Over Sleeping and a Busy Weekend

Before the Run

It's been a busy couple of days, and I couldn't get myself out of bed the past two to get anything done. My intention was to wake up early yesterday and get my run in... then my intention was to get my run in after my doctor appointment... then my intention was to get my run in after work... then my intentions were to run this morning while it was cool... intentions didn't make it happen. I couldn't get myself up to run in the morning, my doctor appointment went for over an hour longer than it should have, and I just couldn't bring myself to go out and run in the evening. Then there was a repeat of not getting out of bed this morning.

Today's run and my run tomorrow will both be easier runs because the race is on Tuesday. I'm a little anxious about it. I have Monday off of work and will go get our packets for Tuesday then. It's going to be a busy weekend. I also need to wash my running clothes tomorrow or Sunday (probably Sunday).

After the Run

Another hot run. I made it through half of my workout (1.36 miles). I'm proud I did that much. Next time I run in the heat I will take it slower than I did. Maybe that will help with the breathing in hot air so quickly and allow me to last longer. By the time I was done with my 5 minute walking warmup, I was sweating really bad. That typically hasn't been happening until I'm around 3/4 of a mile into the run. Tomorrow I will go out again (in the morning this time) and do the same scheduled workout. I think that will put me in a good place for the race on Tuesday. That's going to be it for today, I'm going to eat some lunch.

Thanks for reading.

-Riley

Decided to Run Today

Pre-Run

Not running on Saturday got me thinking about today's workout. It was originally going to be a strength training day, but I decided to change it to a running day. It's also supposed to be a bit milder today than tomorrow when it comes to the weather. I will be trying my hot weather get up (my normal running clothes but just a lighter colored shirt). I will be doing a repeat of last weeks runs, so it should be about 46-50 minutes total time.

Today's Run

Today was my furthest distance yet for any of my runs. I will be doing the same run on Thursday. As I was running today, my back really was bothering me. I stopped and walked a couple of times because of it. I think it was the impact as I was on the cement for the first part of my run. By the time I passed the halfway mark it was doing a bit better and I was able to finish my run.

Running in the lighter colored shirt today was a big help. It was overcast and breezy for my of my run, when I got to the last leg without any shade I could really feel the difference from my typical dark shirt. So I know what shirt I will be in next week when I do my 5k.

Overall it was a good run, with ups and downs, but good. It was a really nice lunch run.

I think that's it for today. Thanks for reading.

-Riley

Running Didn't Happen

Morning

I tried to get out this morning to run, but my legs were like lead, and my mind was in a similar state. I made it a half mile into my run (out and back to the car). It didn't end up happening for me this morning. 

Evening

I didn't make it back out this evening to take a second stab at my run. It's still in the 90's, and I am not ready for that today. I will be doing a repeat of this week's workout for this coming week, which will be Monday - Strength training, Tuesday & Thursday - 5 warmup | 7 min run / 2 min walk x4 | 5 cooldown, Saturday - 5 warmup | 7 min run / 1 min walk x5 | 5 cooldown.

Not getting my run in really made it a rough day. I have been discouraged and tired all day.

Week in numbers

• Workout: 
• Tuesday & Thursday: Warmup (5) | 7-minute run / 2-minute walk x4 | Cool down (5)
• Total Time: 1:21:25
• Average Split: 0:18:25
• Total Distance: 4.42 (4.94 with today's half mile)
• Shoes: New Balance Fresh Foam X 880 v12

Thanks for reading.

-Riley

Still Figuring Out How to Run in the Summer and Starting Too Fast

Pre-Run

Feeling much better this morning. A bit tired, but ready to get out and run in a couple of hours. It's going to be warm again today. I have scheduled 2.75 miles, which I am trying to change it up a little with the path that I'm taking, so I will be doing the small hill portion of my run a little later than normal.

The Run

It was a good run, until the half way mark. My heart rate was higher than I wanted it, and stayed high even with walking. So I kept walking, and it kept getting hotter. By the end my heart rate was where I wanted it on average, so that's a plus. I was too hot towards the end as well, I was getting a dizzy and sweating tons. I made it home at 2.5 miles and didn't think the last .25 would be worth it with how I was feeling. I came across another runner at around the 2 mile mark, which isn't common in my neighborhood, and got a fist pump and something like, "Keep going man!" I made it until he turned the corner before I was walking again.

