a number of reasons I'm sure. To lose weight. To be healthier. To challenge yourself. To race. Combinations of these and others and their all legitimate. But I don't think you should run so as to live longer.

I know I don't. There are too many variables to living longer. You could be a 3 hour marathoner and get hit by lightning. You could run every day and then run in front of a car. Some diseases can sneak up on you whether you're in great shape or not. Running won't help you then.

Lately I've been spending time with my 93 year old dad. I've finally gotten him moved into an assisted living place where he can get. . .well, assisted. My dad can barely walk across the room. He has trouble getting up (he has a lift chair now). He has a wheel chair but not the strength to push it around. What's his particular ailment you might ask? For what ever reason he's spent the last several years sitting in his chair and watching TV. He used to golf, walk, work in his woodshop but as these things got harder to do (we're not sure what pains he has or from whence they come) he never looked to get things repaired (doctors are bad) or to simply challenge himself to keep a-going. He just began removing things from his can-do list until they were almost all gone. He resorted to the chair and over the course of years he has naturally gotten weaker and weaker. He puts it down to getting older and certainly that's a factor but that's not really why he is in SUCH a weakened condition.

He has a therapist now who is putting him on an exercise schedule. Why? Because if you use your muscles they will strengthen even if you're 93! My dad has lived to 93 and I have NEVER seen him run anywhere! He made it to old age by shear genetic luck (and a martini or 2 every night) and good for him. But now his day is a chair and the TV. That's it. So. . .

I don't run to so as to get older. I run in CASE I get older.

Well, that was different. . .

I had a pretty good and aggressive run on Sunday and took Monday off. So, today I planned to just run a slow (11-12 min pace) 2 miles. Mile one I felt a little stiff but no real problem: 11:25. Perfect. Mile two going ok and then it happened. . .

I got passed by a giant butt. I hate that. Now it shouldn't matter because I had my plan and it was a good one so what's the diff? But there it was ahead of me. It is now a giant LAUGHING butt. "Yes I am laughing at you, you pathetic, tiny, old man!"

These are the voices in my head.

I picked up the pace. I had to. I caught the giant butt and now my butt is doing the laughing.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

10:14. If I'd started that pace at the start of the second mile it would have been under 10. Pretty sure.

Speed work tomorrow. Wheeeeee!

GOAL!

As reported here last time I was thinking that maybe I could string together 3 miles in under 33 minutes. It seems I'm usually more comfortable at around 11:15 but keep running some sub 11's here and there.

Today my main goal was to run my 3 mile course without stopping. That should lead to my best time be it under 33 minutes or not. Here's the splits:

Mile 1 10:31 (yikes. . .too fast!)
Mile 2 11:36 (too slow! or is that middle mile a little long?)
Mile 3 10:26 !!!!! (I also passed the two fat girls that passed me with a quarter mile to go)

Total 32:35 YES! I killed it!

Now I need a new goal or a 5k race or both. Now with proper rest and diet I should NEVER not be able to run 3 miles. EVER!

2+2

Two miles out. Rest and stretch and 2 miles back. Here are the splits

Mile 1 10:57
Mile 2 10:56 (points for consistancy?)
7:32 (rest/stretch)
Mile 3 11:14
Mile 4 Walked home

Not bad. Tomorrow I think I'll just run a flat 3 miles (avoiding the bridge over LSD makes it flat) and see how I do. No stopping. 33:45 would be a nice goal making 3 11:15 miles. 33 flat look doable in the near future. Just need to stick another 10:55 or so on the end of the first two!

Just another day. . .

Ran a mile. Stopped. Turned around. Walked/ran back. Getting just a little tiresome. . .

Although, that one mile was in 10:14 so as slow as I feel I am going that is way under my usual 11 minute pace. Back at it tomorrow AND Sunday.

Speed Work

Today was speed work. 6 quarters. It seems my natural pace is around 11 minutes per mile. I wanted to run these quarters at a pace above that so I was shooting for 2:15 - 2:30 quarters. Here’s how they went

1:52 (Whoa!)
2:14
2:14
2:06
2:15
2:07

Between each it took me about 4 minutes to walk/jog back to the starting line. After the first one I thought I had blown it and gone out too fast but it seems I recovered ok. These are actually ‘fun’ for me. I like the faster pace and the feeling of really running instead of jogging. Tomorrow is a day off and then my cherished Sunday run. Haven’t decided what that will be yet.

2+2=4

Good run(s) today. As was my plan I ran 2 miles out, rested and stretched, and 2 miles back. Here's the splits..

mile 1 - 10:48
mile 2 - 11:18
rest - 9:24
mile 3 - 11;25
mile 4 - 10:41

Can you tell which miles have the bridge over LSD?

That's right. . . last mile was the fastest. . if you're willing to call 10:41 fastish.

Great day. Perfect wether.

Connect the Dots

I do a lot of walking (and running) around the city and lately I've been noticing that many Chicago sidewalks are polka-dotted. See? This is a stretch of Belmont Ave near Clark. Now I've pointed this out to people and most say, "Well, that must be gum". Could be but that seems like a LOT of gum to be left right in the middle of the sidewalk. Do that many people do that? Also, I never see any gum being in the state of partially melted to the sidewalk. I only see flattened black dots. Why are all the dots black? If it's gum, does all gum turn black in the sun or is everyone chewing Blackjack Gum?

Maybe aliens left the dots and are just waiting for us to connect them to receive a secret message. Maybe it's instructions for building a transporter or a time machine.

Well, anybody reading out there, I'm curious what other theories you might have as to the source of the polka-dots.

"running"' LIncoln Ave

So, what’s living in Chicago like you ask?

I’m not sure my fellow citizens even know, as don’t I, how to answer that question exactly. But I do know that if you want data to help you you need to go to any of the street festivals in Chicago in the summer.

