Happy Anniversary!

Whew, that was close!  

I almost forgot this one.  If I had missed this anniversary there would have been no avoiding those passive aggressive stares looking back at me in the mirror.  I would have never let myself live it down.  I can be so difficult to live with sometimes.

Happy 6^th running anniversary to me!  I hear the gift theme for this one is sugar.  That should be easy enough.

Here’s the first entry in my running log from August 15, 2005. 

I ran a whopping 6/10 of a mile.

That was 2,813 miles ago.

From humble beginnings . . . .

Going Streaking

Not quite as consistent as I would like, but I squeaked
past 100 miles during the last workout of the month.

I finally broke the 100 mile/month barrier again.  After a streak of 13 consecutive 100 mile months I decided I needed a break.  I was feeling a bit battered and suffering from shin splints and general aches and fatigue after training for the Croom 50k.  I reluctantly cut my mileage back to about 60 miles/month for two months.

Cutting back was a tough decision and one that made me feel surprisingly guilty.  I tried to console myself by recalling that not too long ago I would have been ecstatic about a 60 mile month.  It didn’t work.  I also tried to remind myself that my original goal was to maintain that level of training for a year – and that I surpassed that goal.  That didn’t work either.  There was no assuaging the guilt, but it was the right decision.  I did suffer a decline in my fitness level, but my legs feel healthy again.  I’m reinvigorated and excited about ramping up the mileage again.

I’ve got plenty to keep me motivated over the next few months.  The Marine Corps Marathon in October, the Space Coast Marathon in November, the Key West Ragnar Relay and a Doppel gathering at the Miami Marathon in January, a possible attempt at a 50 mile ultra in the spring, and probably a few other treats along the way.

So let the streaking begin.  I’ve got a 13 month PR to break. 

And for those of you that I lured into reading this post with a deceptively prurient title:

The dirty little secret behind America’s obesity epidemic.

The alarming increase in America’s obesity rates has been featured in the news lately.  Unfortunately, the trend has even touched this intrepid runner/blogger.  I have packed on 15 pounds in the past year.  In that same time period I ran 1,373 miles, an average of 114 miles per month.  I trained for and ran a 15k, 2 half marathons, 2 full marathons and an ultra marathon.  So how is this possible, you may ask?

To get to the bottom of this mystery I took on the arduous task of analyzing my running log.  Hidden deep within the bowels of that digital labyrinth I discovered the horrible truth.

As I scanned through my notes a definite pattern emerged.  Here are some samples:

 . . . . Deleon Springs State Park Trail run with the West Volusia Runners followed by grill-your-own pancakes at the Sugarmill . . . . enjoyed a couple of beers at Genuine Bistro after a 5 miler with WVR  . . . .  Victoria Park meets Deland Hills.  Had this delicious French toast sandwich at Half Full Coffee House . . . . WVR Dunkin Donuts run . . . .Chicken dancing and German beer at Hollerbach’s . . . . Tammie made awesome cupcakes for the 4^th of July run at Gemini . . . . Gemini Springs run with WVR followed by pancake breakfast at IHOP . . . .  WVR Christmas party . . . . Pasta dinner at Vienna Café after the WVR run tonight . . . . Jennifer’s banana bread . . . . $1 burger night at Dexters run with WVR . . . . Run through the Stetson U campus with WVR followed by Ice Cream at Sweet Spot. . . .    

  

I could go on, but I think you get the point.

So don’t blame fast food for America's expanding waistlines.  There are 1000’s of running clubs in the US that are gaining in popularity at precisely same time obesity rates are on the rise.  Coincidence?  I think not!

Protect yourself!

Keep your distance! 

Stay away!  

Running clubs are fattening . . . and addictive, a dangerous combination!

Giddy no More

Disclaimer: The above picture has very little to do with the subject of today’s post (at least she looks like she’s running fast). I received feedback from my Giddy School Girl post yesterday questioning my testosterone levels so I’m overcompensating.

Yesterday’s speed session went very well. We were privileged to be able to work out with the University High School Cross Country Team. The workout consisted of a one mile warm up, 8 - ¼ mile intervals, and a mile cool down.

