Two teaspoons of cold air

Last night I was pretty determined to get up and go to the gym. But after walking my dog and realizing that I could handle temperatures in the mid-20s, I decided to go for an outdoor run. It was my first non-treadmill run in a while and it's the first run in such cold conditions since March. Although I was running much slower that I thought I was going, it was a refreshing run. The cold, fresh, low humidity air was just what the doctor ordered.

I'm not a big fan of running in the cold, but today was definitely a break. It also gave me a chance to blow my nose like my wife hates ... fellow runners probably know what I'm talking about ... but it was really a relief.

Although I'll be doing a lot of treadmill running this winter, today was a good example of what I want to do at least once a week over the next couple of months if it's cold -- just get outside and run a few miles and not worry about pace.

Some sort of normalcy

With being sick, having a baby, experiencing strangely cold weather and catching up on work, this month has definitely been off when it comes to working out. Last week was pretty much a rock bottom with the sickness, but instead of worrying about "starting over," I've tried to resume some normalcy this week.

It hasn't been all that much, but I've gone to the gym a couple of times to get some short workouts in, including a good 3.4-mile run last night. I felt pretty good. Once all this snot is 100 percent out of me, it'll be even better. A few more hours of sleep this weekend will certianly help too. Tomorrow I plan to resume my mini-duathlon with some sort of run-bike-run routine. It'll probably be short, but it's a must.

I haven't decided on the Turkey Trot next week. We'll be visiting family in Bedford, so I'd do the one in Lynchburg. I need a few more good runs before doing it. I certainly won't be trying to set any records, but I'd like to still be able to hit around 24 minutes. We'll see ...

The fresh November air

With all that's been going on from the weather to the time change to having a baby to work, I haven't ran on the road in a while. I've done a lot of treadmill running, but the satisfaction just doesn't feel the same. Yesterday I finally had the chance to get outside and get a few miles in. It was a nice, slow but steady run. It was a nice change of pace from alternating speeds on the treadmill, and it was nice to get some fresh air before the cold weather actually settles in. (Is that such a thing in Virginia?)

With all the life-changing happenings this week, it's been nice to continue working out. It hasn't been all that much, but something is better than nothing. I've helped balance out not working out as much by having a salad for four of my meals this week. I've realized quickly how important it is to make sure that I'm taking care of myself as I worry about a new life here. And as you can see, this little guy has already stolen one of my running visors!

Au revoir October

After the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in August, I was ready to just give up on running ... hell, I was ready to not do anything for a while. I documented it pretty well that I was taking September as a rest month. In the end I did a little bit here and there and finished with 24.8 running miles, 20.8 walking miles and 19.9 miles on the bike. When October got here though, I said enough is enough, and I ended up having one of the best-feeling months I've had in a long time.

Joining Gold's Gym has turned things around for me. In just a few short weeks I have figured out how to keep going without running, although running is still very important to me. In October, I still ran 53.6 miles, the fifth most this year. I walked 36.3 miles, the second most this year. And thanks to the exercise bike, I hit 49.1 biking miles. That bike is really giving me a burning sensation in my legs that I haven't felt in a long time. I also put in 6.7 miles on the elliptical machine. It's worth noting too, that I ran my first 5k in more than a year.

All told, I had 145.7 miles of exercising for the month, just shy of what I did in August (107.4 running miles, 32.8 walking and 8.2 on the bike). As I mentioned the other day, I passed 1,000 exercising miles for the year. As I head into the final two months of the year, I'm at 1,012.4 miles (not counting today) -- 576 running; 255.7 walking; 174 biking; and 6.7 on the elliptical.

Today, for the second Saturday in a row, I did a run-bike-run workout doing 2.1-5-1.1 Just like last week, the transition from the bike to running felt weird, but it didn't seem to last long. This week I have done three run-bike workouts, and I'm feeling pretty comfortable with that transition. It's the second transition that I need to start working on.

As November begins, I am not setting goals -- I do have a baby on the way you know. I'm still hoping to do the Ntelos 8k in a couple of weeks, but the commitment has to wait. I'll do as much as I can when I have the time to do it.

