5.5 miles (46:31 - 8:27/mile)
1.0 miles warm down
total: 6.5 miles
79°F
Clear
Wind: NW at 8 mph
Humidity: 50%
course: Springbrook Prairie
Good, brisk run. Glad to see my LSD times coming down. I learned my trouble mile is the third, with a rolling double uphill. It isn't seriously high, but, rather, is longer and I do not realize I'm slowing down. It still happened, but not as much as usual.
The last mile is downhill. I never pressed it, since, all said, this is still an LSD run. Although I'm aware of the clock, I don't want to lose focus on form or breathing.
The better weather no doubt helped tonight. I'm expecting good things to happen as the temperature and humidity drop in unison.
Mile 1 - 8:32
Mile 2 - 17:02
Mile 3 - 25:58
Mile 4 - ?
Mile 4.5 - 38:39
Mile 5.5 - 46:31
Executive Speechwriting: Corporate, Weddings, Retirement
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Friday, August 24, 2007
4.79 Happy Miles
3 miles wu
1 mile hard (6:25)
.79 miles wd
total: 4.79 miles
course: Wheaton Recreation Center
Good workout, albeit short. Started with 50 sit-ups at home. The 3 miles was a gradual speed increase from 8:57/mile to 7:30/mile, then, simultaneously, an increase from 0 incline to 1.0 incline. I don't know what the number means, but higher is harder.
Paused the machine (treadmill), took a 2-3 minute break, then ran a 6:25 mile, gradually increasing the speed from 6:48/mile to 6:00/mile. No incline.
The mile was interesting - first time I felt the ache of a hard run. This is different than breathlessness or muscle ache, per se, but it made me want to stop. I felt it especially near the last 600-700 meters, increasing in intensity. To run a 20:00 5K, I will need to learn to tolerate more pain.
My warm down was especially slow, but it got the job done.
Then, a few lifts on a device to strengthen whatever are the muscles causing shin splints (my current trouble), and another 3x20 sit-ups using a sit-up machine. Tom Reichert, a trainer at the Wheaton Recreation Center was quite helpful.
1 mile hard (6:25)
.79 miles wd
total: 4.79 miles
course: Wheaton Recreation Center
Good workout, albeit short. Started with 50 sit-ups at home. The 3 miles was a gradual speed increase from 8:57/mile to 7:30/mile, then, simultaneously, an increase from 0 incline to 1.0 incline. I don't know what the number means, but higher is harder.
Paused the machine (treadmill), took a 2-3 minute break, then ran a 6:25 mile, gradually increasing the speed from 6:48/mile to 6:00/mile. No incline.
The mile was interesting - first time I felt the ache of a hard run. This is different than breathlessness or muscle ache, per se, but it made me want to stop. I felt it especially near the last 600-700 meters, increasing in intensity. To run a 20:00 5K, I will need to learn to tolerate more pain.
My warm down was especially slow, but it got the job done.
Then, a few lifts on a device to strengthen whatever are the muscles causing shin splints (my current trouble), and another 3x20 sit-ups using a sit-up machine. Tom Reichert, a trainer at the Wheaton Recreation Center was quite helpful.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
2 Miles, Then Off to Gilligan's Island
2 miles wu
total: 2 miles
That's it. My Thursday night weekly butt kicking turned out to be wash. With only Rudi, Steve, and Paul showing up initially, the warm up was a bit faster than my usual, as noted below. Usually, I warm up closer to 8:30-8:45. No regrets though, since this was all the workout I was going to get.
Remember the beginning of "Gilligan's Island." in the opening titles, "Their tiny ship was tossed..." You'll see Gilligan holding tight to the Minnow while the storm thrashes it toward that uncharted isle where they (you know, "Gilligan. The Skipper too. The millionaire and his wife. The movie star. The professor and Mary Ann") would spend most of the rest of their TV life.
That's how it was.
All were safe. We gave up hopes of running, and ran to the cars.
My car was in the least strategic position in several inches of water. My running shoes are soaked and may be through eternity. This is my cue to invest in a new pair. I'm due.
Jim never made it. Rumor has that he was scrambling to find a chain saw to assist in the removal of a tree in his driveway. No confirmation on that. It could be he just had better wisdom than the five of us.
total: 2 miles
That's it. My Thursday night weekly butt kicking turned out to be wash. With only Rudi, Steve, and Paul showing up initially, the warm up was a bit faster than my usual, as noted below. Usually, I warm up closer to 8:30-8:45. No regrets though, since this was all the workout I was going to get.
