Stiff But Faster 4.5 Miles

4.5 miles run (39:05 - 8:41/mile)

0.5 miles walk (15:00/mile)

total: 5.0 miles

course: home treadmill

I'm hungry. A plate of Hungarian goulash would hit the spot, but it is 10:00 pm as I write. Instead, I had a tangerine, two cups of sugarless lemonade, and a protein bar. No, it doesn't make up for it.

I'm in this partly to get fit, and that goulash will wait. There's none in the fridge, so that helps. I'm seeing minor progress in the fitness department, but not enough to say things have settled. A few pounds. A couple big meals and I'll gain it all back.

My legs feel stiff. The last few days, and the week before, have been more and faster than I have been doing. I know I need to just keeping getting down to business and putting in a few miles and watching the quanity on my plate and the rest will follow.

I love Johnny Cash. The song has nothing to do with running, except that I'm listening to it as I write. Still gets me, this song.

Don't Take Your Guns to Town - Johnny Cash

Red Bandana: Lost and Found: Subway's Jared Fogle and Us

Read this week's column too! Do Not Run and Play Air Guitar & "Run to Overcome" by Marathoner Meb Keflezighi Reviewed

Do you remember Jared Fogle? He is the guy who lost 245 pounds by eating Subway sandwiches. Losing that kind of weight is amazing and inspiring. That he ate at Subway, while true and great marketing for the sandwich chain, is only part of the story. The real reason he lost weight is that he disciplined his portions, and chose carefully what was in those portions.

What has happened since? He gained 40 lbs., and, apparently, relost it, according to Advertising Age. Better yet, Subway, realizing the opportunity before them, signed poor Jared up for the New York Marathon. They matched him up with Olympic gold medalist swimmer Michael Phelps, for NFL (New York Giants) defensive end Michael Strahan, and, the winner of last year's NYC Marathon Meb Keflezighi. Good company, to be sure, but 26.2 miles is just as long for famous people as it is for we unknowns.

Jared, if successful in finishing the race, will not only weigh less, but by merit of the hundreds of miles he ran in his training, he will be fitter. That is worth a footlong meatball sandwich with extra cheese, in my opinion.

So what if Jared fell off the wagon and gained a few pounds. A big deal? Not at all. Think long-term, and that includes refocusing on the goals at hand. Running head-first in a few too many cheeseburgers could happen to any of us. Success is what happens the next day, and the day after that.

Keep a Running Journal
Are you having trouble keeping yourself accountable? Keep track of what you are doing. This tool can help you remain encouraged as you look back over a few months and realize you are making progress.

A few years back, after a long layoff from running and plenty of fresh flab around my mid-section, I read in "Runner's World" the idea of a running blog. In 2007, I started one, "A Runner's Dilemma." That was 600 posts ago, through my ups and downs of trying to stick to getting fit. Others who in the same boat read it, and let me know how they are doing. It helps us both.

Most posts reflect that day's workout. How many miles I ran, walked, how fast I went, and the total, plus a comment about the run. If I run outside, I include the weather. Sometimes I include things impacting my running, like an inspirational quote or video. Mostly, it helps me watch my progress.

Similarly, try keeping a spreadsheet for each day. Mine is simple. It includes columns for my weight goal, my actual weight, my resting pulse rate, my miles run for the preceding seven days, how many miles I ran, and how many miles I walked. It keeps me honest.

I figure the goal weight by looking at how many pounds I want to lose compared to what day I want to weigh in. In the downloadable chart I have included on my website, I assume you want to lose 10 lbs by Valentine's Day. You have 107 days to get the job done, and I average it all out through a formula. You can change all of it to suit your own situation and goals.

Running Playlist Song of the Week
"Bad to the Bone" by George Thorogood and the Destroyers, 1982

I'm a car singer. When it is just me, I turn it up and sing at the top of my lungs. This one brings out my inner blues man. As a running song, it carries a strong tempo, a hard beat, and twice the attitude found in anything Katy Perry sings.

"On the day I was born, the nurses all gathered 'round.
And they gazed in wide wonder, at the joy they had found.
The head nurse spoke up, and she said leave this one alone.
She could tell right away, that I was bad to the bone.
Bad to the bone
Bad to the bone
B-B-B-B-Bad to the bone
B-B-B-B-Bad
B-B-B-B-Bad
Bad to the bone."