A double digit day

Walk: 1.7 miles; Run: 2 miles; Bike: 6.8 miles. All that on a day in which I didn't really feel like exerting energy. I managed to get a walk in with my dog before a cold rain came along, and by the time 7 p.m. got here I really didn't want to go to the gym. Since it's still not a full habit yet, I forced myself to go.

When I got on the treadmill, I didn't really want to run, so I stopped at 2 miles. My initial goal was just 3 or so anyway and then bike a few miles. I ended up doing a little more on the bike to compensate. The more run-bike routines or bike-run routines I can do, the better prepared I'll be for a duathlon next year. I'll save run-bike-run workouts for the weekends. It feels good to get that started now. Plus one point of joining a gym was to do less running, so it seems to all be working out so far.

October is turning out to be a very interesting month for me mileage wise. I've ran almost 50 miles so far -- twice as much as lowly September -- and I'm looking to intensify my non-running workouts this week to end the month strong. All in all, I really like where things are headed with winter quickly coming.

A mini duathlon

One of my goals for 2009 is to take part in a duathlon, preferably the National Duathlon Festival, which will be in Richmond for a second year. If you're unfamiliar with a duathlon, it's a run-bike-run race. I've gone out for a run and then biked, and I've biked and then gone for a run, but I've never done a run-bike-run workout ... until today.

I did 2 miles on the treadmill, 4 miles on the stationary bike and then another 2 on the treadmill. Everything felt pretty good, although my legs were a bit wobbly the second time I got on the treadmill. That seemed to work itself out after about a half mile. This workout is a good start to know what those transitions feel like. I like trying it out in the gym first. Eventually I'll take it outside. It was a good day to try it too since it was raining this morning.

My running on the treadmill has gotten steadily faster in these few runs I've done. It's tough to just set a speed and do it on the treadmill, so today I played around with bumping the speed up 0.1 mph every minute from 6.5 mph to 7.5 mph during the first 2 miles. On the second two miles, I worked my way up to 8 mph, bumping the speed up every tenth of a mile once I got to a half mile.

Thankfully today I remembered my iPod ... but I forgot my towel and my usual water bottle. I'll get it right eventually.

A 10k of a day

Here's an interesting way to hit 6.2 miles: 1.9 miles walking my dog, 2.3 miles on the elliptical machine and 2 miles on the treadmill. That's what I did yesterday, and I found it to be a great workout all around. The walking miles were split between morning and evening, but it all adds up, right?

My bailout plan is working

While September was a great month to get some rest, I can't continue with that mind frame. That's why this week was all about getting back into the groove and getting October started on the right foot. If I'm going to get back into being consistent, I have to start now.

This week I was able to log 13.9 running miles, 9.6 walking miles and 7.1 miles on the bike. While this is nothing overly impressive, it's far better than anything else I've done since August. With an 8k now less than six weeks away, it's a good place to be. My "long" run this week was 4.1 miles, which is a good starting point. Being just shy of 14 miles for the week, I'm right where I want to be to get consistent with miles in the mid-teens. And I definitely plan to build on my bike mileage too for a few weeks. I'm starting to run out of daylight, so I'm figuring out what to do about that. I continue to ponder joining a gym, but it's a tough commitment.

All in all, I am happy that October has started off well. I've kicked off the last quarter of the year better than what the economy is doing, so I guess I'm doing something right.

Silly September

At the end of the month, I usually do some sort of month recap. I've missed some months along the way -- like last month, which ended with a race and I pretty much forgot about it -- but I usually like to take a look back on what has happened both positively and negatively.

If you have followed my blog, you already know that September was pretty much an off month for me. I did it for various reasons, but the No. 1 reason was to give myself a break by choice. Sure I've had some breaks in the past year, but they were mainly due to injury. I wanted a break by choice. It wasn't a complete break from running -- it was a break from doing things because of a race. My random runs were actually pretty good. I happily increased my dog's miles along the way as well. I also got back on the bike after a couple of months off it. I didn't get many miles, but it was enough to feel comfortable again on two wheels. The totals: 24.8 running miles (compared to more than 100 miles in August); 19.9 biking miles; and more than 20 walking miles. Surprisingly, when it comes to running, it wasn't my lowest total for the year -- that came in April when I was getting over an injury.