Remember the beginning of "Gilligan's Island." in the opening titles, "Their tiny ship was tossed..." You'll see Gilligan holding tight to the Minnow while the storm thrashes it toward that uncharted isle where they (you know, "Gilligan. The Skipper too. The millionaire and his wife. The movie star. The professor and Mary Ann") would spend most of the rest of their TV life.
That's how it was.
- Mile 1 - 8:00
- Mile 2 - 7:34
All were safe. We gave up hopes of running, and ran to the cars.
My car was in the least strategic position in several inches of water. My running shoes are soaked and may be through eternity. This is my cue to invest in a new pair. I'm due.
Jim never made it. Rumor has that he was scrambling to find a chain saw to assist in the removal of a tree in his driveway. No confirmation on that. It could be he just had better wisdom than the five of us.
Runner's Dilemma, Part I
I confess. It took me by surprise, but I discovered, by chance, LilianQ, a reader of this blog. Apparently, she's a runner in Singapore going through some variation of my efforts. She's worse. She's got the marathon bug. (Secretly, so do I, but that's a few steps farther than my present circumstance.)
She noticed the thought I have on the left side of each page:
There is that impulse to run. The sun is rising here in Chicago, the crickets are making their final chirps, and the paperboy hasn't yet arrived. I want to run. Tonight is my weekly butt kicking on the Wheaton College track, but I want to run now.
When I run, part of me is alive that is dormant the rest of the day. Although mostly silent, except for the grunts delivered to passing runners, I am inside myself shouting. Every step is glorious, a return to the childhood games of my youth -- as if I am again six years-old, running, laughing with Brian and Duane in my backyard on Meade Avenue -- when running was graceful, bliss made manifest.
Endorphins are still around, but I miss those longer of the long runs. There is something that happens with the longer runs that no endorphin can mimic. It is a serenity, found at any pace, having strode long enough to purge whatever ailed me emotionally before the run.
I sang when I ran. My voice was strong, bold. It was not held back by breathlessness. What beauty its sound lacks I made up for with vigor. Hymns. Old rock tunes. Silly songs from childhood. If I couldn't remember the line, I made it up.
Now, I remember fewer lines and grasp for air like a drowning man. Instead, words whisper out of me during a run that would make an emphysema patient smile smugly.
My feet clenched the rolling hills of the Palos Forest Preserves like a mountain goat. Zinging from foothold to foothold, setting only long enough to ricochet to the next bounding point.
Today, my ankles worry about turns on the flattest track, my back suggests rest is a better posture, and my knees wince with the slightest provocation.
The dilemma, now, over 100 days after beginning this endeavor, remains. I'm thinning and faster, and every so often, discover midstride a sense of rhythm and grace. It has yet to all come together. There has been no perfect run - I have on my memory dozens from 20 years ago, but none this year.
Perfection: when bliss and stride, speed and float, form and rhythm, distance and breath all join to enter me, surround me, push me and lead me.
Will all things converge? This is not something I can control. All I can do is set in place the possibility. Run hard, run long, run often. Then, maybe. Without the run, it will not, cannot happen.
I must run.
She noticed the thought I have on the left side of each page:
A runner's dilemma? He must run, no matter what shape or situation he is in. The dilemma is finding a resolution despite being older, fatter, slower than when running was graceful.There once were those days. Running was graceful. Now, it is not. Then, I ran because of sheer joy. Endorphins flooded my system like a welcome drug amidst my teenage angst-filled years. Ten miles? 15 miles? All felt peaceful.
There is that impulse to run. The sun is rising here in Chicago, the crickets are making their final chirps, and the paperboy hasn't yet arrived. I want to run. Tonight is my weekly butt kicking on the Wheaton College track, but I want to run now.
When I run, part of me is alive that is dormant the rest of the day. Although mostly silent, except for the grunts delivered to passing runners, I am inside myself shouting. Every step is glorious, a return to the childhood games of my youth -- as if I am again six years-old, running, laughing with Brian and Duane in my backyard on Meade Avenue -- when running was graceful, bliss made manifest.
Endorphins are still around, but I miss those longer of the long runs. There is something that happens with the longer runs that no endorphin can mimic. It is a serenity, found at any pace, having strode long enough to purge whatever ailed me emotionally before the run.
