Today's plan
calls for an Easy
Run.
DC Bike Path: 1/2 Marathon Training, Easy Run. Dist: (6.02)mi. Pace-avg: (14:55). Speed-avg: (4.0)mph. Speed-max: (5.6)mph. Burned: (662) Calories. Headlight.
Plan: Run (3.0)mi. @ a (17:45) pace for a total of (53:17)min.
Actual:
Run/walk (4.0)mi. @ an avg. (14:07) pace, bracketed by a (1.0)mi. warm-up walk, and a (1.02)mi. cool-down
walk.
Fuel: Pre-run: Honey Stinger Waffle (Honey); Mid-run: GU Roctane (Pineapple); Post-run: dinner.
Good run tonight. It was nice very cool out tonight at (50) deg. F. when I started. The outside temp now is down (41) deg. F. I had a good run/walk/run out in the park with my headlight lighting the way, but once I passed the bridge the fog was think enough I had to take off my yellow glasses so I could see better. The headlight was almost like high-beams in the fog. People were already setting off fireworks, and maybe even firearms, in the surrounding neighborhood. And on the return leg of my run I definitely caught the heavy odor or reefer in the park.
Time to get cleaned up and see if I can find a New Year's Eve party I can crash.
Splits: Mile (1): (13:05); Mile (2): (14:24); Mile (3): (14:49); Mile (4): (14:16).
Other News: In search of a New Year's Eve party...
-Lancer!!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Post Xmas 2011 Easy Run
2011-12-28, Wednesday
Today's plan calls for an Easy Run. Actually, that was Tuesday' plan, but I'm doing it tonight, anyway.
Plan: Run (4.0)mi. @ a (17:45) pace for a total time of (1:11:02)hrs.
Actual: Run/walk (4.0)mi. @ an avg. (15:11) pace for a total of (1:00:42.93)hrs., bracketed by a (1.0)mi. warm-up walk, and a (1.03)mi. cool-down walk.
Fuel: Pre-run: GU Energy Gel (Mandarin Orange); Mid-run: (water); Post-run: very late dinner of Xmas left-overs.
Tonight's run went well: I finally bought the Gore Running Wear Essential Jacket I was checking out at Fleet Feet in Stockton. The big advantage to buying it in the store: I could take it home and use it the same night. And since I was in Stockton I went to REI and checked out the hydration packs again, and also the Petzl headlights. I decided on the Petzl Tikka XP2 and a Petzl CORE rechargeable unit to go with it. While the CORE was charging I loaded the (3x) (AAA) batteries that the headlight can also use, and I headed out the door.
For tonight's run I wore my Nike long sleeve running shirt, my new Gore Running jacket, my Mizuno Thermal beanie, and my new Petzl headlight; I also wore the usual Under Armor ninja hood, Nike Pro Combat compression shorts and my Nike running pants, along with running socks and my Brooks running shoes. During my warm-up walk to the park I set the Petzl for flashing white mode. It was pretty cool to see the reflective street signs and Bots Dots flashing with my light. Once in the park I switched to the high output white beam with the diffuser. I was really impressed with the brightness of the maximum setting; it's bright even when using the diffuser. The economy white mode was a little too dim with the lights in the park, but once deeper into the park, without lights, the economy mode was sufficient for running; I kept it on the high-output mode, anyway.
One of the creepier things I noticed with the headlight, as opposed to my usual Knuckle Lights running lights, was the number of glowing eyes I saw off the bike path; it was pretty surprising. I am fairly certain all of the eyes I saw belonged to the resident feral cats. On the return path I noticed at least one cat appeared to have only one eye.
My new running jacket worked out well. I ended up buying the black version because it was the only one in size XL; the blue one in Large was just a little too snug. And since I bought the black one, I decided to wear my yellow and black Brooks running shell over it, to improve overall visibility. The Gore jacket has a lot of reflective piping and stripes, but I felt better wearing the bright yellow shell with its own reflective details. The overall comfort level was cool, but not cold. On the return leg of my run I noticed my torso was pretty damp with sweat, but I did not feel too chilled by this. I believe the starting temperature this evening was about (41) deg. F. at 2345 hrs., and remained the same when I returned home.
