Tuesday Moonlight Easy Run

2012-07-31 Tuesday

Today's plan calls for an Easy Run.

DC Bike Path: 1/2 Marathon Training, Easy Run. Dist: (3.11)mi. Pace-avg: (14:38). Speed-avg: (4.1)mph. Speed-max: (5.7)mph. Burned: (327) Calories. HR-avg: (159).

Plan: Run (3.0)mi. @ an avg. (17:58) pace for a total time of (53:55)min.
Actual: Run/walk (3.11)mi. @ an avg. (14:58) pace for a total of (45:23.39)min. followed by a cool-down walk.
Fuel: Pre-run: Honey Stinger Chews (Orange Blossom); Mid-run: (water); Post-run: dinner!

Just imagine it's night, with a near full-moon shining bright...

Splits: (14:18), (14:36), (15:19), (11:55) for the last (.011)mi.

Other News: CrossFit training is still going well. On June 30th I was able to execute several sets of Shoulder Presses @ (55)lbs. [From my notebook]:
10 reps.@(45)lbs.; 7 reps. @(45)lbs. 5 reps. @(45)lbs.; 5 reps. @(55)lbs.; 5 reps. @(55)lbs.

Today I was able to max out at (65)lbs. on the Shoulder Press [From my notebook]:
1 rep @(65)lbs.; 5 reps. @(55)lbs.; 5 reps. @(50)lbs.; 5 reps. @(50)lbs.
Here I focused on trying to keep better form with my elbows out front and closer together throughout the movement; I definitely felt the difference during execution.

Back on June 30th I was able to Back Squat (95)lbs. several times [From my notebook]:
8 reps. @(95)lbs.; 10 reps. @(95)lbs.; 10 reps. @(95)lbs.; 10 reps. @(95)lbs.

On July 28th I was able to PR @ (135)lbs. [From my notebook]:
 5 reps. @ (95)lbs.; 5 reps. @(115)lbs.; 3 reps. @(125)lbs.; 5 reps. @(125)lbs.; 5 reps. @(135)lbs.

Jump-rope work has improved a good bit: 
May 8th: (44) continuous jumps in a row, double-bounce between rope revolutions. HR pegged @ (172)bpm.
June 30th: (82) continuous, break/trip on rope, then on to (100). Still double-bounce between revolutions.
July 31st: (10) jumps, rest, (27) jumps, rest, (40) continuous jumps w/ single bounce between revolutions.

For me, that's really big. I was able to get the rope spinning faster and faster towards the end, with my elbows in and my wrists a little closer to my hips. I also discovered that to keep my breathing rhythm I had to exhale on landing, and inhale on lift-off. My earlier effort the last couple weeks with the single-bounce jumps had me flummoxed because I could not maintain a useful breathing rhythm. Also, practicing the jumps without the rope beforehand, to try and get the bounce rhythm was very useful. I soft of figured that out on my own, and my trainer has encouraged it. This effort is geared towards eventually executing Double-Unders, i.e. executing two revolutions of the rope between jumps. Still looks a little tricky, but I am getting there.


-Lancer!!

Sunday Moonlight Easy Run

2011-10-09, Sunday

Today's plan calls for an Easy Run.

DC Bike Path: 1/2 Marathon Training, Easy Run. Dist: (7.56)mi. Pace-avg: (16:40). Speed-avg: (3.6)mph. Speed-max: (4.8)mph. Burned: (821) Calories. Running lights; near full-moon.
 
Plan: Run (5)mi. @ a (17:00) pace for a total time of (1:25:03)hrs. 
Actual: Jog/walk (5)mi. @ an avg (16:17) pace for a total of (1:21:26.94)hrs., bracketed by (1)mi. warm-up walk, and (1.56)mi. cool-down walk.
Fuel: Pre-run: (8x) multigrain fig newtons; Mid-run: Jelly Belly Sport Beans (Grape); Post-run: late dinner.

Tonight's run went very well. I got started just before midnight and there was a nearly full moon out tonight, so it was another beautiful moonlight run in the park. I able to jog a faster pace, rather than just walk as I did last time, and I had no pain in my broken toe, though I did feel a slightly dull ache from time to time during my run. My split paces for tonight's run were: Mile(1): (14:28); Mile (2): (16:06); Mile (3): (17:56); Mile (4): (15:47); Mile (5): (17:08).

The only people I encountered in the park tonight were two (2) cyclists with no lights, and a couple of juvenile hecklers that sounded like they might have been trying to skateboard by moonlight on one of the streets that intersects a hill that enters the park. They were all mouth and I never saw them, which means they were safely ignored.


-Lancer!!

Moonlight Easy Run

2011-07-18 0045 hrs.

Tonight I did not get out for my run till pretty late. And since I started the "run" before midnight, I will count it for Sunday, "technically speaking..." be damned.

DC Bike Path: 1/2 Marathon Training, Easy Run. Dist: (6.39)mi. Pace-avg: (16:41min./mi. Speed-avg: (3.6)mph. Speed-max: (5.1)mph. Burned: (701) Calories.

Today's plan called for a (4) mile Easy Run at a pace of (17:50) for a completion time of (1:11:22). I completed the (4) miles in (1:06:04.78) at an average pace of (16:31). I also had a warm-up and cooldown of (1) mile each, plus (0.39) miles of easy walking back to the house.

I was a little surprised to see as many people in the park as I did. Tonight's moon is waning gibbous, so there was plenty of light out to see the bike path. I took my SureFire flashlight (I even checked the batteries before I left the house) and my bike light, so I would have plenty of light if I needed it. The first person I saw was walking across the bike path from the footbridge towards a vineyard. They didn't use a flashlight, and didn't make any noise, but after that I turned off my iPod so I could hear my surroundings more effectively.

The next people I encountered were a young couple just before the first overpass, where the bike path follows the river under the road. I guess they were just there to make out, or something. I had to use my bright flashlight just to make sure I was seeing people, and not shadows. Continuing on under the bridge I followed the path that runs parallel to some neighborhood backyards, and about twenty (20) feet above the park. I thought I saw a cat in the moonlight in the middle of the path and clicked my tongue a couple of times. The cat ran off the path up towards the backyards, but then stopped after about five (5) feet. I shone my light on it, and immediately saw the two vivid white stripes that spell SKUNK! So I killed my light, and kept walking.

While walking parallel along the golf-course section of the bike path I heard voices and the creak and rattle of old bicycles. I turned around and stopped just off the path, turning on my flashlight so they would see me. Happily, they were also using bike headlights, so I'm sure my reflector vest and shoes caught the light, before that. The two girls [judging by their voices] and I exchanged hellos, and we continued on our paths. Once I passed the golf-course and the mid-park water fountain, I turned around for the return leg back home.
 
The only people I encountered on the return leg were two (2) bicyclists without headlights. I had to turn on my flashlight to make sure they saw me, because they were very busy talking. As soon as the light went on, they paid attention and kindly did not run me down. B-)



The park was beautiful in moonlight, but I was happy to get back onto surface streets and see some street lights.
-Lancer!!