I sang when I ran. My voice was strong, bold. It was not held back by breathlessness. What beauty its sound lacks I made up for with vigor. Hymns. Old rock tunes. Silly songs from childhood. If I couldn't remember the line, I made it up.
Now, I remember fewer lines and grasp for air like a drowning man. Instead, words whisper out of me during a run that would make an emphysema patient smile smugly.
My feet clenched the rolling hills of the Palos Forest Preserves like a mountain goat. Zinging from foothold to foothold, setting only long enough to ricochet to the next bounding point.
Today, my ankles worry about turns on the flattest track, my back suggests rest is a better posture, and my knees wince with the slightest provocation.
The dilemma, now, over 100 days after beginning this endeavor, remains. I'm thinning and faster, and every so often, discover midstride a sense of rhythm and grace. It has yet to all come together. There has been no perfect run - I have on my memory dozens from 20 years ago, but none this year.
Perfection: when bliss and stride, speed and float, form and rhythm, distance and breath all join to enter me, surround me, push me and lead me.
Will all things converge? This is not something I can control. All I can do is set in place the possibility. Run hard, run long, run often. Then, maybe. Without the run, it will not, cannot happen.
I must run.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Insects for Dessert
1 mile wu
800 3:14 (400)
800 3:20 (400)
total: 2.5 miles
82°F
Mostly Cloudy
Wind: S at 10 mph
Humidity: 74%
course: COD track
What was intended to be a pipie little run turned into an insect food fest. Some dined on me, and I dined on others.
I couldn't see my watch. It was late and cloudy. Humid, I was sticky right after my warmup. My clip for the 800s was OK, but, unable to see how I was doing, I could not adjust my pace either way.
800 3:14 (400)
800 3:20 (400)
total: 2.5 miles
82°F
Mostly Cloudy
Wind: S at 10 mph
Humidity: 74%
course: COD track
What was intended to be a pipie little run turned into an insect food fest. Some dined on me, and I dined on others.
I couldn't see my watch. It was late and cloudy. Humid, I was sticky right after my warmup. My clip for the 800s was OK, but, unable to see how I was doing, I could not adjust my pace either way.
Monday, August 20, 2007
What Goes Down Should (but doesn't) Stay Down
Monday Check-in
137.0 lbs. (up)
50 - Pulse (down)
Status
Feeling OK. Legs are a little achy. Not sure if this is because of Saturday's 8-miler. Shoulders achy too. Hopefully that's not leftover from the five measly push-ups I did last week. Getting over a minor cold, or maintaining some kind of balance with the coming hay fever season.
Pulse is down after a week or two above 50. My pulse has always been very low. Better aerobic fitness will send it lower, and various stresses will send it back up. I did not sleep well last night, and it could be my cardio-vascular fitness is better than the number suggests.
My weight is up. Was last night's midnight snack the culprit, or was my last week generally filled with extra calories? I ran 29.1 miles, worth just under a pound if converted into calories spent. If true, that means I, in a sense, gained 4.18 lbs in a week? I blame the scale.
137.0 lbs. (up)
50 - Pulse (down)
Status
Feeling OK. Legs are a little achy. Not sure if this is because of Saturday's 8-miler. Shoulders achy too. Hopefully that's not leftover from the five measly push-ups I did last week. Getting over a minor cold, or maintaining some kind of balance with the coming hay fever season.
Pulse is down after a week or two above 50. My pulse has always been very low. Better aerobic fitness will send it lower, and various stresses will send it back up. I did not sleep well last night, and it could be my cardio-vascular fitness is better than the number suggests.
My weight is up. Was last night's midnight snack the culprit, or was my last week generally filled with extra calories? I ran 29.1 miles, worth just under a pound if converted into calories spent. If true, that means I, in a sense, gained 4.18 lbs in a week? I blame the scale.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
August 12 - August 18 in Review
Sunday, August 12, 2007 -- rest
Monday, August 13, 2007 -- 6.60 miles Wheaton Recreation Center treadmill
Tuesday, August 14, 2007 -- 4.80 miles Illinois Prairie Path
Wednesday, August 15, 2007 -- rest
Thursday, August 16, 2007 -- 6.28 miles Spivey track workout
Friday, August 17, 2007 -- 2.90 miles Greene Valley LSD
Saturday, August 18, 2007 -- 8.50 Illinois Prairie Path LSD
Total: 29.1 miles
Summary: Good week, but not too tough. 5K PR on treadmill on Monday, solid workout on the track on Thursday.
