Thursday, January 05, 2012

Tracy Half Marathon - Fail!

I finally decided to register for the Tracy Half Marathon this morning, and lo' and behold, the race date has changed from January 29, 2012, to May 20, 2012. WTF?! This year's Bay to Breakers in San Francisco is already scheduled for the same date, May 20, and I am already signed up and committed to that event.

Now searching for a new half marathon to run at the end of January...

-Lancer!!

Second Slack-tastic Easy Run of 2012

Today's plan calls for an Easy Run. 

DC Bike Path: 1/2 Marathon Training, Easy Run. Dist: (5.17)mi. Pace-avg: (15:15). Speed-avg: (3.9)mph. Speed-max: (5.8)mph. Burned: (533) Calories. Headlight.

Plan: Run (3.0)mi. @ a (17:45) pace for a total time of (53:16)min. [Actually, this was Tuesday's plan; I'm just doing it now.]
Actual: Run (3.0)mi. @ a (13:55) avg. pace for a total time of (41:45.87)min., bracketed by a (1.0)mi. warm-up walk, and a (1.17)mi. cool-down walk.
Fuel: Pre-run: GU Energy Gel (Mandarin Orange), Honey Stinger Waffle (Honey); Mid-run: (water); Post-run: Dinner! Some leftover's from Tuesday night: Turkey patty, cranberry sauce, baked potato w/ margarine & black pepper.

Great run tonight! I left the house after 0200 hrs., the sky was clear with a bright, gibbous moon, and no fog on the streets. I walked my usual warm up mile after I dig (30) squats in the driveway to warm-up my legs a little, then ran a very comfortable (3.0)mi. in the park. I kept up a good pace and ended up with negative splits for the second time in my half-marathon training:


Splits: Mile (1): (14:09); Mile (2): (14:08); Mile (3): (13:36).

On the return leg, during my cool-down walk, I came across a small skunk. I smelled a skunk on the outbound leg of my run, and this time I saw it. It was smaller than the one I saw back in July during one my first midnight training runs. This little skunk seemed to be scared of my headlight so it kept running away, almost like I was herding it along the path with my light. It actually seemed like it might be injured because the way the little skunk kept bumbling appeared to be a sort of limping run.


Time to get cleaned up and eat something.


Start Temp: (42)deg.F.
End Temp: (38)deg.F.


-Lancer!!

Sunday, January 01, 2012

First Run of 2012!!

Today's plan calls for an Easy Run.

DC Bike Path: 1/2 Marathon Training, Easy Run. Dist: (6.03)mi. Pace-avg: (14:49). Speed-avg: (4.0)mph. Speed-max: (5.0)mph. Burned: (607) Calories. Headlight.

Plan: Run (4.0)mi. @ a (17:45) pace, for a total time of (1:11:02)hrs.
Actual: Run (4.0)mi. @ a (13:43) avg. pace for a total time of (54:50.61)min., bracketed by a (1.0)mi. warm-up walk, and a (1.03)mi. cool-down walk.
Fuel: Pre-run: Tuna casserole, chocolate cake, red grapes; Mid-run: (water); Post-run: something warm.

Tonight's run was a cold one: it was already down to (36) deg. F. when I left the house. And it is still (36) deg. F. when I returned, so the temperature held steady. [At some point I am going to have to get a little thermometer I can wear on my running clothes to keep with me; I really want to get some first-hand temperature readings. I used to have one when I was in the Boy Scouts, but it has long since disappeared.] There was fog in the park from beginning to end so my headlight gave me plenty of glare-back. I ended up running most of the time without my yellow glasses. Overall, tonight's run was awesome, because I ran (4.0) consecutive, continuous miles. I haven't run this consistently in a while, and naturally it was due to maintaining a good steady pace throughout my run this evening. My last few runs I started out too fast, so ended up paying for it by having to run/walk/run. There's nothing inherently wrong with doing my runs that way, but it does mean I have not kept up my running gains as thoroughly as I wanted.

Splits: Mile (1): (13:41); Mile (2): (13:46); Mile (3): (13:47); Mile (4): (13:44).

Other News: Smells like it's time to wash my running clothes. B-)

-Lancer!!

Lancer's 2011 Recap

So another year is here already. This is a brief recap of my athletic endeavors from 2011:

Cycling: (470.11) miles.
Walking: (474.4) miles; including Disneyland, the San Diego Zoo, the 100th Bay to Breakers, and Yosemite.
Running: (139.37) miles.

Running in particular has been a big achievement this year. Before I started working out at the gym and riding my bicycle even more than in 2010, I would have been hard pressed to even run for my life. Now I totally can! I ran/walked in the 100th Bay to Breakers on May 15, 2011, something I only did once before in 1984; it was great to do it again. I am already registered for the 2012 Bay to Breakers in San Francisco and am looking forward to it.

Attempting Half Dome in September, 2011, was also a big achievement. I didn't reach the summit, or even the base of the cables, but I got much further than I expected (the base of the Sub-Dome). During the hike up the Mist Trail I was even in serious doubt that I was going to make it to the top of Vernal Falls, let alone up to Little Yosemite Valley and beyond. This year I am hoping to make the trek again with my friends Dave and Sean. I may will even do it solo if they are unavailable, but I seriously want to spend more time hiking in Yosemite, and more time hiking in general, throughout this year.

Weight: 
2010-12-29: (220.0) lbs.
2011-12-31: (199.2) lbs.
-I lost (20.8) lbs over the course of the year and have kept it off, plus or minus (2) lbs.

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