So now that September is over, I can finally answer the question of what's next. I have decided to run the Ntelos 8k in Richmond in November. It's the same day of the Richmond Marathon and the new Richmond Half Marathon. Simply put, it's a huge running day in Richmond. While it's not a "big" race when it comes to mileage, it's a "big" race with more than 2,000 people taking part in the 8k. That distance is what I'm comfortable with right now. It'll be nice over the next six weeks to have a few runs a week in the 3-4 mile range and "long" runs in the 5-6 mile range. It's a welcome break from what I've been used to for almost two years. I'll detail my goals sometime in the next few weeks.

I may do a 5k along the way, but honestly I just want to spend the next couple of weeks getting into a normal routine. My September normal is over and it's time to get refocused.

Planning around life

I'll hit this nail on the head one more time ... I am glad I'm not training for a long-distance race right now. The weather is beautiful, but unlike last fall, I feel like I can do something with my weekends now, although much of them have been very busy. A year ago, it seemed I planned my life around running. This year I am planning my running around my life. This week, though, was actually more about getting back on my bike instead of running. And my tail bone feels fine, thankfully.

This coming week I'll probably run more than last week, although the upcoming weekend is already going to be busy. I really don't mind though -- it's a very nice change of pace.

Take It and Run Thursday: Running Blogs

Today's "Take It and Run" theme over at the Runners Lounge is about running blogs. I certainly have my share that I read -- some not even listed over to the right side of this page. I really like this theme -- I've been looking to update my list of regular blogs I read and them link to them, so I'm anxious to get to today's posts if I ever have the time. Anyway, here's a look at some of my regulars. Thanks to everyone who reads mine regularly!

Andrew is getting fit -- This is a great mix of humor, facts, weigh-ins and various motivation factors. Andrew is literally a world away and updates his blog often.

Rob Dares -- What started as a weight loss journey turned into running a marathon. Rob has a great story to tell that just keeps on going.

Non-Running Nancy -- Who doesn't ready Nancy's blog??

Recast In Iron -- Jason was one of the first bloggers I came across when I started blogging last year. Together we made it through the Richmond Marathon and the Shamrock Half Marathon ... yet we've never met! Anyway, Jason's journey continues with goals beyond doing a marathon.

A Viking, Running -- This guy is hilarious. He may be sporadic with his posting -- sometimes three or four times a week; sometimes he'll go a couple of weeks without writing -- but it's always a great read.

The Journey ... -- This girl does it all despite a very busy life. Check it out.

Back in May, I gave a shout out to several bloggers. The title was "Yo Bloggers" -- click here to check it out.

A non-title title because my creativity is lacking

While many of my recent blog posts have been about just happy being running and not worrying about racing, I haven't really discussed my actual runs too much. Well, there really hasn't been much to report. My runs have been shorter, but I feel like I've stepped up my intensity.

My runs have generally been around 8:30 to 9 minute mile paces, which is going at a pretty good clip for me considering I'm not training for anything. Maintaining that pace is key to what I would want to do in a 5k whenever that happens again, with the general thinking of what I've done in the past with races being a minute or so quicker per mile. I've been running between 3 and 4 miles, and focusing on getting more mileage with my dog. He's gotten up to about 2 miles comfortably on top of a walk or two every day. I don't really want to make him a runner for beyond 2, maybe 3 miles, but he has tons of energy to burn off. He's only 3, so now is a great time to make this part of his routine.

Lastly, for those of you continuing to train for long-distance races this fall, I just wanted to say that I hope you are really having a great time out there. Since I went through marathon training last year, I have a lot of respect for those who choose to tackle 26.2 miles. For those of you doing it for the first time, you'll understand what I'm saying once you do it.

Me random? Why not ...