Splits: Mile (1): (14:02); Mile (2): 14:33); Mile (3): (16:33); Mile (4): (15:45).
-Lancer!!
Today's plan calls for an Easy Run. Actually, that was Tuesday' plan, but I'm doing it tonight, anyway.
DC Bike Path: 1/2 Marathon Training, Easy Run. Dist: (6.03)mi. Pace-avg: (15:32). Speed-avg: (3.9)mph. Speed-max: (5.6)mph. Burned: (620) Calories. Running lights, Headlight.
Plan: Run (4.0)mi. @ a (17:45) pace for a total time of (1:11:02)hrs.
Actual: Run/walk (4.0)mi. @ an avg. (15:11) pace for a total of (1:00:42.93)hrs., bracketed by a (1.0)mi. warm-up walk, and a (1.03)mi. cool-down walk.
Fuel: Pre-run: GU Energy Gel (Mandarin Orange); Mid-run: (water); Post-run: very late dinner of Xmas left-overs.
Tonight's run went well: I finally bought the Gore Running Wear Essential Jacket I was checking out at Fleet Feet in Stockton. The big advantage to buying it in the store: I could take it home and use it the same night. And since I was in Stockton I went to REI and checked out the hydration packs again, and also the Petzl headlights. I decided on the Petzl Tikka XP2 and a Petzl CORE rechargeable unit to go with it. While the CORE was charging I loaded the (3x) (AAA) batteries that the headlight can also use, and I headed out the door.
For tonight's run I wore my Nike long sleeve running shirt, my new Gore Running jacket, my Mizuno Thermal beanie, and my new Petzl headlight; I also wore the usual Under Armor ninja hood, Nike Pro Combat compression shorts and my Nike running pants, along with running socks and my Brooks running shoes. During my warm-up walk to the park I set the Petzl for flashing white mode. It was pretty cool to see the reflective street signs and Bots Dots flashing with my light. Once in the park I switched to the high output white beam with the diffuser. I was really impressed with the brightness of the maximum setting; it's bright even when using the diffuser. The economy white mode was a little too dim with the lights in the park, but once deeper into the park, without lights, the economy mode was sufficient for running; I kept it on the high-output mode, anyway.
One of the creepier things I noticed with the headlight, as opposed to my usual Knuckle Lights running lights, was the number of glowing eyes I saw off the bike path; it was pretty surprising. I am fairly certain all of the eyes I saw belonged to the resident feral cats. On the return path I noticed at least one cat appeared to have only one eye.
My new running jacket worked out well. I ended up buying the black version because it was the only one in size XL; the blue one in Large was just a little too snug. And since I bought the black one, I decided to wear my yellow and black Brooks running shell over it, to improve overall visibility. The Gore jacket has a lot of reflective piping and stripes, but I felt better wearing the bright yellow shell with its own reflective details. The overall comfort level was cool, but not cold. On the return leg of my run I noticed my torso was pretty damp with sweat, but I did not feel too chilled by this. I believe the starting temperature this evening was about (41) deg. F. at 2345 hrs., and remained the same when I returned home.
Splits: Mile (1): (14:02); Mile (2): 14:33); Mile (3): (16:33); Mile (4): (15:45).
-Lancer!!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Winter Running Jackets and a Pre-Xmas Friday Easy Run
Today's plan
calls for an Easy
Run.
DC Bike Path: 1/2 Marathon Training, Easy Run. Dist: (4.08)mi. Pace-avg: (15:26). Speed-avg: (3.9)mph. Speed-max: (4.9)mph. Burned: (422) Calories.
Plan: Run (2.0)mi. @ a (17:51) pace for a total of (35:42)min.
Actual:
Run (2.0)mi @ a (13:58) avg. pace, bracketed by a (1.0)mi. warm-up walk, and a (1.08)mi. cool-down
walk.
