The Free Market Jogger

I ran in a local 5K with my wife this morning.  We can both thank our friend Sara for lending us her car (we have been carless -- and careless-- for 9 months), because without it, we would have never trucked out to Orange, CT for this race.  More on that little car in a bit.

Arrived 45 minutes before the start and was directed to park in an adjacent snow-covered field.  Feeling that the race directors wouldn't allow cars to be parked on muddy terrain, I turn right and follow the car in front of us.   At that moment, we both notice that the 3 inches of snow is covering roughly a foot or so of mud.  Our friend's little volkswagon jetti quickly slumps down and we start slipping and sliding until we find some a fresh patch of snow.   Eventually, park the car at a weird angle relative to the everyone else's SUV and start warming up.  We both jogge a mile or so before the race, wondering to each other whether that car will ever leave that lot.

The course was downhill for the first mile, slightly uphill for most of the second, hilly for the third (including a short but steep hill near the end of the third mile), and then downhill for the last .1.  

According to their website, I finished in 21:51.  My mile splits, according to my garmin, were 6:44; 7:08; and 7:00 (avg 6:58/mi).  I would like to eventually run three 6:44 miles, but I'm not there yet.  Even during the first mile, I never felt like I was moving that fast.  I even thought I was running at a constant pace until I reached the second mile marker.  Whoops. My wife, who doesn't run but is in good overall shape, finished in 25:00, a good showing for a non-runner.

But, overall, it was a good race.  Only two people passed me: one on mile 1 and the other after the hill on mile 2.  Both people were (1.) boys, aged less than 18 and (2.) one of the few wearing only shorts and short-sleeves.  I tried to catch up to the kid who passed me on the hill but he must have heard my huffing and puffing b/c as I closed in, he took off and finished at least half a minute in front of me.

You could eat your weight in chili if interested after the race.  Since the finish line blocked the exit from the parking lot, we thought we could wait, eat some chili and then deal with that car later.  Wrong.  By the time we made it back to our car, half the parking lot was empty, the field no longer frozen but a sea of mud, fit only for monster trucks.   Long story short, with the help of two people, lots of going from reverse to drive and back again, a bunch of fishtailing, a close call with another car that seemingly was surfing on the mud like us, one close call with a race official who was directing traffic, and one epic surge to leave the muddy lot, we fishtailed our way home.   Should have kept my heart rate monitor on during the process.  We still have the car for a week but we're going to stick to the streets. 

5 miles in 15° temp in the morning.  I need some cold weather running clothes b/c my 10-ten old running tights are not blocking a whole lot out there.   Avg. 8:30/mi.

An eight mile afternoon jog in sunny 30° weather.  Legs, knees, toes, lungs.. everything felt really good out there.  Plus, I joined the Yale gym today (at a subsidized price of $7/mo., ridiculously cheap) so my wife and I are going to give weight training a try during my off days.  I've been thinking and talking a lot about training and running recently that it's turing me into a very boring person.  I can only hope that I was dull before all this running.

 Splits:  8:40; 8:27; 8:04; 8:10; 8:03; 8:06; 8:02; 8:45 (whoops).

3 cautious miles.  Last Thursday's run ended with some swelling near my second joint on my second toe.  The swelling hasn't subsided so my uneducated diagnosis is a mild case of metarsalgia.   I took yesterday off and iced it today and ran a few miles.  The pain is more of an inconvenience right now than an utter deterrence.  Probably take tomorrow off as well; fortunately, there's always football to watch.

First run on a treadmill in maybe 9 months.  Ran 7 miles: first at 7.0 mph, next 3 at 8.0 mph, and then 4 at 6.8 mph.  Soaked my feet afterwards.  At times, my second toe pain is throbbing, especially when I curl it.  Unfortunately, I subconsciously curl the darl thing or I curl it when I get tired, but overall, the pain isn't debilitating.  

Today was supposed to be a rest day but I spend the lunch hour at the gym.  4 miles in 32 minutes and 15 miles on the stationary bike.

