Outdoor runs

First summer run 2010

Technically today was not my first summer run but weather-wise it felt like it. It was about 19ºC, sunny and with a light breeze (Cap Tug Number: 1). Unlike my previous run I had a faster start then slowed more in the second km, so a different means to the same end. My pace improved in the last km, which is encouraging and I broke the psychological barrier of 27 minutes (the iPod recorded a time of 26:59 but the Nike+ site seems to round up so it reports 27:00). It’s been six days since my last run due to various events taking up my usual running window so the continued plateau in performance is actually a relief.

Tiger Woods congratulated me for circumnavigating the globe yet again. Thanks, Tiger, I appreciate the support!

One minor incident of note during the run: a woman with a pair of large gray short hair dogs (they looked like some hound crossbreed) was sitting in the shade inside the path. As I ran by one of the dogs barked at me, once. It didn’t move or do anything else. Still, it’s the first time I’ve had a dog bark at me and it brought back memories of my childhood, which can be summarized as all the events between getting bitten by dogs. Still, I didn’t let it rattle me. I later noticed the dog barking at other people, so it seemed to just be one of those “Hey, I’m here, you will notice me” kind of things.

If all goes well, this should be my last 5K comparison chart for awhile, as I move on up to 10K.

Distance July 2nd June 26th June 15th June 11th June 7th June 4th June 1st
1 km 5:07 5:10 5:07 5:08 5:08 5:07 5:03
2 km 5:12 5:11 5:13 5:12 5:15 5:20 5:21
3 km 5:16 5:17 5:17 5:16 5:21 5:27 5:33
4 km 5:20 5:21 5:19 5:20 5:24 5:31 5:40
5 km 5:22 5:23 n/a 5:24 5:28 5:34 5:45

Trepidation (and a run)

After eight days off, I was a bit tentative about running, given the litany of problems I have suffered lately, but the weather was pleasant — hazy sunshine, 18ºC and a light breeze, so I decided to give it a go with another modest 5K run. After a warm-up and some stretching I began and ended up shaving one second off my best time for the month. My right calf felt perfectly fine and any creakiness in my left leg worked itself out fairly quickly. Although my first km was not especially fast, I like that I was able to maintain my pace over the 2nd km and picked the pace up slightly in the final stretch.

I am introducing the cap-tug number (CTN) with this update. When I am running and start to perspire my cap begins to ride up slightly on my head. This is not an issue unless it is breezy, which it has been all freaking spring (and now summer). When it gets windy, the cap threatens to lift and take flight, forcing me to tug it back down. Due to the perspiration, this is only a temporary measure, requiring further tugs to insure the cap stays on. Today I had to tug the cap four times to keep it in place, thus the CTN for today is rated 4. A guy actually had a kite out at the park but it wasn’t quite windy enough and he gave up after a short time. Still, that gives you an idea of what it was like (current winds are being reported as 11 km/h).

For a change I opted to do my post-run stretching in the park instead of waiting to do it at home. I almost overdid it while waiting for a fellow jogger to run by. I didn’t have to wait but he was…uh…not wearing a shirt.

I like summer. That is all.

Chart (bolded numbers are overall average time/km):

Distance June 26th June 15th June 11th June 7th June 4th June 1st
1 km 5:10 5:07 5:08 5:08 5:07 5:03
2 km 5:11 5:13 5:12 5:15 5:20 5:21
3 km 5:17 5:17 5:16 5:21 5:27 5:33
4 km 5:21 5:19 5:20 5:24 5:31 5:40
5 km 5:23 n/a 5:24 5:28 5:34 5:45

The super-short run

Although conditions were near-perfect (warm, sunny, light breeze) I cut my run short just past the 1 km mark today because the right calf muscle I had pulled a few days back started feeling sore. I figure I need to give it a few more days to recover. On the good side, I managed a pace of 5:02 on the one km I completed, which is pretty good for my post-injury (the other one) since returning to the runs in June.

Tiger Woods once again congratulated me on completing yet another 250 miles. The grasp of distances he is displaying via my iPod may indicate why he has been having some problems since returning to golfing.

The surprise twist run

Although I set the iPod to a distance of 10K, I planned on running only half that, figuring that I was reaching a plateau with the 5K runs and this would be a good ‘send-off’ before tackling the 10Ks again. Little did I realize the surprise twist to come!

The weather was a mix of sun and cloud, around 17ºC, with a light breeze blowing. The trail was in much better shape than the previous run. I could feel my lower left leg but it didn’t hurt and did not affect my pace at all. As you can see in the chart below my time up to the 4K mark was nearly identical to the previous run. I believe had I done the full 5K I would have had a slightly improved pace due to the short 2-second gap between the 3 and 4K mark. However, just after hitting 4K my right calf (surprise twist!) suddenly started seizing up. I spent about 10 seconds running on it trying to decide what to do and opted to end the run early rather than aggravating it. I don’t believe it is actually hurt, as it seems like just a muscle spasm but it was certainly not the way I expected the run to end.

I am officially™ planning a full 10K run next time. Excelsior!

