Friday, August 7, 2009
One Step Closer
Yesterday I ran in the last in FARC's summer series of Cross Country Runs. I got 27:10 in that particular 5K. I am getting closer to my goal of 24. 3 minutes, while large is a long time but I still think that I will be able to get there. My next race will be the 10 miler the day before school starts, So I guess that I should sign up soon.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
My goals
I have been thinking for a long time about my goals. While I have written about some of my goals before, I have mainly been running for a couple of reasons. The main reason is for general health. My most recent attainable goal was to run in the Stonewall Jackson 20 Miler this fall. But recently I have figured out all of my goals. There are quite a few. I believe that I can attain each one.
First, as a high school student I ran track for one year, I was a distance runner, I ran the mile and the 2 mile. My best time in the mile was 5:32. I think now, nearly 20 years after high school, I have both the discipline and the desire to beat that time. Granted speed work is not something that I am interested in but I think that I will get that one.
Second, I want to as I have said run in the Stonewall Jackson 20 miler, for reasons previously alluded to in earlier posts.
Third, during high school I was a Cross Country runner. Again, I have never been fast and I don't even remember what my time was in high school. So right now my goal is 24 min for a 5K.
Fourth, I would like to say one time that I finished a marathon. So I will sign up for the Richmond Marathon and run in it.
Last, I have a super secret goal but I am keeping that one under my hat for the time being. Only because I want to see if I get 2 and 4 this year.
I will update as each one gets either closer or is completed.
First, as a high school student I ran track for one year, I was a distance runner, I ran the mile and the 2 mile. My best time in the mile was 5:32. I think now, nearly 20 years after high school, I have both the discipline and the desire to beat that time. Granted speed work is not something that I am interested in but I think that I will get that one.
Second, I want to as I have said run in the Stonewall Jackson 20 miler, for reasons previously alluded to in earlier posts.
Third, during high school I was a Cross Country runner. Again, I have never been fast and I don't even remember what my time was in high school. So right now my goal is 24 min for a 5K.
Fourth, I would like to say one time that I finished a marathon. So I will sign up for the Richmond Marathon and run in it.
Last, I have a super secret goal but I am keeping that one under my hat for the time being. Only because I want to see if I get 2 and 4 this year.
I will update as each one gets either closer or is completed.
Arbitrary Goals
First of all it is important for one to have a goal. In my case, I want to run in the Stonewall Jackson 20 Miler. For some reason, that one has spoken to me ever since I heard about it 5 years ago. I didn't know if I could run 2o miles. Now, I am fairly certain that I can do it.
But one thing that I found distracting is this Nike Plus goal. I set the bar pretty high, that I would complete 100 miles. I like the way that it records the miles that I have run. It has always been important to me to know how far I have run. So much so that I have often driven the exact course that I ran in order to determine how far I had gone, on a particular day. When I looked at how far I had run, I wanted to complete the 100 mile goal so much that I had run 95 miles as of last Friday. I thought I can certainly run 5 more miles to reach 100 on Saturday. However, due to the long run the day before, I was sore. I didn't run Saturday or Sunday. I was becoming upset that I was not going to reach my goal. Well, in the end it took two days instead of the one to reach my goal. Regardless, I reached my goal. It may not have been on the day that my head said that I was supposed to but the day my body said OK. Of course I am now past it, and on my way the next goal. I want to see how long it takes me to run 200 miles. It took 20 runs to get to the 100 mile mark.
But one thing that I found distracting is this Nike Plus goal. I set the bar pretty high, that I would complete 100 miles. I like the way that it records the miles that I have run. It has always been important to me to know how far I have run. So much so that I have often driven the exact course that I ran in order to determine how far I had gone, on a particular day. When I looked at how far I had run, I wanted to complete the 100 mile goal so much that I had run 95 miles as of last Friday. I thought I can certainly run 5 more miles to reach 100 on Saturday. However, due to the long run the day before, I was sore. I didn't run Saturday or Sunday. I was becoming upset that I was not going to reach my goal. Well, in the end it took two days instead of the one to reach my goal. Regardless, I reached my goal. It may not have been on the day that my head said that I was supposed to but the day my body said OK. Of course I am now past it, and on my way the next goal. I want to see how long it takes me to run 200 miles. It took 20 runs to get to the 100 mile mark.