My first mile was great, I was really good, so good I got it done too fast. I'm working on not getting out too fast now as well as figuring out how to handle the heat better. One thing I did to handle the heat better is ordered a lighter colored running shirt. I'll see how that goes Saturday.

That's it for today. Thanks for reading.

-Riley

Scheduled Training and Rewarding Myself with Shoes

Today running was difficult. I left work early because I wasn't feeling well. I thought that running might help. But it didn't. I failed to get my entire workout, contributing to a sour mood despite still not feeling well. I just couldn't bring myself to keep going mentally. Getting out there is still essential, and I'm happy about that. My wife is also proud of me for getting out there, so I have that going for me.

The run was good until about 1.75 miles. That's where I just couldn't go forward. I'm unsure if it was the heat, not feeling well, or not being there mentally today. But I walked home in the shade. Now that I look at the numbers, my heart rate was still high when I got home. That could have played into it too. It could have been all sorts of reasons why I didn't get that last 3/4s of a mile in. No need to dwell on it. I just want to document some of my thoughts and feelings on stopping. For once, the first 15 minutes of the run weren't as hard as in past runs. I initially felt strong and thought, "I can do this 5k!" I know I still can do it, at least. I'm confident of that.

Yesterday Silvia and I went to a local shoe store so I could try on the next shoe I am purchasing for running. It's an Altra Torin 7. I ran my marathon in a pair of the original Altra Torin and still have another old version of them I use for quick slip-on shoes when I need to get something done, like yard work. Over the years, I have always had a pair of Altras since the first white silver Altra Instinct came out. So the Altra Torin 7, I tried it on in the regular size 13 to check to see if it would be wide enough for my foot... unfortunately, that wasn't the case. I must order a pair in 2e for my big ol' feet. The shoe will be a reward for finishing the upcoming accounting course I'll be taking for my MBA. The goal to complete the course is this time next month. 

Well, that's it for this week. Thanks for reading.

-Riley

Mental Health Run, Change of Scenery, and Weekly Numbers

Running today was a mental health run. Last night was a rough night with our little guy. He didn't want to go to sleep and stayed up until almost 11:00pm. His normal bedtime is around 8:30pm. We also had a 2-year-old staying with us because of someone we know getting hurt to the level of going to the emergency room. So we had their little one stay the night with us. So all of a sudden, two toddlers and my capacity to handle it at a 0. So yeah today was a run to process all the crap from last night.

I thought for my run today I would do another change of scenery. I ran the path leading up to the park I ran on Monday. It turns out to be a little hillier than I thought it would be. I did 5 out of 6 running segments. I went out too hard for my first mile, and it zapped me for energy. On my watch, the run is showing up as 9 sets of stairs. One more and I meet my daily goal of 10. The run was a nice run, later in the day I would bet it's an even better path because it's lined with trees that would put it in the shade. I will be running the path again (probably next weekend). This week I didn't get my strength training in as I was hoping. I didn't do the greatest on my eating yesterday when I planned on doing it. It got to lunch and I was too focused on food because of not having a little something during my break earlier in the day.

Today I opened up my old running clothes and found a pair of shorts that will fit me from when I started running originally. I also went through all my racing shirts and shirts from groups I was in. I lived 30 minutes away from where the group was based. I only made it to the runs, no social things, and everyone was much faster than me, so a lot of running alone. It brought up many memories and emotions from that time, like running my first 5k, my first half-marathon, and running Ragnar. It was fun to remember those times and see that I have many running clothes for when I go down in size.

Last week in numbers.

• Workout: 
• Monday: Warmup (5) | The Hill | Cooldown (5)
• Tuesday & Thursday: Warmup (5) | 6-minute run / 2-minute walk x5 | Cooldown (5)
  
• Saturday: Warmup (5) | 6-minute run / 1-minute walk x5 | Cool down (8)
• Total Time: 3:06:11
• Average Split: 0:18:56
• Total Distance: 9.88
• Shoes: New Balance Fresh Foam X 880 v12

As always, thanks for reading.

-Riley

It's a Hot Run Like Seven Inches from the Midday Sun

 Pre Run

It's early on the 15th. I could wake up at my regular time in the morning for the first time in a couple of weeks. Today it's supposed to be (according to my phone) 87° when I go out for my run. I will bring enough liquids so I don't keel over for some reason. I got Nuun electrolyte tablets that I'll be trying out today. I'll let you know how that goes. I got them because of how much I sweat when I run and because my lunch isn't long enough to get something else. Most importantly the containers are small (since they are tablets in a tube), so they won't take up precious real estate in our pantry.

