20:40 sec run/walk ratio
1:36:49 hours
6.42 miles
15.1 minutes/mile
I had a really good run today! After a very false start yesterday—I planned to get up early and drive to Lancaster for the Met Opera broadcast, which started at 9:30 AM, so I knew I wouldn't be able to run in the morning. Originally, I thought I'd just run on Sunday—which is what I ended up doing—but then I thought, well, I'll see how I feel when I get home from Lancaster. If I had energy and the weather wasn't too bad, I figured I could do my run in the afternoon.
As it turned out, though, I slept very badly the night before, and felt exhausted and wonky all day. Plus, it was raining and cold. I still went out around 4:20 PM and started plodding around the house, but it was not working out. My stomach was achy and I couldn't get into a groove. I was trying to count laps on my phone, but kept forgetting to mark them. And I was worrying about something I'd posted online that I thought maybe I shouldn't have. Finally, I decided to go in and delete the post and then continue my run, but once I got in the house, I just bagged it. Decided it was silly to push myself when I was feeling so icky when it would be just as easy to run the next day instead.
And so I did. And it was much better! I slept well last night, got up early feeling refreshed and ready to go, and the weather had cleared up quite a bit. It was still windy and cold, but only partly cloudy and no rain. I decided to go to Meadowbrook Park for a change, and I really enjoyed it. So much nicer to have long trails to run on instead of going round and round the house. It was cool enough that I didn't bother trying to get there early. I think I left here around 10 AM, so it was probably 10:30-ish when I got started. I ran the first mile with my hoodie and two pairs of tights, but then I was warmed up enough to drop them off at the truck and run in just my tee-shirt and one pair of tights for the rest of the way. My arms got a bit cold in the breeze—especially when there were clouds blocking the sun—but not too bad. The rest of me stayed warm enough.
My time was really good! Fifteen minute miles, and I wasn't even pushing myself at all. I wasn't tired when I finished, felt like I could have easily kept on for another couple of miles.
Even though I had GPS turned on, I used only about a third of my phone battery. Still probably won't last through a whole 26-mile run with GPS, but I did buy a battery stick to charge it up with on the go, so I hope that will keep it going throughout my training runs. Of course, if I run at Meadowbrook, I don't really need the GPS—I know how long each segment of the trail is, so I can just do the appropriate number of loops. But it's fun to have it keep track of my miles and pace. The only problem with the battery stick is that I have to unplug the headphones to plug it in, so I'll be without headphones while it's charging. But that's better than having the battery run down and not have the phone at all!
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Week 3: Five miles
20:40 sec run/walk ratio
5.39 miles (6.22 miles counting laps)
18.3 min/mile (15.9 min/mile)
I did my run around the house with the GPS, but I also counted laps to check the distance, and sure enough, the GPS was about .1 mile off per mile. I did a total of 54 laps—about 58.5 if you count the 3 minute warm up/cool down walks—which is closer to 5.7 miles. Over 6 miles for the full 58.5 laps. So, 5.39 miles x 18.3 minutes/mile = 98.6 minutes total, which, divided by the more accurate 6.22 miles, gives me a pace of 15.9 minutes/mile. Whew! Much better.
Counting laps required some concentration, but I was able to keep track by counting out each ten laps on my fingers, then switching direction every 20 laps. I suppose if I want to use the GPS, I'm going to have to start running in town. Or keep counting laps. Or just know I'm actually running farther than the app is telling me. I'm not going to be able to use GPS on the longer runs anyway—just in six miles, I used nearly half my phone battery. No way it's going to last 26 miles. Not even sure the phone battery will last with the app running the whole time. I plan to get one of those thumb-drive-sized battery sticks to take with me on the longer runs, to keep my phone charged.
I was finally able to figure out how to turn off the music shuffle, so it would play my albums in order. I emailed lolofit support to ask them how to do it, and the response was to turn off BeatSync to stop it shuffling. Well, I already had BeatSync turned off (don't want it speeding up and slowing down my music to match my BPM, it's not that kind of music), but I turned it on, and then the Smart Shuffle option came up—it was hidden while BeatSync was off. So I was able to turn off Smart Shuffle, then turn off BeatSync again, and then my music played in order. Ah! So much nicer! It was really bugging me to have my songs shuffled. Today, I played Horslips' Book of Invasions and Duran Duran's Rio. Nice! I'm ripping some more CDs to load up my iPhone. Turns out some of the albums I bought from iTunes have DRM that won't let them be used by other apps, so I can't play them with the Marathon app. So I won't buy music from them any more, I'll just buy CDs and rip them.