For more than two years now, my running has generally been focused around a longer-distance race down the road. The Virginia 10 Miler, the Shamrock Half (twice), the Richmond Marathon and most recently the Rock 'n' Roll Half. Even when I've been hurt, I've remained committed to these races. So it's no wonder that now that I haven't signed up for a "big" race that I have a lot of random thoughts. With no "what's next" to think of, my posts are just random, and I'm completely fine with that.

Virginia 10 Miler
So on my short walk/jog with my dog and while mowing my yard this morning, I realized that I really don't want to do this race. Yes I'm in shape and to prepare for it over the next couple of weeks all I would really need to do is run more hilly routes. But if I did it, it would make it two weekends in a row of traveling to the Lynchburg area since I'm headed there next weekend and I really don't feel like doing that.

It is a race I want to do again. It was my first double-digit distance race and it's a very challenging event. But my burning desire to redeem myself in a long-distance event isn't there. For anyone within a reasonable driving distance of Lynchburg, I would highly recommend this race. (Click here for the Web site.) It's an event that used to be gigantic -- Bill Rodgers won it several times in the 1970s and it peaked in the 1980s with nearly 2,700 people running it one year. Due to some poor organization it saw a big decline, but as of last year it is now organized locally and things seem to be improving drastically. It's also very hilly -- the highest elevation is 800 feet; the lowest is 593.

Anything but double digits
One reason I'm not doing the 10 miler is because I want to do some shorter races again, at least for a little while. I'm not committing to anything yet -- I'd rather just go unplanned. I'd like to do at least two more races this fall. It's been way too long since I've done a 5k -- I've done 11 since 2004, but the last one I ran was July 2007 when I set a PR. It'll be interesting to see how fast -- or slow -- I am in that distance in a race setting.

Things will be fine in '09
It's hard to think about next year already, but I can't help it since I'm essentially ending any thoughts of another long-distance race this year. Right now, my plan is to do the Rock 'n' Roll Half again, and that's really it for long races. That gives me a chance to adjust to having a baby in my life and it gives me about 10 months off long-distance training. I'll still have "long" runs, but I'm limiting race distances to 10k or less until next September. I need the break both physically and mentally. I am very interested in doing a duathlon in April instead of training for the Shamrock Half again, but I'll save that for another day.

What's in a week?
My runs this week have been great. I've said it before and I'll say it again -- I'm enjoying running just to run. I feel like I've had a big weight lifted off my shoulders to say the hell with big races right now and do whatever I feel like doing when the time comes. I'm not worried about the number of miles in a week, I don't care about hitting 1,000 miles right now and I don't feel bad for cutting it short today because it's so hot and humid. I'm in an unusual zone right now and I'm loving every bit of it.

Running ... just to run

Ever since the summer of 2006, it seems I've been locked into the pattern of what to do next after a big race. While I still have thoughts on what to do over the next few weeks, I want to take another week before officially deciding.

Last week -- for the first time in a very long time -- I essentially took off from running just to do it. I was not physically injured after the race, but I really needed to get my mind away from it. When I went out for walks with my dog, I jogged a little bit here and there, but all told, it was probably only about a mile or so. I had a whirlwind of a trip to Ohio this past weekend, so there was no running then. Until tonight, I have had no urge to put my Garmin on. It was a planned week with extremely limited running and it was a welcome break.

Tonight I was ready for a run, but I didn't realize how early it got dark, so I only got in 2.5 miles. It was a nice run despite the humidity, and it's probably a wise thing to be light on the miles the first few times back out since the race just to make sure everything is in its right place. It felt good to run without thinking about what's next. In my last post I said that I would have things figured out by now, but I really want to run this week for the enjoyment of running. I will begin to prepare myself as if I'll run a long-distance race in a few weeks, but I don't want to commit 100 percent to it just yet. I don't have any big reasons other than the fact that it was liberating last week to do nothing, and this week I want to feel liberated from worrying about a race.