Rebound Part 2
Yesterday. I was nervous about running again. Even though I ran nearly 3 miles, to me that is not sufficient. I want to be able to run 6 or 7 miles without even thinking. With my goal of running the Spotsy 20 Miler, I feel that I need to be able to do this and I believe that I will be able to successfully complete the race. So I wanted to be able to get at least 4 miles yesterday. Now I know that even with an injury which I am still slowly working through, I know that I absolutely have to cut down on mileage. Also, I know that I have to stretch more, which I am doing.
So I got out there and started running in Fredericksburg National battlefield. I have run there a bunch of times. I went there yesterday because I needed to be in a little bit of shade because it is summer here and pretty hot. So I started my run and then I found a path that I had been on before. Usually I can't see the path as well but yesterday I followed it through, it was so much fun. Not only did I find myself running longer, but also I found myself running faster. I was concentrating on my form as well. Man was it fun. When I got out off the path I headed back to my car and I threw in the towel at 6 miles. I had to stop to walk for the last half mile but I was completely happy with a six miler. I got in the car all sweaty and tired and happy. It was a good day. Another good run. I got home, stretched again and slept.
So I got out there and started running in Fredericksburg National battlefield. I have run there a bunch of times. I went there yesterday because I needed to be in a little bit of shade because it is summer here and pretty hot. So I started my run and then I found a path that I had been on before. Usually I can't see the path as well but yesterday I followed it through, it was so much fun. Not only did I find myself running longer, but also I found myself running faster. I was concentrating on my form as well. Man was it fun. When I got out off the path I headed back to my car and I threw in the towel at 6 miles. I had to stop to walk for the last half mile but I was completely happy with a six miler. I got in the car all sweaty and tired and happy. It was a good day. Another good run. I got home, stretched again and slept.
Rebound Part 1
Well, I really was nervous about getting back on the horse. I was worried if the King of All Personal Setbacks would affect me again. I had a professional development class for teaching on Monday and I knew that I wanted to run again. I had packed my workout bag for a run. Then I got a call from my brother that he would be stopping by for a visit. He lives in PA and I live in beautiful Virginia. He had bought a boat and was transporting it up to PA from Florida. Since, I live 3 miles of I 95 he thought to stop by. It was a nice thing.
So I figured that he would arrive around 4:30 pm. At 3:30, I was at home and decided to go for a run. This was the first time I took my phone because I thought that he might catch me on my run. But I still had in the back of my mind that I wanted to reach that 100 miles mark on my Nike Plus. As I started, I realized that there was no way that I would be able to run 5 miles and get ready for my brother's visit. Well, I said that there was always tomorrow and I ran about 3 miles. This was good because my knee was still a little sore and I don't think that I should have done more.
So with the pressure with someone coming for a visit, I got back on the horse and ran again. I was pleased because I ran. My last major setback cost me months of running and setback my marathon goal by 2 years. It is easy not to run. It is hard to run when you're sore. I ran before my brother got there and there it was I was back on the horse. I felt good because I ran fast and it didn't hurt as much. I was back on the correct form and searching out he softest places to run. Thank goodness there is grass along the side of the roads in my neighborhood.
I finally got to visit with my brother and we hung out, he took his boat home and I had the rest of the night to bask in the glory of having been able to run again, even if it was not the 5 I had hoped for. There's always tomorrow.
So I figured that he would arrive around 4:30 pm. At 3:30, I was at home and decided to go for a run. This was the first time I took my phone because I thought that he might catch me on my run. But I still had in the back of my mind that I wanted to reach that 100 miles mark on my Nike Plus. As I started, I realized that there was no way that I would be able to run 5 miles and get ready for my brother's visit. Well, I said that there was always tomorrow and I ran about 3 miles. This was good because my knee was still a little sore and I don't think that I should have done more.
So with the pressure with someone coming for a visit, I got back on the horse and ran again. I was pleased because I ran. My last major setback cost me months of running and setback my marathon goal by 2 years. It is easy not to run. It is hard to run when you're sore. I ran before my brother got there and there it was I was back on the horse. I felt good because I ran fast and it didn't hurt as much. I was back on the correct form and searching out he softest places to run. Thank goodness there is grass along the side of the roads in my neighborhood.
I finally got to visit with my brother and we hung out, he took his boat home and I had the rest of the night to bask in the glory of having been able to run again, even if it was not the 5 I had hoped for. There's always tomorrow.
Days Off
Man after the long run, and the excessive heat of Virginia summers, I could not get my act together to run. Plus, being essentially a lazy man, I needed a day off. So I took off Saturday. I was OK with that one. Then Sunday rolled around. I had trouble getting out of bed. Thus the 10:30 wake up time. I normally drag myself out of bed around 5:30, or so.