——————-
Writer Anthony Trendl loves BBQs, folk music and porches. He looks to running as he battles midlife and his mid-section. Find out more: http://anthonytrendl.com/

For more about my running adventures, see A Runner’s Dilemma (workout details, videos and more): http://runnersdilemma.blogspot.com/

The Red Bandana: Finding Fitness Through the Joy of Running

More on Jared Fogle's Marathon Journey
http://www.subwayfreshbuzz.com/jareds_journey
http://adage.com/article?article_id=142076

Toying Around With 5.25 Miles

5.253 miles run (45:53 - 8:44/mile)
0.509 miles walk (15:00/mile)

total: 5.762 miles
course: home treadmill

One of those good runs, the day after one of those good runs. That's two good runs in a row, though I am still shooting for one good month in a row. A month is made up of a 31-day string of such days, with proper rest days interspersed. I'm getting enough rest and more.

My last 31 days, including today, is 50.7 miles. 71.42 if I can count the walking days. And I will. But I know running and walking aren't the same.

Just noticed Toy Story 3 is out. Have you seen it? Once again, it is about the spirit of play. A good run, at least at my level, is all play. Singing while I run, thinking about good things, and looking forward to a protein bar and lemonade after the run. These things do taste better after five miles. Far better than they do after one mile.

Run to Overcome: An American Story of Marathoner Meb Keflezighi's Life

American marathoner Meb Keflezighi's last name is hard to say. Talk among runners, and mention, "Meb," and that's usually enough. "Run to Overcome" is likely to help it become a household name.

His claim to fame is his Silver Medal for the marathon, won at the 2004 Olympics, or his 2:09:15 time while winning the 2009 New York City Marathon. But that's not why this book matters. Other runners have run faster. Haile Gebrselassie owns the world record in 2:03:59. Cheering on Meb comes easier once you know the back story. In the midst of being all about a runner's life, it isn't about running. It is a Horatio Alger type story of rags-to-riches, full of hard times, hard work, and the blessing of God.

Like many immigrants, Meb's family left home to remain safe from war, and to find a better life. And like those families, things were difficult. And in the face of adversity, he found motivation.

When Tyndale House Publishers sent me this book, asking for a review, I wondered suspiciously if it would be like so many autobiographies with a "look at all I have achieved" attitude. Better written than expected, Meb humbly relates his life. He takes us through his childhood in Eritrea, a country not quite twice the population of Chicago. He describes facing soldiers and war, and how he saw death as a young boy. He tells how his parents taught him to trust God despite all of this.

After emigrating through Italy to the United States, his his American teachers made an impact, he says, as he mentions a note he still owns from a teacher encouraging him as an excellent student. His seventh grade PE class teacher had him run a mile, and his first time out, Meb ran a 5:20.

Meb enters UCLA, relating running and academic struggles, though ultimately succeeds at both.

Challenges continued, however, after college. First, does represent America or his home country? Injuries. Bad races. Psychologically beat up, he learns to dig deep and beyond whatever froze him, train smart to stay healthy, and find a way to win.

He admits when he ran one televised 10,0000 meter final, his girlfriend would be watching, "I wanted to impress her." He won by 19 seconds. He eventually marries her.

More races, more ups and down are found as Meb matures in his running career. His beloved friend Ryan Shay dies while racing. Eritrean friends are murdered just before he visits them. A grocery store he owned with his family was robbed by armed thieves. His racing doesn't go well, and his income drops. His faith grew just the same.

He applauds the many people he competes against, and recognizes his friends. Throughout the pages are pullout quotes by coaches, friends and runners who all repeat the quality of his character. Olympic legend Joan Benoit writes similarly in her brief foreword, reiterating it is an honor to call Meb her friend.

Overall, "Run to Overcome" is honest and inspiring. Runners will appreciate the race and training details, but nonrunners will find it readable. I fully recommend "Run to Overcome" by Meb Keflezighi.

Anthony Trendl

Sweating, Books and 5.0 Miles

5.000 miles (8:57, 8:57, 8:57, 8:34, 8:17)
0.506 miles (15:00/mile)

total: 5.506 miles
course: home treadmill


Fun, good sweat tonight. I thought about getting through the winter fitter than I am now. I am overall feeling better, knowing if I stick with it, each month will feel successively better.
 