Something I have been thinking about a lot, thanks to a friend of mine who has had to start a new meal plan, is my diet. It's time that I work on that, otherwise, this change to running won't be fueled right. As the saying goes, You can't outrun a bad diet. So it's time for a change of some sort. I will start with decreasing added sugar, increasing veggies, increasing whole grains, and improving the quality of animal protein we eat. So no eating doughnuts for breakfast. This should be easier since I make most of the meals and do most of the grocery shopping. I will be starting that dietary shift this week when I get groceries.

The Run

So running today, hotter than I expected. I forget that at noon there isn't much shade, and today there was no breeze. I made it half way through before I just walked the rest of my workout today. I was able to keep my heart rate even which is a plus. It was still a good workout even with the walking, just hot and I'm not used to it being that hot. To avoid this happening on Saturday I will be running in the morning for sure.

The hardest part of the run came with the 3rd running segment. I think if I could have toughed that out I would have been able to run more. I was mentally tired to add to the physical. One thing I have noticed about my running is the fist 1/2 - 3/4 mile my legs hurt, but the longer I'm out the less it bothers me. It's the fatigue that gets me, either mentally or physically, every time.

I did bring out the Nuun, I will only be doing half a tablet from now on. The whole tablet was a bit intense for the duration of my runs. It will also help them last longer.

That's it for today. Thanks for reading.

-Riley

The Run and Races for the Year

That was a great run. I haven't felt like this after a run for a while. Yeah I have felt good, but haven't really been able to say it was a great run. What made it a great run? I stuck to the plan. I focused on breathing and kept telling myself to take it easy. The first part of my run was on the sidewalk, and like last time I ran on the sidewalk my low back started to hurt. Just at the point where it was at its worse, the sidewalk ended and I was running on the road again. My back is still stiff but stopped hurting shortly after the change of running surface. The route I ran was a gradual uphill for the first mile, downhill and flat after that. I did 5 sets of 6 minute run and 2 minute walk. On the first three I was able to run the full 6 minutes each time. The forth I lost the mental battle and stopped running for a minute or so, but the last 6 minutes I ran the whole thing. It was huge to me. I had enough gas even after my two minute walk where I know I could have done more. I did go further than I was expecting during my runs so I had to add some extra distance to my cool down. I'm happy with my run right now, and am glad I got some of the details of it written down and have it logged on my spreadsheet as well.

Coming up on July 4th is the Firecracker 5k, which is what got me running again. After that I was originally going to sign up for training for the Mo' Cowbell half marathon in October. After some internal back and forth I've decided to do the 10k instead. I will start training on July 25th, but have my runs planned out leading up to it as well. My reasoning for the 10k is that I want a stronger base to build off of before I start going at the half marathon distance. The training will cover a lot more fundamentals of running and won't take up my life with getting the distance in on my slow long runs. After the Mo' Cowbell 10k, there are a couple of other 5k's & 10k's leading up to the end of the year that I am going to try for as well. One of which is the Turkey Trot I signed up for last year but didn't do. My reason for running races is to keep me training and in turn running. After the Turkey Trot I will be running for the sake of maintaining for a bit until I decide what I'm doing next.

As always, thanks for reading.

-Riley

Monday Running and Last Week Recap

I had a brilliant idea while I was at work. It was to go to Sunset Park near my house by the Missouri River. I would run down to the river and along it for a bit, then run back uphill and get in another half mile and then I would be done. By the time I went to the bottom of the hill, the realization I would be going back uphill had set in. It was harder than I thought. I walked most of the way back up the hill and kept losing my breath. I couldn't breathe deep enough to get it back. That hill sucked the strength right out of me. I will be doing it again in the future and earlier in the day. Running at 5:30 p.m. was part of my problem. As I was coming back up I crossed paths with a couple, and two other people just walking the path. I admit I was jealous that they were walking without gasping for air. It was a tough run and I know where I can do some hill sprints now.

Tomorrow's run will be at my normal time around noon. I will then be taking Wednesday off and then training Thursday with a run, Friday with strength training, and Saturday with a run.

 Last week in numbers.

• Workout: 
• Monday: Strength Training
• Tuesday & Thursday: Warmup (5) | 6-minute run / 2-minute walk x4 | Cool down (5)
  
• Total Time: 1:44:10
• Average Split: 0:18:36
• Total Distance: 4.55
• Shoes: New Balance Fresh Foam X 880 v12

Thanks for reading.