Fuel: Pre-run: GU Energy Gel w/ caffeine (Mandarin Orange), and a packet of GU Chomps (Mandarin Orange); Mid-run: (water); Post-run: dinner of some kind.
Tonight's run was nice and simple. I wore my new Mizuno Thermo beanie again, and it was mighty nice. There were a couple other runners out in the park this evening, and a few cyclists, but the cyclists were mainly BMX'ers just out in the park with their friends. I kept a pretty decent pace up using my updated running stride: Kicking up my heels a little more, picking my knees a good bit. Using this newer-to-me stride definitely feels like it is working more of the muscles in my legs, especially my calves. I look forward to using this running style more and seeing where it takes me. I am interested to see how well I can maintain this running stride during my long runs. I may have to switch back to my short stride glide for endurance, but we'll see how it goes Sunday. Running on Xmas Day? Totally crazy, but I feel the need to give it a whirl.
Splits: Mile (1): (13:36), Mile (2): (14:23).
Other News: I am trying to decide on a winter running jacket, and so I will do a little "thinking out loud" here to help myself. I believe I have narrowed it down to at least three: Gore Running Wear Essential Jacket; the Brooks Nightlife Silver Bullet Jacket; the Adidas Supernova adiVIZ Highbeam Jacket. All three seem to have a wind-stopper lining of some variety.
The Brooks jacket has an aluminum membrane lining for added warmth, kind of like wearing a space blanket while you run. I first saw similar technology on some Columbia winter jackets at the local Sports Authority store. It certainly has the Gee-Whiz(tm) factor going for it, but I'm not sure how durable it will be over repeated machine washings. Some other nice-to-haves for this jacket are thumb-hole cuffs that flip out, as well as flip out mitten covers, which would certainly be appreciated whether I am wearing running gloves, or not. I like multifunctional equipment and gear, like Swiss Army knives, et al.; I'm not sure where I get this, maybe it is a natural geek trait.
The Gore Running Wear jacket has a Gore-Tex(tm) lining, as expected. It has Velcro(R) cuffs and two large zip pockets on the sides. I tried on the XL in black at Fleet Feet, and that fit comfortably. I also tried on the blue in Large, but it was a little snug. The color selection is limited to black, blue and red, period. It has some nice reflective stripes on the sleeves. I like the black one because it fits and is in stock. The employee I spoke said these jackets are on back-order, with no estimated time of arrival. Even though black is clearly a bad idea for night-time running, I can throw on a reflector vest that I already have, or get a Brooks reflector vest that has some nice large reflective patches front and back.
The Adidas Highbeam jackets appears to have all the reflectivity one needs without additional reflector vests, et al.: The reflective strips are nice and large, front and back. It even looks like it would be bright enough to wear and be seen walking alongside the highway after your car breaks down, or if you have to change a tire in the middle of the night on the side of the road. The Stockton store says they don't stock Adidas, but the Sacramento store does.
So far, the Brooks sounds like the best all-around bet for the winter here in the valley. It gets cold late in the year, but the early months can get even colder. I have a bad habit of running after dark, mainly to avoid putting on sunscreen, so cold winter months will definitely need some warm running gear. The Brooks jacket has good reviews on the Brooks Running website, including reviews by runners in the Sacramento area, and Oregon, places I know to be pretty cold at this time of year.
-Lancer!!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Thursday Night Tempo Run
Today's plan
calls for a Tempo
Run.
DC Bike Path: 1/2 Marathon Training, Tempo Run. Dist: (5.54)mi. Pace-avg: (15:35). Speed-avg: (3.9)mph. Speed-max: (5.4)mph. Burned: (571) Calories. Running lights.
Plan: Run (5.0)mi., including (3.0)mi. @ a pace of (16:03) for total time of (48:10)min., bracketed by a (1.0) mi. warm-up and (1.0)mi. cool-down at an easy pace.