Looking FWD: LSD is paying off. The joy of the long gallop is returning, the excitement of a hard run is evolving. It isn't quite at the exhilaration I once felt so many years ago, but that will come around.
This week: 27-35 miles, with one longer run (10 miles?), and one tougher workout in addition to the Spivey track workout.
Monday, August 13, 2007 -- 6.60 miles Wheaton Recreation Center treadmill
Tuesday, August 14, 2007 -- 4.80 miles Illinois Prairie Path
Wednesday, August 15, 2007 -- rest
Thursday, August 16, 2007 -- 6.28 miles Spivey track workout
Friday, August 17, 2007 -- 2.90 miles Greene Valley LSD
Saturday, August 18, 2007 -- 8.50 Illinois Prairie Path LSD
Total: 29.1 miles
Summary: Good week, but not too tough. 5K PR on treadmill on Monday, solid workout on the track on Thursday.
Looking FWD: LSD is paying off. The joy of the long gallop is returning, the excitement of a hard run is evolving. It isn't quite at the exhilaration I once felt so many years ago, but that will come around.
This week: 27-35 miles, with one longer run (10 miles?), and one tougher workout in addition to the Spivey track workout.
8 Miles - 1:09:32
8 miles 1:09:32 (8:41/mile)
.5 mile wd
total: 8.5 miles
63°F
Clear
Wind: E at 5 mph
Humidity: 72%
course: Illinois Prairie Path, south
finish
64°F
Mostly Cloudy
Wind: E at 7 mph
Humidity: 63%
Nice run. The weather was good, albeit a tad humid, but cool. My first mile was 8:06, probably too fast, but it felt easy. My second dropped to 8:19, then #3 was 8:23. I finished four miles in 34:12. My pace for the second half was 8:49, though I missed the mile markers. I think the last two miles I clipped through at around 8:20. If true, miles 5-6 were chugging through at 9:00 or slower.
The southern route, at least as far as I went (to the four mile marker), has only Roosevelt and side streets to cross. Lots of marathon runners out for their long runs, including Jennifer from Plainfield, finishing up her 20-miler, and Bill from Lisle. Met them at the zero marker.
I have a lot to learn about pace. While I can't complain about the resulting time, mile-by-mile should have not have varied as much as it did. I dropped 2:35 from my previous 8-miler, but I have no doubt, could have dropped more if I had started with an 8:30 instead of 8:06.
.5 mile wd
total: 8.5 miles
63°F
Clear
Wind: E at 5 mph
Humidity: 72%
course: Illinois Prairie Path, south
finish
64°F
Mostly Cloudy
Wind: E at 7 mph
Humidity: 63%
Nice run. The weather was good, albeit a tad humid, but cool. My first mile was 8:06, probably too fast, but it felt easy. My second dropped to 8:19, then #3 was 8:23. I finished four miles in 34:12. My pace for the second half was 8:49, though I missed the mile markers. I think the last two miles I clipped through at around 8:20. If true, miles 5-6 were chugging through at 9:00 or slower.
The southern route, at least as far as I went (to the four mile marker), has only Roosevelt and side streets to cross. Lots of marathon runners out for their long runs, including Jennifer from Plainfield, finishing up her 20-miler, and Bill from Lisle. Met them at the zero marker.
I have a lot to learn about pace. While I can't complain about the resulting time, mile-by-mile should have not have varied as much as it did. I dropped 2:35 from my previous 8-miler, but I have no doubt, could have dropped more if I had started with an 8:30 instead of 8:06.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Quick 2.9-mile Jaunt
2.9 miles LSD
total: 2.9 miles
75°F
Clear
Wind: W at 7 mph
Humidity: 44%
course: Greene Valley
New location to run caused me a little trouble. The course is poorly marked and I took a wrong turn at Albuquerque. It was getting dark, so I settled with one lap instead of two.
I stopped to ask another runner for directions, who seemed very sure of himself, but who was quite clueless when it came to giving me a clear response.