After a good run, and this is odd to say, but my mind is more relaxed. Any of you who know me know I am working eight cylinders at once, distracted, curious, chasing ideas and so on. I happen to also love to read, and, after a run like to tonight, I can read with focus.
 
Reading at the moment includes Higdon's Marathoning book, and some bios about the presidents. Anyone remember those booklets John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance published in 1976? I have a small stack.

The Third of Three Days - 7.1 Miles

7.1 miles run (9:31/mile) 1.0 miles walked (15:00/mile)

total: 8.1 miles
course: home treadmill

I'm sleepy. What does this have to do with a long run? No idea.

A good, long run, and the longest run since January. My legs are tired, as this, though slowly ran, was the third consecutive day.

I have been reading Hal Higdon's book, Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide, hoping that I continue this running spell through April so as to begin marathon training. I say that a lot, don't I?

You saw my earlier post about what I listening to as I ran. It helped keep me accountable to the run and my mind off the clock. I strutted. I ran. I played air guitar. That helped me get it done.

Also, as you can see from the music below, I have included an intentional list of music to warm down to. These are laid-back songs, softer melodies, that help calm me as I walk. Admittedly, I have no figured out what works well, so your suggestions are coveted.

• Childhood And Manhood Cinema Paradiso Ennio Morricone
• Gabriel's Oboe The Mission Ennio Morricone
• Satie: Le Piège De Méduse Satie: Complete Piano Works [Disc 3] Aldo Ciccolini
• Morning from "Peer Gynt" Clásicos London Symphony Orchestra/Philip Gibson
• Chopin: Etude #12 In C Minor, Op. 10/12, CT 25, "Revolutionary" `Pavel Egorov

I'm Not Dead Yet, So Please Hold the Funeral Music

Don't listen to Chopin Piano Sonata #2 In B Flat Minor, Op. 35, B 128, Funeral March while making running playlist. It is, as one might expect of the appropriately titled "Funeral March," not uplifting.

I was sorting through my iTunes music to pick something for today, and apparently clicked on the Chopin piece while looking for my warmdown music (see the picture, at the end). Nice music, but I need something perkier! I'm not dead yet.

What's not on here? Taylor Swift's Speak Now.

Pizza Pizza Thoughts Over 4.1 Miles

4.100 miles (8:57/mile)
0.903 miles walked (15:000/mile)

total: 5.003 miles
course: home treadmill

Running before dinner does a few things. 1) Burns off excess energy floating around in my blood; 2) Makes me hungry; 3) See #2.

Old Stone Oven 4467
14-Inch by 16-Inch Baking Stone

So now, I am killing 20:00 while Rosati's Pizza preps my sausage pizza. My five miles or so of bipedular motion is going to disappear in a few slices. Or, at least the related calories will be returned. The cardio benefit remains.

What can I do? I am hungry. I like pizza. Simple enough equation resolved with a phone call, a credit card, and a buck off coupon from their website.

(Note the following in case you need some larnin': Matching Matching Pop With Sausage Pizza: Pepsi is the Best Choice)

Readers of today's Triblocal piece might be looking for this -- Daily Running Log (Excel 2007 - xlsx)

Speaking of food, ever try these things? Delicious! Pogácsa (Hungarian Scones or Biscuits). Easy, international, great with butter.

The Red Bandana: An Argument for Walking

The view down my street while on a walk.
Photo: Anthony Trendl

 Be sure to read the current column: Lost and Found: Subway's Jared Fogle and Us

I love running. I identify myself as a runner, read running magazines and websites, and love running culture. However, there is more than one way a biped like me can get fit: walking.

Why walk? Walking, for all intents and purposes, burns as many calories per mile as a 5:00 mile. That isn't perfectly accurate, but close enough for my point.

I am slowly finding my way into fitness. Still, to run faster, I need to drop fat. My left calf the other day, after a lovely seven mile run, reminded me to be smart. Too much, too soon left me with one aching calf muscle. I need to keep walking as part of my workout.

