4 miles run (33:59 - 8:59, 8:26, 8:33, 8:01 - 8:30/mile)
1.06 quick walk
total: 5.06 miles
63°F
Current: Mostly Cloudy
Wind: E at 0 mph
Humidity: 39%
course: Herrick Lake
finish
58°F
Current: Mostly Cloudy
Wind: E at 0 mph
Humidity: 41%
Trees are common in the western suburbs. Lakes, trails, streams, woods. We have it all. Herrick Lake is part of all this with a beautiful system of reclaimed land. There is a joy there not found in traffic. Not streets to cross, cars to dodge, litter to hurdle. Cigarette butts (found in abundance on Butterfield in front of Glenbard South High School) are nowhere to be seen.
Frog voices crowded the air. Walkers found the trail, As did a few couples. A perfect spring day? Not until the flowers come out for the run.
The run itself went easier than expected. I averaged 8:30/mile with plenty more in the tank. A mile walk after that brought me back to rest.
Executive Speechwriting: Corporate, Weddings, Retirement
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Speed at the Sound of Light - 3.29 Miles of Spring
3.29 miles (28:57 - 8:48/mile)
total: 3.29 miles
50°F
Current: Clear
Wind: E at 0 mph
Humidity: 47%
course: COD Loop
Faster than expected. A sunny day, and birds chirping cheered me on.
The plan was 4.3 miles, but I felt listless and sluggish, with a dose of time management concerns. Dinner guest at 4:00 pm and there's house cleaning to be done.
I hoped to get done in 9-flats, so this was a pleasant reminder that I did do more in late winter than in 2008. Am I fit? Hardly, but I am feeling OK. A good sweat.
The weather looks sketchy this week, with warm, cold and rainy days ahead. The treadmill days are not over.
Below - a video any of you oldies will know. I hear this in my head when I'm on longer runs.
Speed Racer
total: 3.29 miles
50°F
Current: Clear
Wind: E at 0 mph
Humidity: 47%
course: COD Loop
Faster than expected. A sunny day, and birds chirping cheered me on.
The plan was 4.3 miles, but I felt listless and sluggish, with a dose of time management concerns. Dinner guest at 4:00 pm and there's house cleaning to be done.
I hoped to get done in 9-flats, so this was a pleasant reminder that I did do more in late winter than in 2008. Am I fit? Hardly, but I am feeling OK. A good sweat.
The weather looks sketchy this week, with warm, cold and rainy days ahead. The treadmill days are not over.
Below - a video any of you oldies will know. I hear this in my head when I'm on longer runs.
Speed Racer
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Cool Track Heated Up With a Slow Plod
3.5 miles (9:00/mile)
total: 3.5 miles
38°F
Current: Clear
Wind: E at 0 mph
Humidity: 53%
course: Wheaton College track
Getting out to the track was good. While all I did was run the outside lap a bunch of times, I saw the guys, met a few new people, and felt good doing it.
Most of the group was there. They ran a variety of 800s and miles. Jim stood freezing with a stopwatch. I was kind of toasty.
I trodded in lane eight until I finished three miles. A brief warmup and warmdown completed it all, though everything was the same pace. It killed me to watch everyone, wanting to be fit enough to keep up, but I'm not.
total: 3.5 miles
38°F
Current: Clear
Wind: E at 0 mph
Humidity: 53%
course: Wheaton College track
Getting out to the track was good. While all I did was run the outside lap a bunch of times, I saw the guys, met a few new people, and felt good doing it.
Most of the group was there. They ran a variety of 800s and miles. Jim stood freezing with a stopwatch. I was kind of toasty.
I trodded in lane eight until I finished three miles. A brief warmup and warmdown completed it all, though everything was the same pace. It killed me to watch everyone, wanting to be fit enough to keep up, but I'm not.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Orange Blindness Seeing Beauty: 3.29 Miles in Natural Wind
3.29 miles (30:11 - 9:10/mile)
total: 3.29 miles
70°F
Current: Clear
Wind: E at 0 mph
Humidity: 41%
course: COD Loop
Inconsequential in distance, in pace, in feeling. But beautiful. My first outside run in months, and in t-shirt ans shorts to boot.
The sun began to set far beyond Danada as I looked into orange blindness west on Fawell. The wind was stronger than listed heading out, and I rode this same wind returning.
The hill on Park looked small, felt big, and happily, is short. I dreamed of Heartbreak Hill. Would I ever run it as a marathoner? Too many miles between now and that even being a possibility.
total: 3.29 miles
70°F
Current: Clear
Wind: E at 0 mph
Humidity: 41%
course: COD Loop
Inconsequential in distance, in pace, in feeling. But beautiful. My first outside run in months, and in t-shirt ans shorts to boot.
The sun began to set far beyond Danada as I looked into orange blindness west on Fawell. The wind was stronger than listed heading out, and I rode this same wind returning.