Greene Valley itself is a nice course. Reminds me of Blackwell with its gentle rolling hills in and out of woods and prairie. It is also reminded me of my old running grounds at Elizabeth Conkey Woods in Crestwood, IL (135th and Central Avenue). The distance is 2.9 miles for one main loop, so it could be a good option for 8.7 or 11.6 mile runs.
Mosquitos are its downside. Lots of them. While I am looking to lose weight, giving blood was not the intended method. The West Nile issue is also no small concern, and there is not a good reason to multiply the odds for getting it.
Jeff Couch runs Greene Valley often, and so maybe, as I get in shape enough and able to keep up with him, we'll hit the course for a few laps.
total: 2.9 miles
75°F
Clear
Wind: W at 7 mph
Humidity: 44%
course: Greene Valley
New location to run caused me a little trouble. The course is poorly marked and I took a wrong turn at Albuquerque. It was getting dark, so I settled with one lap instead of two.
I stopped to ask another runner for directions, who seemed very sure of himself, but who was quite clueless when it came to giving me a clear response.
Greene Valley itself is a nice course. Reminds me of Blackwell with its gentle rolling hills in and out of woods and prairie. It is also reminded me of my old running grounds at Elizabeth Conkey Woods in Crestwood, IL (135th and Central Avenue). The distance is 2.9 miles for one main loop, so it could be a good option for 8.7 or 11.6 mile runs.
Mosquitos are its downside. Lots of them. While I am looking to lose weight, giving blood was not the intended method. The West Nile issue is also no small concern, and there is not a good reason to multiply the odds for getting it.
Jeff Couch runs Greene Valley often, and so maybe, as I get in shape enough and able to keep up with him, we'll hit the course for a few laps.
Chariots of Fire Movie Soundtrack: Moving, From Start to Finish
Chariots Of Fire
Moving, From Start to Finish
There is no wondering why Vangelis received an Oscar for his soundtrack to "Chariots Of Fire." It is infinitely superb, perfect for the movie, and perfect away from the movie. When I was road racing, I would listen to cut seven, also called "Chariots Of Fire," to prepare my mind for competition.
In the opening cut, "Titles," you can hear the tension of the sprint. Muscles flex with each note, and you'll feel the drive to finish first, to win. This is the song you heard in the early 80s, and, if you are lucky, still hear on soft jazz and easy listening stations.
"Five Circles" is misty-dewed mystical piece. Slowly paced synthesized winds will draw you into contemplation. Aptly named for the Olympic symbol, it has a power of lifelong dreams mixed with the imminence of the moment.
"Abraham's Theme" is a boldly sentimental, but not maudlin piece. The bells chime almost mournfully, with whale sounds piercing and overlaying through this achingly beautiful composition.
"Eric's Theme" is often played on the radio, but it never loses its message of grace. It preludes "Chariots of Fire"'s sheer intensity with its own persuasive pulse, with bass drums and cymbals beating, but not overwhelming.
"100 Meters" begins in a spacelike mysterium. It is filled with questions, and asks them as well as invites the listener to ask them. "For whom do I run?" the movie's theme, is musically weaved throughout.
Smoothly transitioning is the choral orchestration of "Jerusalem," answering the questions of "100 Meters." The sole work with words, it begins:
"And did those feet in ancient time/ Walk upon England's mountains green?/ And was the holy Lamb of God/ On England's pleasant pastures seen?"
This mighty songs brings a mighty decision:
"Bring me my spear: O clouds unfold!/ Bring me my chariot of fire!"
Finally is the majestic "Chariots of Fire," a 20:41 epic of undulated, unmatched passion for truth and God. A carefully fingered piano melody peacefully prepares the listener for the growing strength of this magnificent piece. Like Ravel's "Bolero," Vangelis increases the tempo, empowers the theme to be greater than the score. The piano notes dance, bringing in elements from the other cuts, until we go from a walk to a run.
For the runners who've been there, it is much akin to an early morning autumn long run, when you feel great, and in that groove. The pace drops mildly as you relax and enjoy the freshness of the run, but the final few miles are ahead. Like the speed-playing fartlek, it never monotonous.
Quickening, we can feel the runner sweat, excited about the last 50 meters. In a glorious finish, we are given an enthusiastic, marvelous crossing of the last step in a rested, satisfied way.
I fully recommend "Chariots Of Fire" by Vangelis.