This is the first time in a long time that I've been able to let myself feel this way and it's really ... to steal my own words ... liberating. When I started running in 2004, I got involved in a lot of small and short community races. I ran just to run and raced to challenge myself. While races are still very challenging, I've gotten distracted along the way. I said this a few weeks ago, but this summer running has become fun for me again. I want that continue even if I do get focused on bigger races down the road. If it's not fun, then why do it? I hope that helps you understand why I'm not committing to anything just yet. I have to keep having fun.

A post about other posts ... and my first training workout

So ... welcome to the first post of my training for the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon that'll take place Aug. 31. Yesterday was supposed to be the first day of training, but instead it actually turned into a rest day for various reasons. Anyway, let me go through some things that'll likely be different in my posting for the next few months.

First off, the end of each blog post will highlight my workouts for each day since the previous post. I hope this will help hold me accountable for my training efforts. It's also something I've never really done. I often have discussed specific workouts and never really mentioned what I did in between posts.

Generally, my workouts will consist of four running days a week -- two "easy" runs, one consisting of some kind of speed work and the long run on Saturday or Sunday. I'll then have two cross training days that'll consist of biking and/or lifting weights. Then I'll have one day in which I do absolutely nothing.

As I mentioned before, I'll have weekly posts detailing lifestyle changes. This will generally consist of foods that I'm giving up that week through the end of August, or may have already given up since June 1. Since I plan to discuss my weight and plans to lose a little bit in the next few months, discussing my diet is more important to me now than it was a year ago when marathon training.

So that leads me to today... "test" day. As part of my workout today, I did a mile test to see how fast I could run a mile at probably about 80 percent effort. The idea behind this test is do to the exact same thing at the beginning of July and August to check on my progress for a close to all-out mile. The run will take place in the same spot each time to assure that hills don't factor into my time. (Generally, my other speed workouts will take place in my slightly hilly neighborhood.)

Today's goal was to shoot for about an 8-minute mile, with the thinking that I can and should improve 30 seconds or so each month. So after about a mile warm-up to the park this took place in, I notched a 7:55 mile. Considering that I've really laid off my miles and any kind of speed in the past couple of months, I feel great about beating 8 minutes.

When I returned home, I gave myself another test by doing the plank. I got into doing this as an ab workout a few months ago, but didn't stick with it. My plan for training this summer is to do ab workouts by using my Bosu ball, the plank and my home gym. My goal is to do a plank max once a week -- seeing how long I can just hold it. Today my max was only 49 seconds -- probably half the time of what I was doing back in March. It'll be very interesting to track my progress with this.

Whew! Am I done? Almost. My plans for the rest of this week are: Tuesday - cross train; Wednesday - 4 "easy" miles; Thursday - 3 miles doing intervals; Friday - cross train or rest; Saturday - long run of 5-6 miles; Sunday - head to the Outer Banks.


Workouts since last post
June 1: Rest
June 2: Walk - 0.4; Run - 3.2 total (1 in 7:55); Plank - 1:25 total (49 max)

Yo Bloggers!

Since I enjoy reading other people's blogs as much as I enjoy writing my own, I wanted to give a shout out to a few posts I've noticed over the past couple of days.

First off, congrats to Rob for finishing his first marathon this past weekend. I've really come to enjoy reading Rob's blog over the past several months as he has been on a weight-loss journey and a marathon journey.

Next I'd like to congratulate Joe at Learning to Run for staying focused on running while his wife gave birth. He's running on empty, but consistently, and he even ran to the bank the other day -- literally.

Then there's Jason, who has moved his blog to Recast in Iron. Jason and I haven't met yet, but we have done two of the same races in the past six months or so -- the Richmond Marathon and the Shamrock Half Marathon. His plans this year are for a triathlon and another marathon, and then an Ironman in 2009. I say go for it -- it's something I'll never do, but I'll support him 110 percent.

Lastly, I have to give a shout out to Jeff and his Running Diary. Jeff and I know each other via his wife, and I hope that I've given him some valuable running advice in the past few months. The main reason for my shout out, though, is because of his recent post and how he ran just fine without his iPod. I've tried to convince people that you don't "need" music to get through a run, especially in a race. Jeff proved it and I didn't even suggest that he try it.