Weather was decent today. I got out around 8:30 AM, with the temperature just under 60 F. It was 65 F by the time I was done—not very hot, but still hot enough to make me feel it.
I'm feeling more and more inclined to try doing the Long Beach Marathon. If I can keep up the 16 minute mile pace, I'll be able to finish it in around 7 hours, well under the 7.5 hour time limit.
5.39 miles (6.22 miles counting laps)
18.3 min/mile (15.9 min/mile)
I did my run around the house with the GPS, but I also counted laps to check the distance, and sure enough, the GPS was about .1 mile off per mile. I did a total of 54 laps—about 58.5 if you count the 3 minute warm up/cool down walks—which is closer to 5.7 miles. Over 6 miles for the full 58.5 laps. So, 5.39 miles x 18.3 minutes/mile = 98.6 minutes total, which, divided by the more accurate 6.22 miles, gives me a pace of 15.9 minutes/mile. Whew! Much better.
Counting laps required some concentration, but I was able to keep track by counting out each ten laps on my fingers, then switching direction every 20 laps. I suppose if I want to use the GPS, I'm going to have to start running in town. Or keep counting laps. Or just know I'm actually running farther than the app is telling me. I'm not going to be able to use GPS on the longer runs anyway—just in six miles, I used nearly half my phone battery. No way it's going to last 26 miles. Not even sure the phone battery will last with the app running the whole time. I plan to get one of those thumb-drive-sized battery sticks to take with me on the longer runs, to keep my phone charged.
I was finally able to figure out how to turn off the music shuffle, so it would play my albums in order. I emailed lolofit support to ask them how to do it, and the response was to turn off BeatSync to stop it shuffling. Well, I already had BeatSync turned off (don't want it speeding up and slowing down my music to match my BPM, it's not that kind of music), but I turned it on, and then the Smart Shuffle option came up—it was hidden while BeatSync was off. So I was able to turn off Smart Shuffle, then turn off BeatSync again, and then my music played in order. Ah! So much nicer! It was really bugging me to have my songs shuffled. Today, I played Horslips' Book of Invasions and Duran Duran's Rio. Nice! I'm ripping some more CDs to load up my iPhone. Turns out some of the albums I bought from iTunes have DRM that won't let them be used by other apps, so I can't play them with the Marathon app. So I won't buy music from them any more, I'll just buy CDs and rip them.
Weather was decent today. I got out around 8:30 AM, with the temperature just under 60 F. It was 65 F by the time I was done—not very hot, but still hot enough to make me feel it.
I'm feeling more and more inclined to try doing the Long Beach Marathon. If I can keep up the 16 minute mile pace, I'll be able to finish it in around 7 hours, well under the 7.5 hour time limit.
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Week 3 Day 2
20:40 sec run/walk ratio
36:22 minutes
1.76 miles
20.5 minutes/mile
Okay, yeah, the GPS is definitely not able to keep track of those tight circles, because I know I wasn't that much slower than last time! My Health app says I've done 5880 steps and 2.97 miles today, which I think is closer to accurate. I did some walking before I went out to do my run, so that isn't all from my workout, but most of it should be.
This makes me think I should either do my long runs in town, where I'm running straight ahead most of the time, so the GPS can keep track; or turn off the GPS and count laps if I'm going to run here at the house.
Anyway. Still a good run. I didn't get out until around noon, but it was cool and breezy—enough that I wore my long johns under my tee-shirt and tights and didn't get too hot. My electronics all cooperated with me (except that my earbuds always feel like they're falling out—I don't know if my earholes are too small or too large or what, but earbuds never fit snugly) and I listened to Beastie Boys as I ran, and they kept me moving. I ran counter-clockwise today to change up which leg was outside.
