Another week has flown by and we had some interesting weather in the past several days. It has gone from 20 degrees up to sixty five and back. We have had sunshine, rain, and snow flurries as well as some really impressive winds. I really wanted to stay outside this week and I ran in all of it. Tuesday morning I was watching the weather and new that Wednesday had the potential to get pretty ugly so I decided to move my five miler up one day to ensure that I could do it outside. I am glad I did because Wednesday I was supposed to do three miles and the temps ended up dropping into the 30's and there were winds gusting up to 65 miles per hour. This was an interesting (and exhausting) run and I decided to call it a day after just two miles. There was debris flying everywhere and I felt like I was running up a steep hill the entire time. The five miles felt pretty good although the shins were still bothering me a little bit. Thursday was pretty warm and it was nice to finally be able to run in shorts and a t-shirt again. The variety was great but I ended up with a nice little sinus infections as a result. This happens to me every year about this time when the weather fluctuates so wildly. I started to feel it on Thursday night and by Friday afternoon it was pretty well set in. After climbing on my roof to hang plastic over the missing siding (thanks to the winds) I put on some warm clothes and went to bed. I didn't do much of anything but sleep on Saturday and by Sunday I felt well enough to go out and get a light run in. Going into the week, I was supposed to do ten miles according to my training log but knew that I would probably do closer to 8 based on how my legs felt. I started off pretty good but got tired after about four miles and called it quits at six. I am trying to get healthy quickly and knew I should get some rest without overdoing it. I also did not get any cross training in.
Five Miles: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/2074784
Two Miles (in 50 mph winds!!) http://connect.garmin.com/activity/2157686
Three Miles: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/2157685
This week I am doing another 3-5-3 and then will get as many miles as I can in on Saturday and Sunday. Katie and I are heading to Sedona, Arizona for a long weekend with some friends and I have been scouting out some trails to run on while I am there. My goal will be to get eight miles in Saturday morning and then a shorter run of two to four miles on Sunday instead of doing any cross training. We are planning to hike in the Grand Canyon that day so I may even go a little easier. I am looking forward to getting a way for the weekend for a little R&R. I hope to include some pics from my run in my post next week.
-bgw
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Training Week - 6
This has been another pretty good week of training. Tuesday I did three miles but had some slight soreness in my shins. This didn't stop me from completing the mileage but I knew I had to listen to my legs before getting myself hurt again. After speaking with my brother-in-law, Brian, about his pre-workout routine, I decided to add some shin specific stretches to my warm up and this seems to have helped. I found these stretches in a Runner's World article at http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-290-291-529-0,00.html Wednesday and Thursday I was still a little sore but the stretching helped and I was able to complete the required mileage. Saturday was once again my long day and the weather turned in my favor. I was actually able to get outside for both my seven mile run and my cross training and I was equally excited to be able to use my Garmin 405 again. (This time I remembered to have it charged and ready). You can see my results below:
Seven & a half mile run: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/2036056
Eighteen mile ride: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/2050720
This being my first run outside in nearly six weeks I had almost forgotten how nice it is to be able to run in the fresh air. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy running in place on a moving belt while starring at the walls and listening to all of the random conversations taking place at the gym but I think I still prefer getting outside. I tend to go blank on the treadmill and I find that I am not even concentrating on my running. I just move my legs back and forth and wait for the time to be over. Outside is completely different and you never seem the exact same things twice. This time out was still a little more icy and snow covered than I expected but I welcomed the change of scenery. The first three miles were a little rough as I stopped at the end of each mile to stretch but by the end of the fourth mile I was feeling great and virtually pain free and was able to enjoy the rest of the run. Today I woke up feeling good and then looked at the weather and was happy to see the the forecasted rain had missed us and I knew I was going to head out on the bike. It was pretty windy and a little chilly but I was loving it! If you look at the Garmin mapping above you can see that I had a nice head wind for the first five miles but had that same wind to my back for several miles after that. I had a 5-7 mph difference between the two. Overall it was a pretty casual ride but again, it was great to get outside for a change.
This coming week I am looking forward to a rest day tomorrow and then will be doing a 3-5-3 Tuesday thru Thursday, rest on Friday and I will finish the week with a nine or ten mile long run depending on how my legs are feeling on Saturday. As long as the weather stays in the mid to upper twenties I will continue to run outside. I will keep my fingers crossed and hope for spring in the mean time.
-bgw
Seven & a half mile run: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/2036056
Eighteen mile ride: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/2050720
This being my first run outside in nearly six weeks I had almost forgotten how nice it is to be able to run in the fresh air. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy running in place on a moving belt while starring at the walls and listening to all of the random conversations taking place at the gym but I think I still prefer getting outside. I tend to go blank on the treadmill and I find that I am not even concentrating on my running. I just move my legs back and forth and wait for the time to be over. Outside is completely different and you never seem the exact same things twice. This time out was still a little more icy and snow covered than I expected but I welcomed the change of scenery. The first three miles were a little rough as I stopped at the end of each mile to stretch but by the end of the fourth mile I was feeling great and virtually pain free and was able to enjoy the rest of the run. Today I woke up feeling good and then looked at the weather and was happy to see the the forecasted rain had missed us and I knew I was going to head out on the bike. It was pretty windy and a little chilly but I was loving it! If you look at the Garmin mapping above you can see that I had a nice head wind for the first five miles but had that same wind to my back for several miles after that. I had a 5-7 mph difference between the two. Overall it was a pretty casual ride but again, it was great to get outside for a change.
This coming week I am looking forward to a rest day tomorrow and then will be doing a 3-5-3 Tuesday thru Thursday, rest on Friday and I will finish the week with a nine or ten mile long run depending on how my legs are feeling on Saturday. As long as the weather stays in the mid to upper twenties I will continue to run outside. I will keep my fingers crossed and hope for spring in the mean time.
-bgw
Monday, February 2, 2009
Training Week - 5
February is here, the days seem to be moving faster, and May 17th is going to be here before I know it. This week I have continued to run somewhat easy but have picked up te pace a bit. I have continued to feel better and seem to be getting a little stronger. I completed a total of seventeen miles including a "long" run of seven miles. It took me about an hour and twenty minutes but it was great to get the miles done. I think it felt even better to wake up the next morning and head down the stairs to get my morning coffee without having pain in my legs with every step. Yesterday was a busy day and between church, my grandmother's 80th birthday party and the Superbowl I didn't get any time to do my cross training so I turned it into my rest day. I will be jumping on the bike for a bit tonight and then will be running the next three days. Just like last week, I will be doing 3-4-3 Tuesday through Thursday. Friday will be a rest day and Saturday I will be shooting for nine miles. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the snow stays away and I can get outside for that. I am not looking forward to running in place for that long.
On another note, we did get our hotel booked this week so I officially have a place to sleep. It is a big relief to have most of the logistics out of the way. I did find it interesting that the organizers of the Cleveland Marathon chose to block off rooms at the hotels that were the furthest away from the start/finish line. They bypassed at least three hotels that were closer including one right next to the convention center which is where the race packets are to be picked up. I am sure they have their reasons...I am just not sure what they are.
-bgw
On another note, we did get our hotel booked this week so I officially have a place to sleep. It is a big relief to have most of the logistics out of the way. I did find it interesting that the organizers of the Cleveland Marathon chose to block off rooms at the hotels that were the furthest away from the start/finish line. They bypassed at least three hotels that were closer including one right next to the convention center which is where the race packets are to be picked up. I am sure they have their reasons...I am just not sure what they are.
-bgw
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