Chart (bolded numbers are overall average time/km):

Distance June 15th June 11th June 7th June 4th June 1st April 30th
1 km 5:07 5:08 5:08 5:07 5:03 5:03
2 km 5:13 5:12 5:15 5:20 5:21 5:06
3 km 5:17 5:16 5:21 5:27 5:33 5:09
4 km 5:19 5:20 5:24 5:31 5:40 5:12
5 km n/a 5:24 5:28 5:34 5:45 5:16

The day-late run

A day later than expected due to being busy with other activities that went on longer than anticipated, today’s run was done under a mix of cloud and sun with a light breeze and the temperature around 17ºC. Due to the frequent rain of late the trail was rather mushy in a few spots, exacerbated by ruts from a parks board tractor driving along the trail when mowing the field.

I was concerned that my lower left leg would hurt so even though I technically planned for a 10K run, I knew a 5K was more likely. The run itself was a mix of good news/bad news.

Bad news: my left leg did start feeling sore.
Good news: It wasn’t actually painful and didn’t affect my pace.

The soreness in the leg dissipated fairly quickly after the run, even without using ice, so I am hopeful this is nothing serious. Still, I am planning on seeing a doctor or sports therapist next week to get a better handle on what’s up.

The final bit of good news is I knocked another four seconds off my average pace. I’m getting closer to where I once was, so maybe that 10K run isn’t too far off now.

Chart (bolded numbers are overall average time/km):

Distance June 11th June 7th June 4th June 1st April 30th
1 km 5:08 5:08 5:07 5:03 5:03
2 km 5:12 5:15 5:20 5:21 5:06
3 km 5:16 5:21 5:27 5:33 5:09
4 km 5:20 5:24 5:31 5:40 5:12
5 km 5:24 5:28 5:34 5:45 5:16

The not-quite-yet run

Once again I started with the plan to run 10k but ended up doing 5k. Amazing how much stamina you lose with a month off. I think I may finally be ready for a 10k on the next run, though.

Conditions today were very nice — a rare sunny day and warm, nearly 20ºC. There was a wind gusting occasionally but it died down shortly after I started my run.

Curiously, my first km has been getting progressively slower, though not by much. I’m not sure why. Maybe I am subconsciously trying to pace myself. I felt like I was dogging it for the last few km. A woman jogging ahead of me slowly began gaining ground as I flagged. There was a time I would have turned it on to catch up and pass her. I’ll get there again someday!

Average pace was 5:28, six seconds better than the previous run and breaking the 5:30 mark I was aiming for, so I’m pleased there. Left leg felt a little sore after so I iced it for half an hour and it feels fine now.

And Tiger Woods congratulated me yet again for another 250 miles. According to him I’ve completed about 5,000 miles so far. Thanks, Tiger!

More chart fun below. Except for a slightly slower start I improved across the board but am still off my normal pace. Still, progress.

Distance June 7th June 4th June 1st April 30th
1 km 5:08 5:07 5:03 5:03
2 km 5:15 5:20 5:21 5:06
3 km 5:21 5:27 5:33 5:09
4 km 5:24 5:31 5:40 5:12
5 km 5:28 5:34 5:45 5:16

Rust (almost) never sleeps run

This is the conversation I had with my legs two days after my first run in 31 days:

Me: How you doing down there?
Legs: WE HATE YOU.
Me: Aw, you’re bound to be a little rusty and you were kind of slow, but that’s to be expected.
Legs: HATE. YOU.
Me: Pfft, it’s not that bad.
Legs: You remember those upper thigh muscles? I’m betting you do now because they are as stiff as roadkill at the North Pole.
Me: I’m pretty sure there are no roads or roadkill at the North Pole.

So yes, my legs were quite siff but today they were feeling a lot more limber so off I went on my second 5k run, my only real goal to improve on the sluggish time three days ago. Success!

With a light breeze, mild temperatures and a partly sunny sky I was able to shave 11 seconds off my average pace, bringing it from 5:45 down to 5:33. This is still pretty slow but it’s moving in the right direction. I again had a major drop-off at the 2km mark but it leveled off much more smoothly after that. The legs protested but not in a painful way, just in that “we’re not used to being exercised” way.

Another comparison table:

Distance June 4th June 1st April 30th
1 km 5:07 5:03 5:03
2 km 5:20 5:21 5:06
3 km 5:27 5:33 5:09
4 km 5:31 5:40 5:12
5 km 5:34 5:45 5:16

The all-thumbs run

I ran for the first time in 31 days today. I had neatly skipped the entire month of May.

The good news:

– it was actually sunny, a rare thing of late
– I finished a full 5 km
– while I could feel the ghost of my injured left leg, it never actually hurt during the run

The bad news:

– slow as all get-out
– cramps
– did I mention slow as all get-out?

The trail was damp from recent rain but no puddles, so conditions were fine. It was breezy but it’s been freaking windy all spring, so nothing new there. I had optimistically planned on a 10K run but after a few km knew I’d be better off starting with a 5K instead.