It's interesting how Jeff Galloway's recommended run/walk ratios have tightened up over the years. In my first marathon, in 2001, I trained with a 2:2 minute run/walk. Then I did 3:2 for my second marathon. After I had cancer and slowed down, my ratio was 2:3 minutes. I don't know when he switched from whole minute ratios to seconds, but I think when I last started training, he was using 30:60 seconds instead of 1:2 minutes. Now, it's 20:40 seconds. It's still a 1:2 ratio, but squeezed down into one minute. I like it! It's just as much running overall as a 1:2 minute ratio, but cut into tinier pieces it does seem easier.
36:22 minutes
1.76 miles
20.5 minutes/mile
Okay, yeah, the GPS is definitely not able to keep track of those tight circles, because I know I wasn't that much slower than last time! My Health app says I've done 5880 steps and 2.97 miles today, which I think is closer to accurate. I did some walking before I went out to do my run, so that isn't all from my workout, but most of it should be.
This makes me think I should either do my long runs in town, where I'm running straight ahead most of the time, so the GPS can keep track; or turn off the GPS and count laps if I'm going to run here at the house.
Anyway. Still a good run. I didn't get out until around noon, but it was cool and breezy—enough that I wore my long johns under my tee-shirt and tights and didn't get too hot. My electronics all cooperated with me (except that my earbuds always feel like they're falling out—I don't know if my earholes are too small or too large or what, but earbuds never fit snugly) and I listened to Beastie Boys as I ran, and they kept me moving. I ran counter-clockwise today to change up which leg was outside.
It's interesting how Jeff Galloway's recommended run/walk ratios have tightened up over the years. In my first marathon, in 2001, I trained with a 2:2 minute run/walk. Then I did 3:2 for my second marathon. After I had cancer and slowed down, my ratio was 2:3 minutes. I don't know when he switched from whole minute ratios to seconds, but I think when I last started training, he was using 30:60 seconds instead of 1:2 minutes. Now, it's 20:40 seconds. It's still a 1:2 ratio, but squeezed down into one minute. I like it! It's just as much running overall as a 1:2 minute ratio, but cut into tinier pieces it does seem easier.
Monday, April 13, 2015
Week 3 Day 1
20:40 second run/walk ratio
36:18 minutes
2.62 miles
13.8 miles/min
I have to say, I'm skeptical about that pace! Although I would love to have really run 13.8 minute miles, that's way under my normal pace. I didn't count laps, I let the GPS on my phone keep track, and I'm not sure how accurate that can be when I'm running tight tenth-of-a-mile loops. Maybe next time I'll count laps and see how it matches up. On the other hand, none of my other midweek runs were this far off, and I used the GPS for those, too. Hm.
I slept in late this morning and didn't get started until 10 AM. It was already 70 F outside, barely any breeze and not a cloud in the sky. Hot, but I didn't feel like it was getting to me too badly. Dang it, I might actually be getting my health back after all these years.
Of course, 70 F is still cool compared to what the summer is going to be like. I had an idea about that—it occurred to me that if I run the Long Beach half marathon, I wouldn't have to do any long runs above 13 miles before October, and I could squeeze those into the morning hours if I get up early enough. Then I could train up to the marathon and do Honolulu. But I'm not sure I'd have time to get from 13 miles to 26 in the less than two months between Long Beach and Honolulu... need to get out a calendar and plan it out. Other options would be to get a membership at a gym and run indoors on a treadmill if it's too hot outside. T-Fitness has month-to-month memberships. Or possibly even try to run after the sun goes down/before it comes up. I've been thinking it would be too dark, but most nights, if they're clear, are fairly well lit by the moon and stars, and I know my circular driveway pretty well. I could carry a flashlight!
If I really wanted to get into it (and spend some money), I could build myself a covered running track. Have the driveway smoothed out and put up covered pavilions over it. Heh. That would be a bit extreme... but very convenient.
36:18 minutes
2.62 miles
13.8 miles/min
I have to say, I'm skeptical about that pace! Although I would love to have really run 13.8 minute miles, that's way under my normal pace. I didn't count laps, I let the GPS on my phone keep track, and I'm not sure how accurate that can be when I'm running tight tenth-of-a-mile loops. Maybe next time I'll count laps and see how it matches up. On the other hand, none of my other midweek runs were this far off, and I used the GPS for those, too. Hm.
I slept in late this morning and didn't get started until 10 AM. It was already 70 F outside, barely any breeze and not a cloud in the sky. Hot, but I didn't feel like it was getting to me too badly. Dang it, I might actually be getting my health back after all these years.