I planned to run 8 but I felt shooting pain in my right foot in the middle of the fourth mile, so I called it a today.  Iced it when I got home.  Overall pace was 8:04/mi.

Biked 15 miles in about 45 minutes at the gym.  Did some planks & weights as well.   

I'm participating in a "do the equivalent of the Ironman in a month" thingamojob with my sister and various others, so I've been cross training a bit more than usual.  Today, biked 10 miles in around 35 minutes around West Rock and then ran 4 miles in 32 minutes on the treadmill at the Yale Univ. gym.  

 My second toe joint is still being a pill.  I bought a new pair of kicks today (Saucony Kinvara 3) which should give me more room in the toe box.  FYI, if you have wide feet like me, getting a 1/2 size larger, at least in a Saucony, is equivalent to the wide version of the 1/2 smaller.  Thus, you get the extra fabric in the toe box with the 1/2 larger but your heel doesn't move around, and you're not subjected to the hideous colors that wide shoes come in.  Win, win.

Another cross training day: 15 miles on the bike and 5 miles in 38.5 minutes (I ran two miles at 8.3 mph) on the tread.  

Here it goes, I'm going to say it: I'm the only person I know who is not sick right now. 

Ran 5 miles in unseasonably warm and drizzly weather, 45°F at night around hills of Westville.  Progressive run: 

1.  8:27

2.  8:07

3.  7:47

4.  7:37

5.  7:17 

Oh, by the way, GO PATRIOTS!! 

7 easy miles (avg. 9:00/mi), mostly uphill in Westville.   

15m on the stationary bike then 7.5 miles in 63 minutes on the treadmill.  3.5 miles at 7.7 mph.  I'm fighting a cold, so I'm happy with today's workout. 

Jogged three miles (8:26/mi pace) and biked 15 on a stationary bike.  I'm fighting a cold and winning.

6 miles to and from the library and then 4 miles (8:30/mi) on the treadmill.  I'm definitely a bit under the weather and somehow every else, literately, is now healthy.  Oh the circle of my life.

By the way, this Manti Te'o story (see here) about his fake girlfriend has generated some of the best office water cooler talk ever.  

3 miles at 8:30/mi.  This head cold finally got the best of me.  I could barely breath on the run so I cut it way short of my goal (9 miles).  It's too bad b/c it's unseasonably warm today. 

7 miles at 8:22/mi avg. pace during a light snowstorm. 

Ran a bit more than six miles without my watch.  I'm guessing my pace was 8:30/mi, maybe more.  Weather: sunny with a stiff breeze, temp 22 degrees.  

I found this video extremely funny.  For anyone living in the Dakotas or for anyone who has visited either north or south dakota in the winter, you will especially appreciate this link.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAq1Ml3PlGc&feature=share

Jogged 5.5 miles at 8:30/mi pace on the treadmill at 9 pm.  That's some late night jogging for this guy.

Jogged 7 slow miles in pretty cold weather.  AP of 9:00/mi.  

It's been in the single digits for most of last week so today's weather (33 degrees and sunny) felt like a spring day.  I took yesterday off so I was feeling good and looking forward to running 8 miles.    

 I eventually finished 6.5 miles, 4 at 8:05/mi and 2.5 at a much slower pace.  I needed to take 2 breaks after mile 4 b/c of some serious stomach movements.  I will never again drink a chai latte on a running day again.  Wow, I was so glad I was alone.

I'm running a 5K on Sunday so I ran a practice 5K around my neighborhood in the snow.  Average pace was 7:30/mi, which isn't PR-pace but maybe the slick pavement slowed me down.  I'm hoping to run faster than 21:30 on Sunday.

 Lots of lunges and situps afterwards. 

PM: Fit in 4 miles at 6:30 and 15 or so miles on my bike earlier in the day.  Progression was something like 8:30, 8:15, 7:58, 7:45.  Some squats and lunges afterwards.  Expected temp tomorrow... mid 40s.  Can't wait though it might rain.

Only three miles (avg 8:30/mi) during lunch.  Wish I had more time to run today but I slept in.  Whoops.