Is walking a workout? Not in the pure aerobic sense, but in that I walked, have I burned a few calories? You bet. 423 calories equals a portion of a favorite lunch (Sloppy Joes – three of them). That means, in practical terms, the buns, 100 calories each, made no impact other than whatever vitamins and minerals they may have. The meat? I'm not sure what it was worth, but, I ate 123 calories worth free of charge.

I walk often to finish off a run, or just a mile up and around the neighborhood. Saturday morning garage sales are a great excuse to tour the 'hood, and sneak in a little exercise. You can meet that good looking single executive who just moved in, or giggle at the things people bothered to buy on vacation (who needs a mug that says, "I've been to the Gene Leahy Mall in Omaha, Nebraska?")

Just as we all can nickel and dime ourselves into being overweight, we can also reverse the process. A mile here, a mile there, and the next thing you know, you have gone 30 miles, or, in more useful terms, lost one pound.

To be careful, of course, I must not pretend to be a dietician and suggest Sloppy Joes are good for you. Fitness is not merely losing weight by burning calories, carbs and so forth, but it is about a fully healthy, fit body.

Sloppy Joes (at least the way I make them) are loaded with fat, sugar, carbs, salt and probably other things that quickly fall into the "too much of a good thing" category. It is no great dietary decision that I wash them down with fresh lemonade. And before you pipe up to announce, "But lemons are a fruit!" let me tell you I compensate for whatever benefit lemon juice has with loads of sugar.

In my defense, I might have green beans with them, but that's like saying the cherry on top of a hot fudge sundae makes it good for me.

In other words, get out there walking, buy some kitschy, used, souvenirs, and enjoy the people in your neighborhood.

Running Song of the Week
Lipps, Inc. had a hit with this in 1980. In lacks depth and musical complexity. It makes no social statements, mad as a love song, few songs are weaker. And yet, it works. A catchy guitar riff, a repeating chorus will suck you into a good groove as you strut through around town, getting fit and getting funky.

Gotta make a move to a town that's right for me,
Town to get me movin'
Keep me groovin' with some
energy.

——————-
Writer Anthony Trendl loves BBQs, folk music and porches. He looks to running as he battles midlife and his mid-section. Find out more at http://anthonytrendl.com/The_Red_Bandana.html

For more about my running adventures, see A Runner’s Dilemma (workout details, videos and more): http://runnersdilemma.blogspot.com/

The Red Bandana: Finding Fitness Through the Joy of Running

Thinking About Carrots - 5 Miles

5.00 miles (44:45 - 8:57/mile)
0.501 miles (7:30/mile)

total: 5.501 miles
course: home treadmill
I was hungry before I ran. Maybe that helped me feel lighter? At any rate, it was a good run.

I thought about my old college friend Kipp Trummel, my age, trying to run a PR of sorts in a 5K this Saturday. He's setting 21:30 as his goal, five seconds ahead of my own middle-aged PR. Kipp doesn't need my time as carrot. He didn't know it when he decided his time, and he has enough drive to get it done. If his fitness is there, his will is strong enough.

What about your goals?

Note: Kipp ran a 21:33, 68 seconds ahead of his previous best. Well-done old man!

Game Hens the Prize After 3.0 Miles

3.00 miles (25:00 - 8:20/mile)
1.30 miles (15:00/mile)

total: 4.30 miles
course: home treadmill

A quick Sunday morning run. Skipped church, slept a little later. Guests coming for lunch (rotisserie game hens with herb butter), so I needed to be fresh, with a clean place and food prep done before they arrive. And, I would need to post the wonders of my little run here. 

Felt good, my stride was easy to be found, but I also remembered last Saturday's run. My calf hurt most of the week, so I rested. Let your body tell you what its limits are. I am hoping my body was OK with today's run.

In the NewsMy most recent Red Bandana column, based off an old post about walking, was promoted as a lead story in several Chicago suburbs' local editions. See http://triblocal.com/members/anthonytrendl

About GrillingMy love for grilling is not a hidden secret. My abilities are sheer backyard, but I love to stoke the fire whenever possible. A favorite cookbook for this is Steve Raichlen's How to Grill: The Complete Illustrated Book of Barbecue Techniques 

The Red Bandana: DeStressing Through a Long Saturday Run

(See my current article: The Red Bandana: An Argument for Walking)

Have you ever been where no one is? A mile in front of you, and a mile behind, there is no one? Just you, maybe a few starlings, and the wind?