Of course, 70 F is still cool compared to what the summer is going to be like. I had an idea about that—it occurred to me that if I run the Long Beach half marathon, I wouldn't have to do any long runs above 13 miles before October, and I could squeeze those into the morning hours if I get up early enough. Then I could train up to the marathon and do Honolulu. But I'm not sure I'd have time to get from 13 miles to 26 in the less than two months between Long Beach and Honolulu... need to get out a calendar and plan it out. Other options would be to get a membership at a gym and run indoors on a treadmill if it's too hot outside. T-Fitness has month-to-month memberships. Or possibly even try to run after the sun goes down/before it comes up. I've been thinking it would be too dark, but most nights, if they're clear, are fairly well lit by the moon and stars, and I know my circular driveway pretty well. I could carry a flashlight!
If I really wanted to get into it (and spend some money), I could build myself a covered running track. Have the driveway smoothed out and put up covered pavilions over it. Heh. That would be a bit extreme... but very convenient.
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Week 2: Four miles
20:40 sec run/walk ratio
1:13:54 hours
4.33 miles
17.0 min/mile
Pretty good run today. I was really tired yesterday, so I slept in until around 9:15 AM and didn't get started running until 10 AM, but the weather was a cool 58 F and there was a nice breeze so the sun didn't bother me too much.
I did have several annoying interruptions. First, I added two albums to my playlist today, Rage Against the Machine and Linkin Park, planning to listen to one after the other, but the app decided to shuffle the songs, which I didn't like, but I couldn't figure out how to make them not shuffle. I know I've seen the shuffle icon in the app, but it wasn't anywhere I could find, and I didn't want to take too much time on it, so I just let it go. Will have to see if I can figure it out for next time. I used my new iPhone belt, and it works really well, except that I can't look at the phone or make adjustments to my workout while it's in the belt, so I have to either make sure everything's set up the way I want it before I start, or fiddle with taking it out and putting it back in the belt while I'm running.
Later, I stopped for a few minutes to talk to a guy who was driving by in a fire truck (they'd had a paramedic call earlier for someone farther up the road, and were returning after taking care of things). He said he'd lived in my house years ago—when it was the previous house—and asked me about it and took a picture. I paused the workout while I was talking to him, so I don't think it counted.
Then, finally, I was getting near the end and wanted to check how much longer I had to go, so I took the phone out of the pouch to look at it, and got all messed up trying to get it back in, accidentally stopping the workout, dropping the phone, finally just carried it in my hand the rest of the way (which was only another .2 miles anyway).
Still. It was a good four miles. I started to get a little tired by the end, but not too bad. I could have gone on if I'd had to. I ran a good pace and finished my second long run right on schedule.
Oh! I almost forgot to mention—I wore my new shoes and really like them! Not a twinge in my left ankle. The shoes might be a bit snug, but they're made of soft mesh with a plastic grid that's flexible enough that they don't feel too tight. Will see how they do as the miles get longer, but for now, I'm very pleased. They have good support and feel good on my feet. I do need new socks, but I've ordered a couple of pairs of Wright Socks online and hope to have them soon.
1:13:54 hours
4.33 miles
17.0 min/mile
Pretty good run today. I was really tired yesterday, so I slept in until around 9:15 AM and didn't get started running until 10 AM, but the weather was a cool 58 F and there was a nice breeze so the sun didn't bother me too much.
I did have several annoying interruptions. First, I added two albums to my playlist today, Rage Against the Machine and Linkin Park, planning to listen to one after the other, but the app decided to shuffle the songs, which I didn't like, but I couldn't figure out how to make them not shuffle. I know I've seen the shuffle icon in the app, but it wasn't anywhere I could find, and I didn't want to take too much time on it, so I just let it go. Will have to see if I can figure it out for next time. I used my new iPhone belt, and it works really well, except that I can't look at the phone or make adjustments to my workout while it's in the belt, so I have to either make sure everything's set up the way I want it before I start, or fiddle with taking it out and putting it back in the belt while I'm running.
Later, I stopped for a few minutes to talk to a guy who was driving by in a fire truck (they'd had a paramedic call earlier for someone farther up the road, and were returning after taking care of things). He said he'd lived in my house years ago—when it was the previous house—and asked me about it and took a picture. I paused the workout while I was talking to him, so I don't think it counted.
