Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay........

I ran an easy 5K today on the treadmill. After my interval session yesterday my quads were sore. I guess if you do it right, they are supposed to be. I was looking forward to running outside today on this sunny afternoon but the temps never got above 7* with a crazy wind chill so the hell with that.

I got a late start waiting on the cable guy. He made an appointment to put in a new cable line to my rec. room upstairs. The appointment was scheduled for between 8:00 am and sometime next Tuesday like they always do. One of these days I'm going to hold on to my bill payment. When they call to ask where their payment is, I'm going to tell them that I will send it sometime between now and the end of the year. I wonder if they will find that humorous. When I called and screamed at customer service they asked me if I wanted to take a short survey. I said hell yes. I ask him what HIS name was and he said Alejandro or something like that. I'm almost sure that before we had the discussion about the survey his name was Bob or George.....something like that. Amazing how things change when you agree to the survey. So I have no cable, and my run was late. I guess I might have to call Comcast again and scream at somebody again.

Usain Bolt Has Nothin' On Me

Intervals today. I ran 6 x quarter miles on the treadmill. The first 3 were at 5.5 mph and the last three were at 6 mph. I covered about 3.25 miles in a little over 40 minutes. I didn't have to struggle too much either. I felt very lean, fast and comfortable. I think I could have handled a faster pace. I'm beginning to get a confidence boost as I run through roadblocks. Intervals were always a boondoggle and I didn't think I was ready for long runs yet but I handled the 7 miler Sunday with surprising easiness. I feel really good at this point.

My treadmill buddy came in to the gym again today and parked right beside me.....again. I can't wait for the weather to break. There....again...was an entire row of empty treadmills for his use but he climbed on beside me. He watched me strangely but didn't talk. Maybe he got the message from yesterday but he had another plan. Even though he didn't speak to me, he yelled for other people to come over to talk with him...while he drank his coffee and read his paper....and yakked the whole time right beside me doing intervals. My wife and I have come to the conclusion that he must be the loneliest man in the world.

For The Love Of Christ!

Today wasn't a great day. My schedule called for a 3.5 mile run. That part was fine, but for some reason I could NOT find a pace that fit my breathing. I tried from 4.3 mph to 7 mph and no matter what speed I tried I was breathing with difficulty. It wasn't until about the 2 mile mark that I finally planed out and felt comfortable. Surely it can't take me that long to warm up. It doesn't when I run outside....only on that damn treadmill. (See? Now I'm blaming the treadmill.)

To further add to my discomfort, "The Man Who Loves To Talk" parked next to me on a completely empty line of open treadmills. He brought his coffee and newspaper and covered up his computer board but decided to talk to me anyway. I had my headphones on and every time he said something, I would take one ear piece off and yell "WHAT?" hoping he would get the hint. I hate being a dick. I don't care if he wants to use his treadmill as an easel to hold his newspaper while he drinks coffee, but why then bother me? He continued this for a mile or so, telling me about a new car he just leased...on the treadmill....as I worked out. So, when I finished, I told him that it's a shame he hadn't talked to me before, I had a buddy that could have gotten him the same lease for fifty bucks less a month and then I walked away. I swear, I could see tears running down his face as I went to the locker room. Maybe next time he will stay away from me.

Took It Out On The Weights

It was "Sling Iron Day" today. It's sort of a combination rest day from the long runs on Sundays but it's not a rest day when you are pumping iron. I did a short program (33 minutes) of Machine Bench Presses, Incline Presses, Lat Pulls, Bar Rows, Dips & Decline Bench Sit-ups......lots of them. I'm supposed to work on my core but I'd rather just run. Of course, to admit, my legs are drained from yesterdays' long run. The weights aren't as much fun as they used to be. I'd rather be running.

The 7 miler I did yesterday did the Steelers no good. They lost due to a comedy of errors, including fumbles, interceptions, missed catches, etc. Our turnovers gave up 21 points to the Packers and they only won by 6 points. Bummer. So I took it out on the weights....or maybe they took it out on me. Either way I'm beat......and so were the Steelers.

For The Honor Of The Steelers

For the honor of the Steelers and their attempt to win their seventh Super Bowl, I ran outside and covered 7 miles out 4th street with a side trip out Toms Run for a way. I was surprised how well I did. I was slow of course, but mostly due to the ice. I underestimated how much ice was still on the roads and at times I had to walk or kind of tip toe over some bad areas. Toms Run was virtually untouched by the cinder and salt efforts and it was a bit dangerous. I once slipped as a car flashed by and I could see my life pass me by for a second. My Under Amour worked perfectly, keeping me warm and dry. I ended up with 20 miles run this week, but they were a very good 20 miles.

I was absolutely amazed by my I-Phone GPS app by Nike+. I had a good idea where my tun around was for the 7 miler but the GPS on my I-phone reminded me of my distance covered every half mile and prompted me to turn around at 3 1/2 miles, the same point exactly that I had measured out previously. This means no more measuring courses! I can set this app for a 10 mile run let's say, and it will tell me the distance I've covered all along the way. What a breakthrough! i used to have to measure all my routes by car ahead of time. I love the technology today.  I can't wait for good weather to come. (Cold today. Below freezing.) Oh, and as a side note: GO STEELERS!