-Riley

No Run Today

Today was impacted by a late night last night and no baby sitter this morning. So I didn't make it out to run. I will be doing a 4 run week next week to make up for it. So run Monday, Tuesday, Strength training Wednesday, run Thursday, and run Saturday.

Thanks for reading.

-Riley

Tricking th Brain, The Run, and Running Long Term

I made it out, and only had to use two mind tricks to do it. First one was having all of my running clothes laid out for myself so when I stood up at my desk I saw them. Which led to me changing into them at the beginning of lunch. Second I committed to 10 minutes of running, 5 minute warm up then 5 minutes of running. By the time I got to the 10 minute mark I just kept going. I was really struggling to get out today. It's right around 78° outside. So a little on the warm side for my liking when running. I like closer to 50° and a bit of rain. Since I produce so much heat while running it's helps to keep me cool, causing me to sweat less.

The run was good, I ran more today than I did on Tuesday. Of the 4 six minute runs Number 1 was no stop, 2 was a 30 second walk, 3 was a 1 minute walk, and 4 was a 3 minute walk. My legs just gave out on that 4th leg of running. I'm a little under a month out from the Firecracker 5k, and know I will be able to finish, I just want to run as much of it as I can. I think that means more lower heart rate runs like today was. I did try to focus on form today, like standing up taller and leaning into the run. It's just so different than what I'm doing now that it's hard to maintain. I will try to do it for longer on Saturday. Saturdays run will be 5 sets of 6 minute run / 1 minute walk.

I've been watching a lot of running videos on the YouTube lately. It's been giving me a lot of thoughts on making sure I keep running as part of my life even if my goal isn't a race and is just feeling better. I want to make sure it is part of my life. When I was running while I was working on my undergrad it helped me with creativity and handling the stress of trying to get into my program officially. I want that back. So my long term goal with running is to keep doing it. Races help me have something to focus on, so I will use those to trick myself into running more and more.

I tried out my other new pair of socks today. They passed the test. It's official I have started the running sock collection again.

Thanks for reading.

-Riley

Cross Training, New Socks, and Just Over a Month

Cross Training 6/5/23

I will start by saying afternoons and evenings are not my most productive time for exercise, or I am just starting from ground zero with cross training as well. It's probably a combination of both. I made it for 20 minutes of cross training. I did a body weight circuit I got from Nerd Fitness, and it was supposed to have been done 3 times. 

• 5 minute warm up (Jump Rope and Stretches)
  
• Squats - 20
  
• Pushups - 10
  
• Lunges - 10 each side
  
• Dumbbell Row - 10 each side
  
• Plank - 15 sec.
  
• Jumping Jacks - 30
  

It seemed easy enough when I looked at it. I have done all of these before and would be able to do them again no problem... is what I thought going into it. It was much harder than expected after not having done any of them over the past who knows how long. I made it through all of them one time, then all the way to jumping jacks the second time and my body said, "No more jumping jacks, I've had it!" So I stopped. Next week I will be doing it earlier in the day, and not having a heavy lunch. For about half an hour afterward I was holding back being sick, my lunch was delicious but was coming back to haunt me.

So a few important takeaways are, make sure my meals are lighter and work out earlier in the day. I will be signing up for a training program later this month (for a race in October I really want to do) and one of the runs is on Tuesday evenings, hopefully it goes well.

The Run (just over a month in)

On Saturday after the issue with the socks I picked up two new pairs of running socks (still can't find my other socks) off of Amazon. I have run in both brands and did a little research and got the highest rated pair off of multiple sites the Balega Silver Compression and a pair I have liked in the past the Swiftwick Aspire Zero. Today I ran in the Balega socks. They performed wonderfully. Running socks are pricey, and I'm happy I had an Amazon credit and only paid for one pair of the two pairs of socks.

I've been running for a month. It's been good. Today I didn't want to run but was able to make it out and run further than I have in any previous runs this month. Today was 4 sets of 6 minute run / 2 minute walk. So the increased time translates to increased distance as well. It's comforting to look back to a month ago and see the progress I'm making. On July 4th is the Firecracker Run 5k, that will mark my 2 months back into running.

As always, thanks for reading.