Just got back from Taste of Lincoln Ave. The people who attend this and other such festivals are. . .

Old
Young
With kids
Without kids
Stylish
Fat
Skinny
With walker
In 6 inch heels
Hip
Lame
White
Brown
Grey
Black
Alone
In groups
Smiling. . . All of them!

Just gaze upon a giant grill with giant sausage (pronounced sah’ sige) grilling and that will get you started. Have a beer and listen to live music on 5 stages for the crazy price of $7 and that will help as well. Talk to strangers and tease them and have them ‘get it’ and you’re well on your way. Our taxes, schools, sports teams (not counting the BLACK HAWKS) suck and we have a king for a mayor but in the summer . . .

WE COULD GIVE A RATS ASS BECAUSE IT SURE AS HELL AIN’T WINTER!

Don’t talk to us in the winter. We’re not so happy/friendly then.

Watch this

Yep, I like my new watch. Today I laid out a different 5k route so that I didn't have to turn around and re-trace my steps.


View 5k loop in a larger map

Along the lake to the bridge and then down to Ben Franklin and back to Fullerton is 5k. I ran to teh bridge and then walked over it and stretched a little on the other side and then ran the rest of the route. Time?

35:53

Not bad. About 2 of those minutes was me at the bridge so running a 5k in 30 - 35 minutes is in my wheelhouse. Now I just need one to run!

New Watch!

As my coach will understand I LOVE data. Without a race to shoot for right now I bought a watch to have interim goals. Today I ran my 5k course as follows. .

2.5k out bound 16:18:57

Then I stopped and stretched and caught my breath and stretched for 4 minutes.

2.5k inbound 18:02:36

That makes a 5k in 34:21:33 for the running part although I walked twice on the inbound leg.

Overall time including the stretching at the halfway point is 38:00:34 (there is some extra time due to me not using the watch correctly so actually a little less than this. . . maybe.

Good news is that way back when I lived in Des Plaines (motto: SLOW DOWN!) I had a 5 k course laid out and rarely ran it in less than 30 minutes and usually more like 35 I think. So once I get my wind back up and can run continuously I should be able to put down a 5k in between 30 and 35 minutes. That would be great.

anxious to run so I'm. . .

CHAMPING at the bit. The next time I hear someone on TV say chomping at the bit I'm going to go nuts. The word is champing. Here from langson.com. . .

Champing at the bit

If someone is eager or anxious to do something, they are said to be champing at the bit, (not chomping at the bit. nor chomping on the bit).

CHAMPING: Repetitious, strong opening and closing action of the mouth which
produces sounds when the teeth hit together. Champing in swine may be a
threat signal, but also is performed by boars during courtship and
mating. Definition from Hurnik et al., 1995.

- The Encyclopedia of Farm Animal Behavior

champ
  v. tr. - To bite or chew upon noisily.
  v. intr. - To work the jaws and teeth vigorously.
  Idiom: -  champ at the bit
    To show impatience at being held back or delayed.

- The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Note that some dictionaries define chomp as being derived from champ. One especially lazy on-line dictionary simply links chomp to the definition for champ, thereby implying that they're identical. The Merriam-Webster entry for champ at points out that while the verb chomp is a transitive verb, the verb champ can be either transitive or intransitive. In particular, the verb in the expression champing at the bit is intransitive, so it would be ungrammatical to say chomping at the bit (since chomp, being a transitive verb, needs an object); you could say chomping the bit instead, but that really lacks the impact of champing at the bit.

So let's get it right people!

oh, yeah, horses run, I run (sometimes) = running blog

Chicago Cubs

What? Cubs? I thought this was a running blog. Well, sometimes baseball players run and sometimes I run so I say this works.

We went to the game Monday night. The Cubs have been decent lately so I was anxious to see a win since so far I was 0-4 for 2010. Nice seats in the lower deck half way out to right field. Looked like rain was going to stay away. Sue bought me a beer and. . . PLAY BALL!

The Cubs give up 5 in the top of the first.

It was never close.

But that's ok. . .I'm actually a little used to that. On the other hand there's the "fans". The guy sitting behind us (arriving a fashionable 2 innings late) started talking. And talking. It was all about him. And 'babes'. On and on and on and on. Does this guy even breath? I finally took a look at this guy wondering, "How handsome IS this guy". Not so much. Complete dork. Of course.

We finally moved down to the end of the row in front of 2 women. That's right. . .one only talked and the other only listened. I tried to get them to comment on the game and they looked at me like I had a third eye and went right back to their roles as talker and listener.

". . .and so she said and then I said and then she said. . . . "

Now, I admit the game was out of reach. Way out. But there's always something to talk about at a game that is remotely connected to baseball. There's also. . .

JUST SHUTTING THE HELL UP AND WATCHING THE FREAKING GAME.

When you're at a major league game there is SO much to watch. There is no such thing as a routine play. There is strategy. We could see ahead of time that Castro backed up on a ground ball making it impossible for his arm to make up for that. You don't get that on TV. And. . .

It's $50+ to sit halfway out in right field. Might as well watch the game! Maybe next time I'll bring a radio and headphones and listen to Pat and Ron. Ron watches the game. . . well, the one in his head.

The Sunday Run

I always look forward to the Sunday run. No reason to make this one special but I guess when I was working it was more of a day to build toward. Anyway I still look forward to it. Today I ran my regular route to the bridge over LSD but instead of going over the bridge like I usually do I turned right (I RARELY turn right!) and found my way to what seems to be the new boardwalk between the farm in the zoo and the south lagoon. Very nice. They've put up signs about the local ecology and gotten rid of the paddle boats. Good deal.

Felt pretty good. Ran the first 1.5 and then ran a song walked a song the rest of the way.

I need a race for a goal!