Anthony Trendl
-------------
Amazon.com essential recording
Most everyone is familiar with the romantic piano-and-synthesizer washes of the surprise instrumental hit "Titles (Main Theme)" from this 1981 film soundtrack. What is surprising is there's a lot more going on with this score. Greek keyboardist/composer had been recording albums for years before this soundtrack catapulted him into fame. He'd even been asked to join the prog rock band Yes at one point. He was wise to pass on the offer. Here you can hear the breadth of his talent at creating dreamy moods with synthesizers and classically inspired backdrops. Some of this music, however, doesn't quite hold its own without the visuals. Anyone looking for a stronger, more rock-like record by Vangelis should pick up Albedo 0.39. --Larry Crane
Amazon.com
One of the most memorable soundtracks of all time, Vangelis's Academy Award-winning Chariots of Fire is such a landmark, it's become the stuff of parody whenever someone wants to punch a hole through sloppy sentimentality. But just go back to this 1981 film to relive a perfect marriage of image and music. Vangelis captures the heroism, grandeur, and pain of this racing drama, from the opulent main "Titles" theme with its echoing snare drum and piano cadences to the electronically abstract setting of Sir Charles H.H. Parry's choral work, "Jerusalem." Vangelis's score hangs suspended between orchestral lushness and electronic mood, sweetness tempered by the underlying psychological themes of the film. Often forgotten on this album is the extemporaneous title suite that, in the days of LPs, took up the second side of the album. Here, Vangelis explores some of the film's music cues at length, weaving them into a minor keyboard symphony. --John Diliberto
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Tough Workout - Felt Great
2 mile wu
4x200(100)[400]
4x250(150)[400]
4x250(150)[400]
3x250(150)
600 wd
Total: 6.28125 miles
74°F
Clear
Wind: E at 6 mph
Humidity: 68%
course: Wheaton College track
Felt good all around. John Grebe wasn't there, so I missed my training buddy. This left stranded when Brad, Gary and Margaret's group pulled out of my reach. Hit 200s around 40-45, and some 250s in 51. I held back, not sure what is a good pace for me still. I don't want to burn out.
Weather was better. I'm at a sleep deficit after being up most of last night for no good reason, so that must have slowed me down.
Cooler, kinder weather made the evening workout nicer. I'm looking forward to September-early October.
4x200(100)[400]
4x250(150)[400]
4x250(150)[400]
3x250(150)
600 wd
Total: 6.28125 miles
74°F
Clear
Wind: E at 6 mph
Humidity: 68%
course: Wheaton College track
Felt good all around. John Grebe wasn't there, so I missed my training buddy. This left stranded when Brad, Gary and Margaret's group pulled out of my reach. Hit 200s around 40-45, and some 250s in 51. I held back, not sure what is a good pace for me still. I don't want to burn out.
Weather was better. I'm at a sleep deficit after being up most of last night for no good reason, so that must have slowed me down.
Cooler, kinder weather made the evening workout nicer. I'm looking forward to September-early October.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Dreaming the Possible Dream - Beyond 20:00
"The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win."--Roger Bannister
As my goal is to run under 20:00 for 3.1 miles, weight will be an important factor. I'm making good progress toward my goal, but I think if I drop that bulge around my gut, I should achieve it and then some.
Achieving a goal like hitting an arbitrary time should not be a stopping point. It isn't an absolute goal, like "I want to become president of the United States," or "I want to visit Australia." Those kinds of goals are over once achieved. Running and time are different. I don't believe when Sir Roger Bannister broke the impossible 4:00 mile barrier he concluded, "Got that done, check, I'm through." Nope. He went on to race (and crush) John Landy in "The Miracle Mile."
Weight Loss & Speed
Stepped up on the scale this morning. 130.0. Is it a real weight, or some funky scale issue? No way to know unless I stick there for a while before going lower. Either way, one way or another, I need to, and will lose that weight.
So I lose 10 lbs. Maybe 15. Runner's World Magazine recently explained a formula that suggested if I lose 10 lbs, I'd run 62 seconds faster in a 5K. That would take my 22:21 to 21:19. Get me 15 lbs lighter, and I'm 93 seconds faster, or, at 20:48.
Since training, not dieting, is my method of weight loss, and, unlike the article's research subjects of experienced runners, I'm not fully fit, I'm not sure if, or how this applies. To get to 120-125 lbs, I will have to run at least 350 more miles (10 lbs @ 35 miles/lb) or 525 miles (15 lbs @ 35 miles/lb), and likely much more. I'll wager that I need 1,000 more miles, in fact, to get in that neighborhood. That will take nine months, to around May 15, 2008.