Actual: Run (5.54) @ an avg (15:35) pace, including (3.0)mi. @ an avg. (14:27) pace for a total of (43:22.26)min., bracketed by a (1.0)mi. warm-up walk, and a (1.54)mi. cool-down walk.
Fuel: Pre-run: (2) slices of wheat toast with peanut butter, (1) cup of coffee w/ sugar and non-dairy creamer; Mid-run: (water); Post-run: some kind of dinner.
Tonight's run was nice. It was still chilly out (about [52 deg. F.], especially since I left after sundown, but I tried something a little different: I wore my long sleeve Nike running shirt, then my old Metromedia Fiber Networks fleece over that, then my Brooks LSD Lite Jacket II. I was a little concerned it might be too hot, or too cool, with the fleece, but it seemed to be just about right. I also used my new running beanie: the Mizuno Breath Thermo Head Pip. This new beanie worked as advertised: The fabric heats up as you sweat, the perspiration generating an exothermic reaction from the fabric. I was pleasantly surprised when one of the Fleet Feet staff illustrated how this worked with a little demo kit at the store last night; it was pretty cool. Looking at the Mizuno USA website I am now tempted to try their Breath Thermo Plus socks, as well.
I am still researching winter running jackets, and hope to find something suitable soon.
Split paces: Mile (1): (13:49); Mile (2): (14:56); Mile (3): (14:45).
-Lancer!!
DC Bike Path: 1/2 Marathon Training, Tempo Run. Dist: (5.54)mi. Pace-avg: (15:35). Speed-avg: (3.9)mph. Speed-max: (5.4)mph. Burned: (571) Calories. Running lights.
Plan: Run (5.0)mi., including (3.0)mi. @ a pace of (16:03) for total time of (48:10)min., bracketed by a (1.0) mi. warm-up and (1.0)mi. cool-down at an easy pace.
Actual: Run (5.54) @ an avg (15:35) pace, including (3.0)mi. @ an avg. (14:27) pace for a total of (43:22.26)min., bracketed by a (1.0)mi. warm-up walk, and a (1.54)mi. cool-down walk.
Fuel: Pre-run: (2) slices of wheat toast with peanut butter, (1) cup of coffee w/ sugar and non-dairy creamer; Mid-run: (water); Post-run: some kind of dinner.
Tonight's run was nice. It was still chilly out (about [52 deg. F.], especially since I left after sundown, but I tried something a little different: I wore my long sleeve Nike running shirt, then my old Metromedia Fiber Networks fleece over that, then my Brooks LSD Lite Jacket II. I was a little concerned it might be too hot, or too cool, with the fleece, but it seemed to be just about right. I also used my new running beanie: the Mizuno Breath Thermo Head Pip. This new beanie worked as advertised: The fabric heats up as you sweat, the perspiration generating an exothermic reaction from the fabric. I was pleasantly surprised when one of the Fleet Feet staff illustrated how this worked with a little demo kit at the store last night; it was pretty cool. Looking at the Mizuno USA website I am now tempted to try their Breath Thermo Plus socks, as well.
I am still researching winter running jackets, and hope to find something suitable soon.
Split paces: Mile (1): (13:49); Mile (2): (14:56); Mile (3): (14:45).
-Lancer!!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Saturday Easy Run
Today's plan
calls for a Rest/XT Day, but I feel like going for an overdue Easy Run, instead.
DC Bike Path: 1/2 Marathon Training, Easy Run. Dist: (5.69)mi. Pace-avg: (16:06). Speed-avg: (3.7)mph. Speed-max: (4.7)mph. Burned: (592) Calories. Running lights.
Plan: Run (2.0)mi. @ a (17:57) pace, for a total of (35:54)min. Actual: Run (2.0)mi. @ a (14:17) avg. pace for a total of (28:33)min., bracketed by a (1.0)mi. warm-up walk, and a (2.69)mi. cool-down walk.
Fuel: Pre-run: peanut butter on wheat toast, coffee w/ sugar; Mid-run: water; Post-run: dinner.