Clearly I was tired. And of course this was the day that my knee really felt bad. So I waited and waited for my run. When I finally got ready to go for the run, I had another setback. Let me back of up a second. I as discussed in a previous post, I got the Nike Plus. Well, I found that one time while on the run if you hit it during your run the Nike plus will not log in some part of your run. So I lost about 3/4 of a mile of a run. I was mad, 3/4 of a mile on a 5 mile run is a lot. If it were a 20 mile run, I would not be so upset but this was important to have it logged.
Also, I was very close to having completed 100 miles since the purchase of my Nike Plus. This was a milestone for me and I wanted to run the last 5 miles to 100 on my Nike Plus. Then my Ipod stopped functioning. It froze up and I knew that I had to let it run itself out, and then recharge it. Well that entire process takes about 2 - 3 hours.
So back to Sunday. It was 6:00pm. So I hoped that I would be able to get my act together. It didn't pan out. It started getting dark, and I was getting discouraged, I didn't realize how important it was to me to be able to run. Read: Someone found a new drug. I threw in the towel when at 9:00 it was finally dark and there was no way that I would be able to run my entire 5 miles and subsequently didn't run at all.
There were a lot of thoughts running through my head. Will I be able to run again? Will I be able to run the Marathon? Is this going to the former setback again? (to be discussed in subsequent posts) Is my body built for long runs? This is how I felt on Sunday night.
Clearly I was tired. And of course this was the day that my knee really felt bad. So I waited and waited for my run. When I finally got ready to go for the run, I had another setback. Let me back of up a second. I as discussed in a previous post, I got the Nike Plus. Well, I found that one time while on the run if you hit it during your run the Nike plus will not log in some part of your run. So I lost about 3/4 of a mile of a run. I was mad, 3/4 of a mile on a 5 mile run is a lot. If it were a 20 mile run, I would not be so upset but this was important to have it logged.
Also, I was very close to having completed 100 miles since the purchase of my Nike Plus. This was a milestone for me and I wanted to run the last 5 miles to 100 on my Nike Plus. Then my Ipod stopped functioning. It froze up and I knew that I had to let it run itself out, and then recharge it. Well that entire process takes about 2 - 3 hours.
So back to Sunday. It was 6:00pm. So I hoped that I would be able to get my act together. It didn't pan out. It started getting dark, and I was getting discouraged, I didn't realize how important it was to me to be able to run. Read: Someone found a new drug. I threw in the towel when at 9:00 it was finally dark and there was no way that I would be able to run my entire 5 miles and subsequently didn't run at all.
There were a lot of thoughts running through my head. Will I be able to run again? Will I be able to run the Marathon? Is this going to the former setback again? (to be discussed in subsequent posts) Is my body built for long runs? This is how I felt on Sunday night.
The Long One
I have been working hard at increasing the length of my runs in hopes of running the Richmond Marathon. Because of other obligations I had to change the day of my long run last week. I ran 12 miles. I had wondered if I was able to accomplish it and of course I did. But it sure was a long one. I just about ran all the roads in my neighborhood.
There are a couple of things that I gleaned from this run. First, cotton is no longer my friend. I looked like wet myself. I was covered from head to toe in sweat at the conclusion of the run. I decided that I actually have to buy some nylon running clothes.
Second, I discovered that I will be able to complete the 20 miler this fall. Provided I suffer no injuries. My knee has been hurting me, and was hurting me at the conclusion of the run. So I have to remember to stretch, and strengthen my knees.
Third, this is probably the most important for me. I found that my form suffers the longer I run. It is not necessary how long I run but it revolves around how tired I am. I get lazier the longer I run. So I have to reassess and notice how my feet are landing and where my knees are in relation to the rest of my body.
There are a couple of things that I gleaned from this run. First, cotton is no longer my friend. I looked like wet myself. I was covered from head to toe in sweat at the conclusion of the run. I decided that I actually have to buy some nylon running clothes.
Second, I discovered that I will be able to complete the 20 miler this fall. Provided I suffer no injuries. My knee has been hurting me, and was hurting me at the conclusion of the run. So I have to remember to stretch, and strengthen my knees.
Third, this is probably the most important for me. I found that my form suffers the longer I run. It is not necessary how long I run but it revolves around how tired I am. I get lazier the longer I run. So I have to reassess and notice how my feet are landing and where my knees are in relation to the rest of my body.
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