Pain Is Good....Extreme Pain Is Extremely Good.

RECOVERY DAY. I won't lie. I need this day off. My shins hurt, my ankles hurt and the lack of sleep has caught up with me. I can't go very far on 6 hours of sleep anymore. I probably shouldn't even try but that is what my work schedule allows. I get up at 5:00 am and run at 6:00. Then it is a rush to get home and prepare for work. I usually don't get home from work until 7:00 pm or so and if I want to spend some quality time with my wife (which I do) I don't go to bed until about 11:00. I mean this isn't horrible but it catches up to me. Today I slept until 6:30 am and I feel like I slept away half the day.

My schedule is to run 7 miles tomorrow as my long day. The Steelers are going for their 7th Super Bowl win so that is my homage. There may be a turd in the punchbowl though. Snow is supposed to move in again today so here we go again, waiting on the weather. I want to strangle me a groundhog.

Nothing Wrong With Having Fun

I ran my 3 miler today almost as an aside. I was scheduled to run 3 miles at pace. I guess I should have looked it up. I wasn't sure what that meant so I ran different distances at difference paces. I'd run a quarter at 5 mph pace, walk for a few seconds and the maybe run a quarter at 6 mph. I threw in some sharp sprints at 7 mph and before I had even thought about it I had run 3.1 miles taking it just barely under 40 minutes! What a good time and it went so fast.

I also enjoyed the weather. It was cold but there was no snow and no rain. It was the typical dry winter day that makes it perfect to run outside. I wish it wasn't so dark at 6:00 am here in West By God Virginia but it is still too early in the season to get on the sidewalks in the dark. Sunday though, Super Bowl Sunday, I'm gonna run one outside for the Steelers.

What's That Again?

I lifted weights today. Thursdays are my double workout days. Strength and run. I did Bench Presses, Lat Pulls, Dips and elevated Decline Bench Sit-ups. This took about 30 minutes and then I went to the gym. I ran a nice, easy 3 miler as scheduled and kept a nice pace. I'm getting faster even on my easy days.

I have to mention this. I go to the gym to work. To me it's not a social event. I have to haul my ass over a half marathon course in a couple of months where the steep terrain is legendary. But the people who go just to talk to each other drive me nuts. I began listening to podcasts (which turned out accidentally to be great) only because I couldn't get people to stop asking me questions when I was doing sprints. This amazes me. if I'm going all out on a treadmill at 6 mph at 5* elevation, surely the person next to me SHOULD have the sense to know I can't talk. But talk they do.

Today there was a woman in the gym, I've seen her many times and never with her mouth shut, walking on a treadmill and yelling to another woman the entire time she was walking. She was yelling, I thought, because the other woman was two treadmills away. I felt sorry for the guy in between them. Then when the noisy lady finished her walk, she came over and stood right in front of the woman beside me, and yelled in her face until I gave up and got off my treadmill and walked away. I was going to complain but I didn't. I think I should have. I pay to be there.But I didn't and now I am ranting here. Not quite right is it.

Smooth As Silk

Today was my first scheduled tempo run. I managed to hold a 5 mph pace for 20 minutes. That might not sound like much but it is indeed. The object of a tempo run is to maintain a pace that is uncomfortable, actually intending to be a tiny bit unbearable and hold this discomfort for as long as you can. The wise schedule, to keep me from killing myself, capped this tempo portion at 20 minutes even though the entire run lasted a little over 40 minutes and covered about 3.5 miles. It is a confidence builder and I feel great about today.

Now let's address the one small sticking point. Twice during the tempo run I had to take a 20 second or so walking break out of shear terror. I haven't convinced myself totally that I can hold that pace. Even though my mind says I can, my body is saying, "You're gonna bonk. You are going to start huffing and puffing and embarrass yourself in front of the people in this gym." My inner voice is nasty. And as soon as I can get the voices in my head to settle down, I will be fine. My body knows what my head won't admit. We are ready to except the pain and discomfort of training. It's moving past barriers that build you up. I'm ready to face the pain. Now if I can get my other self to except it, I will be OK with the world.

Running In Quicksand

I was so excited to get to the gym today. I had lifted weights yesterday and missed running. I went in and started my scheduled 3 mile run on the treadmill and hit the wall. Or more accurately, started running in sand. Oh, I covered a little over 3 miles in mostly 5 mph pace or better but my legs were like I had just climbed the stairs to the top of the Sears Tower. (Is it still called the Sears Tower?) I wrote it up to the squats I did yesterday but still I was somewhat disappointed.

This weight lifting stuff...I might have to amend it. I don't know if I should be doing leg workouts. Maybe I get enough exercise for my legs running and I should concentrate on my upper body and back. I'm going to research that today online and figure out a plan. I only lift twice a week but I always have a weak run after lifting day. Bummer.

I also think my ego is getting in the way. When my schedule calls for an easy day, I should go easy but I push myself. I HATE to run slower than I did the day before but that is exactly what the schedule calls for. Easy. I probably shouldn't even time all my runs but the treadmill and my Nike+ software does it anyway. I guess I will have to live with the fact that when I run easy, I'm a slow runner.