Tonight's run was very nice. I was able to maintain a good pace and jogged two (2) continuous miles this evening, which was much better than my efforts earlier in the week. I'm not sure if the pre-run caffeine infusion, or maybe the warm-up squats, did the most to help me on tonight's run. Again, I wish I had taken my camera: Watching the mist form at ground level during the return leg of my run was rather beautiful.
Split paces: Mile (1): (14:04); Mile (2): 14:38).
Now I'm a little torn between jumping in the shower to warm up, or change into gym clothes and go workout for a bit, now that my muscles are all warmed up already...
-Lancer!!
DC Bike Path: 1/2 Marathon Training, Easy Run. Dist: (5.69)mi. Pace-avg: (16:06). Speed-avg: (3.7)mph. Speed-max: (4.7)mph. Burned: (592) Calories. Running lights.
Plan: Run (2.0)mi. @ a (17:57) pace, for a total of (35:54)min. Actual: Run (2.0)mi. @ a (14:17) avg. pace for a total of (28:33)min., bracketed by a (1.0)mi. warm-up walk, and a (2.69)mi. cool-down walk.
Fuel: Pre-run: peanut butter on wheat toast, coffee w/ sugar; Mid-run: water; Post-run: dinner.
Tonight's run was very nice. I was able to maintain a good pace and jogged two (2) continuous miles this evening, which was much better than my efforts earlier in the week. I'm not sure if the pre-run caffeine infusion, or maybe the warm-up squats, did the most to help me on tonight's run. Again, I wish I had taken my camera: Watching the mist form at ground level during the return leg of my run was rather beautiful.
Split paces: Mile (1): (14:04); Mile (2): 14:38).
Now I'm a little torn between jumping in the shower to warm up, or change into gym clothes and go workout for a bit, now that my muscles are all warmed up already...
-Lancer!!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Wednesday Easy Night Run
Today's plan calls for an Easy Run.
Plan: Run (2.0)mi. @ a (17:57) pace, for a total time of (35:54)min.
Actual: Run/walk (2.0)mi. @ an avg. (13:39) pace for a total time of (27:17)min., bracketed by a (1.0)mi. warm-up walk, and a (1.01)mi. cool-down walk.
Fuel: Pre-run: (1x) banana, (4x) slices of pumpkin bread; Mid-run: water; Post-run: dinner!
Tonight's run went alright, but I had to run/walk the whole way. I think I may have been a little distracted by the low temperatures.
Other News: Tried going out for a bike ride earlier this evening, but the bike chain kept jumping off the rear sprockets. I'm wondering if maybe the chain is too dry, the derailleur needs to be adjusted, or both. will have to take it to the bike shop for some professional attention.
-Lancer!!
DC Bike Path: 1/2 Marathon Training, Easy Run. Dist: (4.01)mi. Pace-avg:
(14:46). Speed-avg: (4.1)mph. Speed-max: (6.1)mph. Burned: (466)
Calories. Running lights.
Plan: Run (2.0)mi. @ a (17:57) pace, for a total time of (35:54)min.
Actual: Run/walk (2.0)mi. @ an avg. (13:39) pace for a total time of (27:17)min., bracketed by a (1.0)mi. warm-up walk, and a (1.01)mi. cool-down walk.
Fuel: Pre-run: (1x) banana, (4x) slices of pumpkin bread; Mid-run: water; Post-run: dinner!
Tonight's run went alright, but I had to run/walk the whole way. I think I may have been a little distracted by the low temperatures.
Other News: Tried going out for a bike ride earlier this evening, but the bike chain kept jumping off the rear sprockets. I'm wondering if maybe the chain is too dry, the derailleur needs to be adjusted, or both. will have to take it to the bike shop for some professional attention.
-Lancer!!
Monday, December 12, 2011
Jungfrau Marathon
I just read a little about this marathon held in Switzerland each year, the Jungfrau Marathon. It sounds like a pretty vigorous, and strenuous, marathon in the Swiss Alps. One day I want to run this marathon. I haven't been to Switzerland in years.
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