Imagine a long week at work. The boss was getting down on you because she found a typo in your report. An accident on I-290 added an hour to your day's commute. A client was playing games with an invoice, and is over 30 days late. And someone stole your lunch from the company fridge. That was just Monday morning. Through the rest of the week, things just went from "Ugh," to "Argh!"

You have got the blues. You can feel it. Your neck is tight. Your legs feel stiff from sitting in a cubicle. You sense a kind of anger even when there is nothing to bother you. There's dinner tonight with neighbors, but a few laughs with good friends won't suffice. In fact, you've grown weary of people. But this is Friday. Tomorrow's Saturday.

On Saturday morning, the alarm buzzes when things are still dark. The sun peaks up. It is almost warm at 41° F. The cup of coffee was good and now it is time. You head to Herrick Lake in Warrenville, or to Springbrook Prairie in Naperville. The marathon was last week, and besides, they were training on the Illinois Prairie Path. Not today. The parking lot is empty.

You're laced up, wearing shorts, a long-sleeved t-shirt, and of course, a red bandana, you align yourself with what will be the next hour. The mile marker pole says '0' and someone scratched a line in the crushed white limestone. This is no race, however. No other runners are standing aside you, and you see none in any direction: not this way, not that. Just you and those starlings. Or are those robins? It doesn't matter.

An adventure is ahead. Things will hurt. A heel, a calf, a thigh. Or maybe, you will just be tired. The last three miles will be a struggle, especially with that long slope. Still, you remember what George Sheehan once said, "Happiness is different from pleasure. Happiness has something to do with struggling and enduring and accomplishing." It will be worth it.

No starter's gun compels you to begin, you take the first step, and the next. It will be a mile before you find your rhythm. You aren't running to enjoy the first mile, but to soak in the following six. Those are why you are hear at the cusp of dawn. You know, away from work, away from people, this is your solace.

Running Song of the Week
On Broadway by George Benson, 1978

A man has a dream to play his guitar professionally. He has the skills, but it is a difficult road. Defiant, he will not be deterred or discouraged. Run today with this same passion, whether you are losing weight, or thinking about a marathon.

"They say that I won't last too long on Broadway
I'll catch a grey hound bus for home they all say
But they're dead wrong I know they are
'Cause I can play this here guitar
And I won't quit till I'm a star on Broadway."

——————-
Writer Anthony Trendl loves BBQs, folk music and porches. Recently divorced from his couch, he looks to running as he battles midlife and his mid-section. Find out more at http://anthonytrendl.com/The_Red_Bandana.html

For more about my running adventures, see A Runner’s Dilemma (workout details, videos and more): http://runnersdilemma.blogspot.com/

The Red Bandana: Finding Fitness Through the Joy of Running

Chicago Marathon 2010 Leaders Just Before Mile Three

Chicago Marathon 2010 Leaders Just Before Mile Three

My view of the leaders at the beginning of the race.

Slowly Hyperactive in 7.0 mile-run

7.00 miles (64:36 - 9:13/mile)

0.50 miles (7:30 - 15:00/mile) 

total: 7.50

course: home treadmill

I mentioned here about the beauty and wonder of a long solo Saturday run in a prairie trail. I wrote that night with hopes of doing exactly that this morning. Didn't happen. A half hour after publishing the article I was asleep. I posted it at 5:46 pm, and by 6:15 Friday night, I was gone. Felt nauseous, headachy, with no particularly cause. And I slept. And slept.

At a few minutes after 8:00 am this morning, I woke up. Do the math -- I got some serious shut eye. No early morning run. Too much to do in the late morning.

So the day went on. Off to the outlet mall to pick up some clothes, and then, this afternoon's run. Would I feel better? Yes. Completely.

As my mileage for the day would be the highest since January, I needed to not get stupid about speed. Better I run longer and slower than faster and shorter.

The tune du jour? Thomas Dolby's Hyperactive!

Off now I am to my high school's 25th year reunion at a bar in Crestwood, IL. With the new clothes, a good night's rest, and a nice run, I might not feel as old as I am.