Then, finally, I was getting near the end and wanted to check how much longer I had to go, so I took the phone out of the pouch to look at it, and got all messed up trying to get it back in, accidentally stopping the workout, dropping the phone, finally just carried it in my hand the rest of the way (which was only another .2 miles anyway).
Still. It was a good four miles. I started to get a little tired by the end, but not too bad. I could have gone on if I'd had to. I ran a good pace and finished my second long run right on schedule.
Oh! I almost forgot to mention—I wore my new shoes and really like them! Not a twinge in my left ankle. The shoes might be a bit snug, but they're made of soft mesh with a plastic grid that's flexible enough that they don't feel too tight. Will see how they do as the miles get longer, but for now, I'm very pleased. They have good support and feel good on my feet. I do need new socks, but I've ordered a couple of pairs of Wright Socks online and hope to have them soon.
Wednesday, April 08, 2015
Week 2 Day 2
20:40 sec run/walk ratio
36:20 min
2.22 miles
16.2 min/mile
Good run today. It was cold—47 F at 2:30 PM when I went out—so I wore long johns under my tights and tee-shirt, and that worked pretty well for keeping me warm but not too warm as I ran. The sun was out but the wind was cold. It was actually supposed to snow last night, but it didn't reach my elevation. I can see a dusting of snow on the mountaintops, though. It did rain heavily yesterday, but by the time I went out for my run it was pretty dry.
I wore my old Nikes and ran counter-clockwise, to see if that would help my ankle. It was a little sore as I ran, but not enough to bother me. So I think it did help. I hope if I get some good shoes it will eventually stop hurting altogether. My new running shoes arrived at the post office yesterday, but I didn't get the notice in my mailbox until I was on my way home, and I didn't feel like driving all the way back to the post office at that point. I'll go into town in a little while and pick them up. I have only a short walk scheduled for tomorrow, so that will be a good time to try them out.
36:20 min
2.22 miles
16.2 min/mile
Good run today. It was cold—47 F at 2:30 PM when I went out—so I wore long johns under my tights and tee-shirt, and that worked pretty well for keeping me warm but not too warm as I ran. The sun was out but the wind was cold. It was actually supposed to snow last night, but it didn't reach my elevation. I can see a dusting of snow on the mountaintops, though. It did rain heavily yesterday, but by the time I went out for my run it was pretty dry.
I wore my old Nikes and ran counter-clockwise, to see if that would help my ankle. It was a little sore as I ran, but not enough to bother me. So I think it did help. I hope if I get some good shoes it will eventually stop hurting altogether. My new running shoes arrived at the post office yesterday, but I didn't get the notice in my mailbox until I was on my way home, and I didn't feel like driving all the way back to the post office at that point. I'll go into town in a little while and pick them up. I have only a short walk scheduled for tomorrow, so that will be a good time to try them out.
Monday, April 06, 2015
Week 2 Day 1
20:40 sec run/walk
36.13 min
2.08 miles
17.3 min/mile
This week is getting off to a slow start... I ended up going to the ER in Bakersfield last night (cut my finger really badly, it's fine, the trip was a waste of time, but the Advice Nurse I called to see if she thought I should see a doctor about it was all, "You must go to the ER now!", so I did) and didn't get home until quarter after 2 in the morning. I slept until 10 AM and feel reasonably okay today, but still worn out from the trip and late night. Fortunately, it's a cool day and I was able to go out before 2 PM and do my run without worrying about the weather. In fact, it was only around 50 F and the wind was biting, so I was too cold if anything. I really need more/better running clothes—I end up wearing my only two pairs of tights one over the other to keep my legs warm. Would be nice to have one pair of running tights/pants that were warm. Also need more socks.
And shoes. Definitely shoes. My left ankle was sore again today, and I decided that possibly it's the shoes that are at fault. I've been wearing the stiff leather Everlasts I bought for the gym, as they're my only sports shoes, besides the extremely worn and ratty Nikes I bought for my last marathon. They're decent shoes but not for running, at least not for me. My feet are floppy, but stiff shoes seem to work against me, battering my feet as they flop around. I do better with soft, flexible shoes. I think I will go back to my worn-out Nikes for now and see if my feet do any better. I did order a new pair of running shoes online—which is taking a big chance, because who knows whether they'll be good shoes for me or not—but they were only $40 (supposedly marked down from $100), and worth a gamble. If they even fit at all, I can at least wear them for everyday shoes. If I can't use them for running, I'll have to go shoe shopping again.