I don't know what I think about that. I could stand to lose the weight, there's no doubt about it. You see me, and you might say I'm hardly out of shape. That depends on your definition of fitness. An unnecessary, removable gut is not evidence of fitness. But with 10 lbs gone, for me, it will not be the same as a 200 lb guy losing that weight. If I'm at 135, 10 lbs off will mean a 7.4% weight drop. The 200 lb guy loses just 5%. Which kind of person did Runners World look at? I don't remember. Most runners are a lighter lot, so I'll guess I'm closer to their norm than the 200-pounder, but I don't know.
I do know, and expect, to run faster with real weight loss.
Dreaming of Speed
I am beginning to wonder what is a good goal after I hit 19:59.9. I looked up some of my old training partners from high school and see some are still running some very decent times. I never ran in college like most of them did, so I missed lots of training and good experience.
Can I catch up?
Am I too far out of it to run fast again? Might be. While I concede I might not see certain times had I been running all these years, I might still have something in the tank? I'm wondering, after seeing that my old pals, my age, are still running well, could I run under 18:00? That might take time, and I'm not ready to say it is possible, but I'm wondering.
What 18:00 Looks Like
Breaking down an 18:00 5K, I'll need to race at a 5:48 pace. That's a minute faster than my fastest mile at the moment. That's also faster, sad to say, than what I generally run a 400 meter interval in.
The 5:48 is a pace time. Races are not run at perfectly balanced paces. I need to find, within the race context, a 5:30. That's a big 18 seconds. I think I need some speed, too, like the capacity to run a 2:30 800, and 75 400.
I need to be able to kick out the poor chap next to me who thinks he will beat me. That will take some strong 50 and 100 meter speed, or, for the more aggressive runner, 200 meters. My current 200s at :45 won't do the deed. I need to get to something around, or better than, :35 to get that job done.
These are real times. These aren't just "Tony got himself into shape and is running a few road races each summer," times. These mean not just weight loss, a few long runs, a little speedwork on Thursdays, and I'm there. This means sitting down with Jim, and go from his once-a-week track workout to a full week program. That's a minor cash investment, but a big time investment.
And pain. Aches. Advil.
And... the beginning of thinking about a marathon. The marathon. First, Chicago, then Boston. Because.
First things first. A 20:00 5K. Weight loss. Consistent, injury-free training.
Success is never accidental.
Read Roger Bannister's story about his running life.
The Four-Minute Mile, Fiftieth-Anniversary Edition
The Four-Minute Mile, Fiftieth-Anniversary Edition
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
4.8 miles - 41:38 - running and walking
4.8 miles - 41:38
total: 4.8 miles
84°F
Mostly Cloudy
Wind: W at 7 mph
Humidity: 67%
course: Illinois Prairie Path
Rich, Lee and Brad. Our pace lingered around 8:41/mile, though was broken up by a few stoplight breaks. Although I think I sweat off a few pounds of water in a surprisingly difficult run, it was a nice follow-up to last night's hard treadmill run.
It was a hot, humid run. Burned over 500 calories, offset by the Gatorade afterwards (150 calories), seven pot stickers and three hot dogs for dinner. How many calories? I'm no calorie counter, not like donut eater (or was it the forbidden fruit?) David Dane.
Incidentally, Lee (an experienced Ironman) tells me for a treadmill run to be similar to an outside run, it must be set to a 1.5% incline.
total: 4.8 miles
84°F
Mostly Cloudy
Wind: W at 7 mph
Humidity: 67%
course: Illinois Prairie Path
Rich, Lee and Brad. Our pace lingered around 8:41/mile, though was broken up by a few stoplight breaks. Although I think I sweat off a few pounds of water in a surprisingly difficult run, it was a nice follow-up to last night's hard treadmill run.
It was a hot, humid run. Burned over 500 calories, offset by the Gatorade afterwards (150 calories), seven pot stickers and three hot dogs for dinner. How many calories? I'm no calorie counter, not like donut eater (or was it the forbidden fruit?) David Dane.
Incidentally, Lee (an experienced Ironman) tells me for a treadmill run to be similar to an outside run, it must be set to a 1.5% incline.
Coffee and the Morning News
Mornin'
22:21. That's a nice number for today.