The hill on Park looked small, felt big, and happily, is short. I dreamed of Heartbreak Hill. Would I ever run it as a marathoner? Too many miles between now and that even being a possibility.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Getting On with Getting Going: Four
4.0 miles run (35:04 - 8:49x2.5, 8:41x1, 8:34x0.5 - 8:46/mile)
0.60 miles hard walk warmdown
total: 4.6 miles
course: COD treadmill
Got in a little earlier, but not that elusive 6:00 am. I'm getting an efficiency system going - getting up, getting ready, getting out, getting going, and getting back.
Sped things up mildly as I went along.
My iPod continues to fascinate the mostly senior crowd at the fitness lab. The woman next to me suggested Zorba the Greek might be fun to run to. Any suggestions?
0.60 miles hard walk warmdown
total: 4.6 miles
course: COD treadmill
Got in a little earlier, but not that elusive 6:00 am. I'm getting an efficiency system going - getting up, getting ready, getting out, getting going, and getting back.
Sped things up mildly as I went along.
My iPod continues to fascinate the mostly senior crowd at the fitness lab. The woman next to me suggested Zorba the Greek might be fun to run to. Any suggestions?
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Steady and Feeling Good
4.5 miles run (total unsure, but set at 8:49/mile)
0.35 miles hard walk warmdown
total: 4.85 miles
course: COD treadmill
Feeling good. My warmdown was shorter, having gotten running later than intended, plus, I ran slightly farther.
Showed a guy in his late 70s how to attach his iPod to the treadmill. That was an honor.
I'm itching to get out running on dirt. The running club gets out there Thursday, but I'll be inside, sipping a cappuccino, performing poetry. Alas! The weather will be in the 50s. I'm curious how I will handle a real workout. The guys I run with will be fitter, and so I expect to suffer. If I suffer less than last year, then I'll take that as a small victory.
In all, I ended February in better shape than 2008, but I had a glitch missing an entire week. How will this add up? That question gets answered at the Cosley Animal Farm race in early June, the only racing constant since I began two years ago.
Weight isn't yet dropping. I'm not sure what to make of that, but will continue as planned. A steady 140 lbs.
0.35 miles hard walk warmdown
total: 4.85 miles
course: COD treadmill
Feeling good. My warmdown was shorter, having gotten running later than intended, plus, I ran slightly farther.
Showed a guy in his late 70s how to attach his iPod to the treadmill. That was an honor.
I'm itching to get out running on dirt. The running club gets out there Thursday, but I'll be inside, sipping a cappuccino, performing poetry. Alas! The weather will be in the 50s. I'm curious how I will handle a real workout. The guys I run with will be fitter, and so I expect to suffer. If I suffer less than last year, then I'll take that as a small victory.
In all, I ended February in better shape than 2008, but I had a glitch missing an entire week. How will this add up? That question gets answered at the Cosley Animal Farm race in early June, the only racing constant since I began two years ago.
Weight isn't yet dropping. I'm not sure what to make of that, but will continue as planned. A steady 140 lbs.
Monday, March 2, 2009
56 Minutes Between Then and Now
4.25 miles run (37:31 - 8:50/mile)
0.50 miles hard walk warmdown
total: 4.75 miles
A great morning run. A casual pace, just burning calories and adding capillaries. Kept the pace easy, but still worked up a hard sweat. Recovery should be good, but as the week progresses, we'll see.
It looks like I can leave, run, return within 70 minutes. This will be harder as I add miles.
0.50 miles hard walk warmdown
total: 4.75 miles
A great morning run. A casual pace, just burning calories and adding capillaries. Kept the pace easy, but still worked up a hard sweat. Recovery should be good, but as the week progresses, we'll see.
It looks like I can leave, run, return within 70 minutes. This will be harder as I add miles.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Jim Spivey Running Club - Chicago, Nashville, Nationally
I've mentioned in many posts that I am training on Thursdays on the track with a club, for my "weekly butt-kicking." Come run with us.
If interested, e-mail me, or post here, and I'll pass it on. Or, just show up at the track.
Jim Spivey Running Club (JSRC)
- Chicago, IL
Meets Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. for warm-up at the parking lot just east of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College (Chase and College Avenue) in Wheaton, Illinois. Track workout begins at 6:00 p.m. - Nashville, TN
Meets Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. for warm-up at the Vanderbilt University track in Nashville, Tennessee.
Track workout begins at 6:00 p.m. - Cost: (see latest fees for all his coaching plans here)
- First two sessions free to try out the program.
- Jim also offers daily, individual coaching plans based on ability and goals.
Benefits
- Coached by 3-time Olympian Jim Spivey (1500 meters: 1984, 1992; 5000 meters: 1996).
- Train with other serious runners who race in everything from 5Ks to Ironman Triathlons, from marathons to ultramarathons.
- All abilities (5K times range roughly from 18:00-25:00).
- Access to Asics products.
- Great camaraderie, fun, and respect for a good effort.
See my workouts described.
What I have gotten from it? As of this posting, I've dropped several minutes in my 5K time (see my progress on the top left), lost almost 10 lbs, and have made new friends who are as committed to running well as I am.
So, come on down! Say hi if you do -- I'm the short guy with the red bandanna.
picture above: Wheaton College track, final 100 meters, looking clockwise.
more on Jim's various training options: http://jimspivey.com/coaching.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)