I had a bit of a false start today. I had thought I'd used the Buggles "Age of Plastic" album as my music, but somehow had only added the first song. Much as I love "Video Killed the Radio Star," I didn't want to hear it over and over for 35 minutes. I stopped the workout after about five minutes to figure out how to add the whole album, and then restarted the workout. So I got an extra few minutes of walking and running in today.
36.13 min
2.08 miles
17.3 min/mile
This week is getting off to a slow start... I ended up going to the ER in Bakersfield last night (cut my finger really badly, it's fine, the trip was a waste of time, but the Advice Nurse I called to see if she thought I should see a doctor about it was all, "You must go to the ER now!", so I did) and didn't get home until quarter after 2 in the morning. I slept until 10 AM and feel reasonably okay today, but still worn out from the trip and late night. Fortunately, it's a cool day and I was able to go out before 2 PM and do my run without worrying about the weather. In fact, it was only around 50 F and the wind was biting, so I was too cold if anything. I really need more/better running clothes—I end up wearing my only two pairs of tights one over the other to keep my legs warm. Would be nice to have one pair of running tights/pants that were warm. Also need more socks.
And shoes. Definitely shoes. My left ankle was sore again today, and I decided that possibly it's the shoes that are at fault. I've been wearing the stiff leather Everlasts I bought for the gym, as they're my only sports shoes, besides the extremely worn and ratty Nikes I bought for my last marathon. They're decent shoes but not for running, at least not for me. My feet are floppy, but stiff shoes seem to work against me, battering my feet as they flop around. I do better with soft, flexible shoes. I think I will go back to my worn-out Nikes for now and see if my feet do any better. I did order a new pair of running shoes online—which is taking a big chance, because who knows whether they'll be good shoes for me or not—but they were only $40 (supposedly marked down from $100), and worth a gamble. If they even fit at all, I can at least wear them for everyday shoes. If I can't use them for running, I'll have to go shoe shopping again.
I had a bit of a false start today. I had thought I'd used the Buggles "Age of Plastic" album as my music, but somehow had only added the first song. Much as I love "Video Killed the Radio Star," I didn't want to hear it over and over for 35 minutes. I stopped the workout after about five minutes to figure out how to add the whole album, and then restarted the workout. So I got an extra few minutes of walking and running in today.
Saturday, April 04, 2015
Week 1: Three miles
20 sec run/40 sec walk
56.31 min for 3.33 miles
Avg pace 16.9 min/mile
And off we go! I am using the Marathon Training with Jeff Galloway app on my iPhone to keep track of my runs and times. Pretty neat! It uses GPS to track miles and tells you when to start and stop running. You can play music while you run or not, as you choose. It comes with 15 tracks of music, which I downloaded and used today, but I will probably use my own music or none in the future. I figured the music that came with it would be electronic/disco, and it was. One of the tracks had a guy saying, "This is house!", so I guess it's house music? I dunno, not my thing, and not very motivating. Will have to load up my iPhone with some of my own music to use.
I got started a little after 8 AM, when it was still around 48 F outside. It's now 58 F. Perfect running weather! Too bad it won't last. I remembered to use sunscreen, but forgot to bring a handkerchief, and my nose started running about halfway through. Oops. My left foot has been a bit achey on the outside of my ankle. I wondered if it was because I've been running clockwise loops only so far, and putting extra pressure on my outside foot. Maybe, maybe not, but I decided to run counterclockwise today anyway.