I'm sipping a fine tasting cup of coffee this morning. The label says "coffee" but the flavor is "PR."
Yesterday, at the Wheaton Rec Center, I hopped on the treadmill, ran a 10:00 mile warm up, then cranked it up to 6:58 pace. Lasted just a mile, but held on to finish in 22:21. Previous best was a roadrace 5K in 23:13.
Mathematically, it fits snugly into where I need to be if September 30 is my 'deadline'. Sept 30 is just a date, and I'm thinking to run 20:00 by then, I should be farther along, ahead of the trend. Dropping time will be tougher as I get closer, so averaging time:days might not work as easily as it does on paper.
How to compare treadmill conditions to road conditions is beyond me.
Actual
15-Mar 31.33333
22-Mar 30.1667
27-Mar 28.5
6-May 27.9
11-May 27.0833
21-May 26.55
30-May 25.3667
2-Jun 25.2
25-Jul 23.2167
Trend Required
31-Jul 23.00
5-Aug 22.75
11-Aug 22.5
13-Aug 22.35
16-Aug 22.25
21-Aug 22.00
26-Aug 21.75
1-Sep 21.5
7-Sep 21.25
14-Sep 21.00
18-Sep 20.75
21-Sep 20.5
25-Sep 20.25
30-Sep 19.9999
My calves and thighs ache, but I'll live. I'm hoping to run 4.8 miles with Rich and Lee and company this evening at a relatively easier pace (though these have been harder runs)
All I need to do is drop :45.48 a mile over 3.1 miles. That's all. This will mean three miles faster each than I have run one mile in a long, long time. I need to go from being intimidated by this to visualizing its reality.
I'm not sure how much of all right now is physical, and how much is mental. Long runs are still very demanding, as I am having trouble sustaining a sub-9:00 pace for anything over 5 miles. Physical issues remain - weight, aerobic fitness, pure speed. Mental issues might include relaxing (part physical), being confident in my pace, patience, and believing that I can sustain a pace longer than I presently do.
22:21. That's a nice number for today.
I'm sipping a fine tasting cup of coffee this morning. The label says "coffee" but the flavor is "PR."
Yesterday, at the Wheaton Rec Center, I hopped on the treadmill, ran a 10:00 mile warm up, then cranked it up to 6:58 pace. Lasted just a mile, but held on to finish in 22:21. Previous best was a roadrace 5K in 23:13.
Mathematically, it fits snugly into where I need to be if September 30 is my 'deadline'. Sept 30 is just a date, and I'm thinking to run 20:00 by then, I should be farther along, ahead of the trend. Dropping time will be tougher as I get closer, so averaging time:days might not work as easily as it does on paper.
How to compare treadmill conditions to road conditions is beyond me.
- Known strengths of a treadmill include constant pace, the treadmill moves for me, no hills, no rain or wind, always have a drink ready to go, always know my time and distance.
- Known weaknesses: no race adrenaline, no psychological chasing anyone (letting the guy in front pull me, so to speak), no finish line, not able to throw water over my head.
Actual
15-Mar 31.33333
22-Mar 30.1667
27-Mar 28.5
6-May 27.9
11-May 27.0833
21-May 26.55
30-May 25.3667
2-Jun 25.2
25-Jul 23.2167
Trend Required
31-Jul 23.00
5-Aug 22.75
11-Aug 22.5
13-Aug 22.35
16-Aug 22.25
21-Aug 22.00
26-Aug 21.75
1-Sep 21.5
7-Sep 21.25
14-Sep 21.00
18-Sep 20.75
21-Sep 20.5
25-Sep 20.25
30-Sep 19.9999
My calves and thighs ache, but I'll live. I'm hoping to run 4.8 miles with Rich and Lee and company this evening at a relatively easier pace (though these have been harder runs)
All I need to do is drop :45.48 a mile over 3.1 miles. That's all. This will mean three miles faster each than I have run one mile in a long, long time. I need to go from being intimidated by this to visualizing its reality.
I'm not sure how much of all right now is physical, and how much is mental. Long runs are still very demanding, as I am having trouble sustaining a sub-9:00 pace for anything over 5 miles. Physical issues remain - weight, aerobic fitness, pure speed. Mental issues might include relaxing (part physical), being confident in my pace, patience, and believing that I can sustain a pace longer than I presently do.
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