What’s funny is how my first km is actually pretty decent — 5:03 — but it absolutely plunges by the second km to 5:21 and keeps falling off a cliff after that. I guess after a month off I had exactly 1 km of energy in me. 🙂

Here’s a little table showing how this 5K run compares to the last one from April:

Distance June 1st April 30th
1 km 5:03 5:03
2 km 5:21 5:06
3 km 5:33 5:09
4 km 5:40 5:12
5 km 5:45 5:16

On the all-thumbs part: After initiating the Nike+ sensor, I put the iPod into the left pocket of my shorts. The first few attempts at this seemingly simple task resulted in me accidentally swiping the click-wheel with a finger and turning the volume up to Spinal Tap levels. I finally got it to a point where it wouldn’t burst my ear drums, but I’ve never had that kind of trouble just putting the thing in my dang pocket. I guess after a month off, even my hands are rusty. 😛

Dear Tiger: Shut up (also, today’s run)

Today was my first run in a week and I was a bit worried because I could feel The Spot in my leg even as I walked down to the park.

15ºC, cloudy and a moderate wind blowing. The trail was in good shape, only one other jogger briefly sharing the path with me.

By about the 3 km point I could definitely feel the sore spot in my left leg acting up. I even briefly felt a bolt of pain race up from The Spot to about my knee, possibly by landing on it just right (or wrong). That’s the bad news. The good news is it didn’t bother me enough to hamper my run significantly but I still chose to err on the side of caution and end it at 5k instead of doing a full 10. I’ll try for 10 again on Monday. The other good news(ish) part is the leg doesn’t feel nearly as bad after the run as it did last Friday. I’d probably be fine without icing it, though I’m going to do that, anyway. So I am moderately encouraged overall. Oh, and my times were much better this Friday than last, with my average pace a full six seconds better (5:16 vs. 5:22).

And the title of this post is not a plea for Tiger to not go on Oprah and blubber out another sincere apology for ‘indiscretions’ but rather for him to stop piping in on the iPod at the end of my runs. Today — for the third time in about as many weeks — he came on to congratulate me for running another 250 miles. First, I’m tracking my distance in km, not miles, you backwards silly American and second, running 750 miles would be really impressive. Superhuman, even (I’ve run a little over 450 km).

Results:

Distance: 5.03 km
Overall average pace: 5:16
1st km: 5:03
2nd km: 5:06
3rd km: 5:09
4th km: 5:12
5th km: 5:16

Now on dailymile (or daily1.6km if you prefer)

Using the buddy system for encouragement and support, I am now on dailymile and have made friends with a couple of Quarter to Three regulars, Jamie Madigan and Ephraim. It is not without irony that I note that now that I have an ‘audience’ I have been running piddly short runs and skipping days because of a tender shin.

I am hoping to get back into a regular routine of 10ks starting tomorrow (Wednesday).

Smoke run

Cloudy skies, 13ºC and little wind on today’s run.

I knew I was in trouble when I could feel my left leg acting up on the brisk walk down to the park. Although the soreness seemed manageable by the time I got to the 5 km mark, I decided to cut the run short to be on the safe side.

Perhaps fearing rain, the park was nearly devoid of people. I had the trail entirely to myself for the first 3 km. Other than the leg, I again felt fine. I iced it for a good long while after getting home (ironically reading Runner’s World as I did so) and while it remains sore I can’t say it actually is painful, more annoying. Nonetheless I am taking the weekend off and will see how it feels on Monday. I made need to give it more time to fully recover.

While the park did not smell of manure today, there was the distinct scent of a wood fire drifting through one area. I’m not sure why someone would light a fire on such a mild day but as I’m fond of saying, people are weird.

Results:

Distance: 5.04 km
Overall average pace: 5:22
1st km: 5:12 (another tentative start)
2nd km: 5:15
3rd km: 5:17
4th km: 5:19
5th km: 5:22

The one positive I take away is that my pace was fairly consistent, so I don’t think I’m running on an actual injury. But I’ll be cautious for now.

The manure run

It was cloudy, 10ºC and a light but cool breeze blowing for today’s run.

I began tentatively again, though my first km time was surprisingly decent. After the first few km the tender spot on my left leg began to flare up but it never became painful, just sore. By the midway point I had adjusted to it and the back half of my run was very consistent. Without the leg bothering me I’m sure I could have knocked at least five seconds off my average pace. As it was, 5:30/km is still 4 seconds faster than my first post-injury 10k, so I’m pleased with that.

After the run, I did the usual stretching and had my protein drink, then slapped an ice pack on the leg for half an hour or so. It makes a difference!

The manure part was the distinct aroma pretty much throughout the park. I never did find the source of the stink and it was a tad distracting until I hit the runner’s high and suddenly it didn’t matter anymore. Speaking of which, my stamina was fine for the whole run, which was also nice.

Results:

Total distance: 10.02 km (previous: 10.02 km)
Average time/km: 5:30/km (previous: 5:30/km)
Best time/km: 5:04/km (previous: 5:10/km)