I've ordered a running belt to hold my iPhone while I run, but meanwhile, I'm using the lanyard I got at Escapade a couple of years ago with the cord around my waist and the iPhone in one of the zippered pockets. Not ideal, but it does the job. I had thought I would just do the whole training around my house, but already I'm finding the rough, uneven ground bothersome and may go ahead and drive down to the mailboxes and run in town for some of my long runs. In which case, I'll need to get a belt with a water bottle, too. Hmm. I also need more/better running clothes and shoes. The only things I have right now are a couple of technical shirts (they're ok), some tights and shorts that are too big but wearable for the time being, cheapish shoes I bought for the gym (also okay for the time being, but will need better ones for the longer runs), a hat (it's good!), and a couple of pairs of socks (as with the other stuff, okay for now, but need more and better ones). The only place to shop in town is Big 5, they're okay but the selection isn't very big. I will probably make a run into Bakersfield at some point.
Anyway, week one is done!
56.31 min for 3.33 miles
Avg pace 16.9 min/mile
And off we go! I am using the Marathon Training with Jeff Galloway app on my iPhone to keep track of my runs and times. Pretty neat! It uses GPS to track miles and tells you when to start and stop running. You can play music while you run or not, as you choose. It comes with 15 tracks of music, which I downloaded and used today, but I will probably use my own music or none in the future. I figured the music that came with it would be electronic/disco, and it was. One of the tracks had a guy saying, "This is house!", so I guess it's house music? I dunno, not my thing, and not very motivating. Will have to load up my iPhone with some of my own music to use.
I got started a little after 8 AM, when it was still around 48 F outside. It's now 58 F. Perfect running weather! Too bad it won't last. I remembered to use sunscreen, but forgot to bring a handkerchief, and my nose started running about halfway through. Oops. My left foot has been a bit achey on the outside of my ankle. I wondered if it was because I've been running clockwise loops only so far, and putting extra pressure on my outside foot. Maybe, maybe not, but I decided to run counterclockwise today anyway.
I've ordered a running belt to hold my iPhone while I run, but meanwhile, I'm using the lanyard I got at Escapade a couple of years ago with the cord around my waist and the iPhone in one of the zippered pockets. Not ideal, but it does the job. I had thought I would just do the whole training around my house, but already I'm finding the rough, uneven ground bothersome and may go ahead and drive down to the mailboxes and run in town for some of my long runs. In which case, I'll need to get a belt with a water bottle, too. Hmm. I also need more/better running clothes and shoes. The only things I have right now are a couple of technical shirts (they're ok), some tights and shorts that are too big but wearable for the time being, cheapish shoes I bought for the gym (also okay for the time being, but will need better ones for the longer runs), a hat (it's good!), and a couple of pairs of socks (as with the other stuff, okay for now, but need more and better ones). The only place to shop in town is Big 5, they're okay but the selection isn't very big. I will probably make a run into Bakersfield at some point.
Anyway, week one is done!
Wednesday, April 01, 2015
Midweek run
19 laps, 31:34 min
I don't plan to keep posting every midweek run as well as the long runs, but since I'm just starting out again after a loooooooong hiatus, I will do for a bit, just to keep track of how it's going.
I got up early (7:30 AM, early for me!) so I could get out onto the road by a little after 8 AM. It was cold out this morning—48 F and windy—and I layered up with two pairs of tights and my sweatshirt, although I took the sweatshirt off about halfway through. As cool as the day is supposed to be, I wouldn't have had to start that early to avoid the heat, but I wanted to get in the habit of starting early, for one thing, and anyway, today I have a dentist's appointment at 10:30 AM so I wanted to finish my run in plenty of time to get ready for that.
It was a pretty good run, not quite as fast as Monday but still well under 32 minutes, so that wasn't just a fluke!
I will do my two-mile walk tomorrow, then take Friday off—and Saturday, three miles!
I don't plan to keep posting every midweek run as well as the long runs, but since I'm just starting out again after a loooooooong hiatus, I will do for a bit, just to keep track of how it's going.
I got up early (7:30 AM, early for me!) so I could get out onto the road by a little after 8 AM. It was cold out this morning—48 F and windy—and I layered up with two pairs of tights and my sweatshirt, although I took the sweatshirt off about halfway through. As cool as the day is supposed to be, I wouldn't have had to start that early to avoid the heat, but I wanted to get in the habit of starting early, for one thing, and anyway, today I have a dentist's appointment at 10:30 AM so I wanted to finish my run in plenty of time to get ready for that.
It was a pretty good run, not quite as fast as Monday but still well under 32 minutes, so that wasn't just a fluke!
I will do my two-mile walk tomorrow, then take Friday off—and Saturday, three miles!
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