We were instructed to run the intervals at our 5k pace which for me is about 7:30. I ran the first interval in 90 seconds flat, much faster than my 5k pace but it qualified me to run with “Group 1” for the rest of the session. I’m not sure if that was privilege or punishment. Doing the math I realized that was a 6:00 mile pace.

The coach did an awesome job but was relentless. After what seemed like mere moments of recovery she would call for each group to line up for another lap as we were still dry heaving from our last effort. She wielded the lanyard on her yellow stop watch over us like a whip to “encourage” us like galley slaves on a roman trireme. It worked.

By the time we finished the 6th interval I realized I had no idea how many we were running. Concerned, I sheepishly decided to give myself another minute of rest and waited to run the last two laps with Group 2.

My pace proved to be too fast and I lost a few seconds with each lap. I did manage to complete the first mile of intervals in about 6:20, not bad for this old geezer. By the end of the session I slowed to 1:50 per lap which is right on target with my actual 5k pace and probably where I should have started.

It was great to run with the high school kids too many of whom made running seem effortless, easily loping around the track while I was gasping for breath. Curse them for their youth.

This will become part of my weekly training and is a great opportunity afforded by WVR.

Anyway, back to the girl in the picture. Was anyone else’s first impression on seeing her a concern that she has a serious over striding issue?

Anyone?

Anyone?

Giddy as a School Girl

After eight days, my running hiatus is finally over.  I completed a three mile run Monday and so far my shin feels good.  Now it’s back to some serious running.

Most of my training has consisted of simply putting in the miles with a few hills thrown in for variety.  I have really been slacking off when it comes to speed work.

Thanks to WVR, tonight I have a real speed workout planned, on a real track, under the supervision of a real coach. I’m as giddy as a school girl.  I’ll probably faint like one too, as it will likely still be near 90 degrees when we begin.

Wish me luck.

5 Stages of Running Withdrawal

I accomplished a lot in the past 18 months. It’s been an exciting adventure and the next season of running is looking even better. Unfortunately training consistently for that long without a break has left me feeling a bit battered at times. Now that a nagging pain in my right shin has persisted for a month I figured it was finally time to rest. Marathon training starts back up again next month and I want to start out healthy.

I am currently on day four of my hiatus, the longest I have gone without running since February of 2010. In just that short amount of time I already discovered that quitting cold turkey results in withdrawal symptoms that put taper madness to shame. As it turns out, running is as physically addictive as heroine.

So I thought I would share my 5 Stages of Running Withdrawal.

1. Denial: Rest? Who needs rest? Not me. I can’t get injured, I’m invincible. This pain just means I need to switch shoes, or improve my form, or get a massage, or run trails instead of roads, stretch more, buy painkillers in bulk, get a foam roller, a stick, a brace, runner’s tape, stock up on that magic ointment they hide behind the counter in the Asian market, stroke my lucky rabbits foot, consult a witch doctor, surf through TV infomercials looking for miracle cures . . . .

2. Anger: I haven’t had a quality long run in a month and suddenly every phrase that exits my mouth is peppered with language so foul it would make a sailor blush. As a precaution, I started warning the highway patrol to clear the roads before I start my morning and evening commutes. There is also a sign posted outside my office door “Watch Out for Flying Equipment” as even the slightest malfunction is likely to be followed by a hysterical temper tantrum the likes of which would make two year olds stand and take notice.

3. Bargaining: I promised myself no running for at least a week. Oh, but WVR’s got that new track workout tonight, that really sounds like fun.  Maybe I’ll just go and see how I feel. And the Genuine Bistro run is tomorrow, I love that route (and the beer afterward), surely just a quick 5 mile run wouldn’t do any harm. I'll keep my pace over 10:00 minutes.  Well, maybe speed up just a bit for one mile, but no faster than 9:00, wait, its a coolest evening we've had in a while.  OK 2 miles at 8:30, no faster than that, I promise, unless I think I can catch up to the person ahead of me.  My alarm is set for 7:00 am, so why am I wide awake at 4:30? Since I’m up anyway, why don’t I just lace up my shoes and tell myself later it was a dream.

4. Depression: Sob.

5. Acceptance: is a myth. I want to run.

. . . .