-Riley

Mental Health, The Run, and Surprise I'm Wearing Cotton

Pre Run

Getting out early today didn't happen. I kind of regret it knowing today is another hot one. But I will be getting out later this morning. I've been struggling to wake up the past few weeks at my more normal time of 5:00 am. It's been hard because that's my decompression time. I also intend to move my Thursday and Saturday runs closer to that time. Typically when I can't wake up, it's because I am exhausted or going through a bout of depression (it feels more like the latter). When this happens, I start to lose interest in everything, which is one of the indicators I watch for. My depression is due to bipolar type II, which I was diagnosed with in my late 20s (it consists of more depression and hypomanic episodes). My medication works reasonably well in keeping the hypomania away and decreasing the impact of the depression. When I go through depressive mood swings, things don't feel right. I see it happening and feel nothing can be done about it. In recent years, I have just let it happen. Which has caused longer depressive episodes that have been harder to work through. What helps me most are routines and ingrained habits that I can just do on autopilot. This reminds me of when I ran before. It was a great help because it was an ingrained habit. It helped regulate my moods because I was getting out consistently and spending less time in my head. So yeah, there is that. Next is to rely on my burgeoning habit of running again and getting out the door.

The Run

My run went quick today. I was surprised at how time went by. I got in the right space mentally while I was out there. Thinking more about the run itself than everything else going on. My goal was 2.13 miles, so I could do 6 miles for this week. Focusing on that goal helped me to be more in the moment. While I was running, I found myself looking at the ground a lot, about 6' in front of me, instead of looking straight ahead. Doing that allowed me to push myself more and not worry about landmarks as goals. They may help some people but only help me to keep running sometimes.

I had a wonderfully irritating discovery of the cotton in some of my running socks. I was reminded why I still had so many running socks with my running clothes that I can't find. Because of how much I sweat, especially on my feet, the cotton starts to painfully remind you that it doesn't like running. I thought my socks weren't cotton at all. They have been fine so far... until today were it felt like I was walking sharp little stones for the last running portion and the remaining cooldown that I did. Cotton and running don't mix, especially if you sweat a lot. The stupid socks contain some degree of cotton. I should have looked more diligently at the packaging when I got them.

Here's my week in numbers.

• Workout: 
• Tues: Warmup (4) | 5-minute run / 2-minute walk x4 | Cool down (3)
• Thurs & Sat: Warmup (4) | 5-minute run / 1-minute walk x5 | Cool down (4)
  
• Total Time: 1:51:57
• Average Split: 0:18:37
• Total Distance: 6.01
• Cross Training: -
• Shoes: New Balance Fresh Foam X 880 v12

That's all for today. Thanks for reading.

 -Riley

Rambling Before the Run, More Heat, and 2 Miles

Before Running

To start off, I didn't get my cross training in yesterday. I now have it scheduled for tomorrow. I did find on my watch that I have a strength training monitor, which will be nice to get some information about how much I'll be pushing myself during my cross training. Also, I just checked the temperature on my phone and it has it as a cool 88° during my lunch today when I plan on running. I have been bringing out a water bottle I got off of Amazon with a handy strap on it to keep hydrated. By the time I took my first drink on Tuesday it was quite warm because it had been in my hand for 20 minutes.

I have planned a 2 mile run today. It's 5 sets of 5 minute run / 1 minute walk with a 2 minute stretch, 3 minute warm up walk then a 3-5 minute cool down. So max time hitting the road should be 38 minutes. I'm going to be pushing my runs to earlier in the morning so I actually have time to eat during lunch within the next couple of weeks. My aim is to be between 132-143 bpm for my target heart rate.

After the Run

Two miles in 90° heat... probably not the smartest thing I've done, but I'm glad I did it. I will keep running in the heat too, but will be changing the time of day that I do it in the near future. It just works really well to run during lunch, only home bodies and crazy guys with binoculars who broke their leg are watching. So less paranoia about people gawking at the guy running outside. It also stops me from sleeping my lunch away. Another plus is that it doesn't interfere with other things that I should be doing, like the course work for my MBA.

So I did 2 miles today, and it was hot. The last .02 miles were basically me pacing back and forth in my drive way until I feeling my watch buzz to indicate 2 miles. I really wasn't sure I was going to make it the whole way, at roughly the mile and a half mark I had the fleeting thought, "If I went home right now I could be out of the heat." Then a guy drove by whose dogs got out of his yard around the .25 mile mark and were still evading him. He was able to eventually wrangle them in with the help of a nice neighbor (I wasn't the nice neighbor just a guy running up the street). It was a good run though. This is my high intensity workout for the week, I spent most of my run in Zones 3 & 4. The heat probably impacted that to a degree.

Well, I think that's about it for the day. Thanks for reading.

-Riley