Starting Yesterday the Off Season Strengthening

Yesterday started my off season training to get ready for training for my next goal race in March (Running From Yeti). My three goals for the next couple of months are to be consistent, get stronger, and get my nutrition hammered out. Those are three goals that need to be better defined.

Be Consistent: I will follow my scheduled workouts throughout the week. Or if not my scheduled workout something for at least 20 minutes.

Sun: Recovery
Mon: Strength/Mobility
Tues: 30 - 40 minute run
Wed: 30 - 40 minutes stationary bike
Thurs: Strength/Mobility
Fri: 30 minute easy low effort run
Sat: 60 - 90 minute run

Get Stronger: Do 2 days of body weight strength training and 1 day of stationary bike for cardio.

Get my Nutrition Hammered Out: Start meal prepping easy healthy means Saturdays after grocery shopping. Also limit eating out to once a week.

I think each could use some further exploration on what accomplishing the goal looks like, making them SMART goals would be a good way to do that. What is important to me today is to write them out so they exist at least digitally.

I will be starting today to do a walk run mix for my entire run and not worry about heart rate on Tuesdays and Saturdays. It will go back to getting stronger.

Just wanted to get these thoughts down. 

Thanks for reading.

-Riley

After MO' Cowbell

I finished the race, what more could I ask for. It took longer than my projected 3.5 - 4 hours. I was the 12th from last person to finish. But I finished and that's the name of the game for that race. This race had more challenges in it for me than other races I remember. Some of the more notable challenges were some guy stepping on my ankle just after the race started. He was running backwards looking for someone and stepped on me. I'm a big guy and somehow he still didn't see me. Next challenge came at mile three. I took a corner at the top of a hill and got my footing wrong and about twisted my ankle by not landing on the road. That was a close call. Another challenge was little to no shade, which just translates to it being hot. I wasn't anticipating it being around 75° - 80° for the entire race in October. If it were a short run the weather would have been great, but for 13 miles, that just made it a little harder. Around mile seven is when I hit my first wall. I was thinking about giving up, I was sore and tired. This is also when my watch went from timing just the miles to 1:1 run walk intervals. So every minute was a new lap. I just didn't have it in me to start my walk run at that point. Okay, I started it, but wasn't able to maintain it. This is also the time where the group I had been keeping pace with started to pull ahead of me. So I was a little disheartened because of that. 

I was able to power through to mile 8, where a teen with down syndrome was running his 50th half marathon, in his 50th state. This was really encouraging to see someone work so hard. This helped me get out of my head and move forward to mile 9 - 10.25. I started thinking again that I should just give up, I was at the end of the group for the half marathon, when I passed by a police officer who had been directing traffic, that said, alright here's all the stragglers. That little phrase got me back in my head and then the hills started. I was told there was going to be a group from the Fleet Feet Running Club at mile 10, but didn't see anyone at the base of the hill where mile 10 was marked. I didn't see anyone as I went up the hill, and started progressing up another hill. I was thinking of calling Silvia at that point to come and get me. Around that time is when I saw the club cheering me on. They didn't know me from Adam, yet they encouraged me. They filled my hydro flask twice, I downed the first fill, then they did it again. Then they gave me ice for my hat and the back of my neck. It was what I needed to make it just far enough to stop, catch my breath and move on. I ended up stopping 5 maybe 6 times between mile 10 and the end of the race. By mile 12 I was in really rough shape, my legs were shot, my mind was shot, I was exhausted, and had to keep stopping for fear of tripping over myself. I was passed by 4 more people at the point. One woman stopped for a moment to make sure I would be able to finish. I must have looked like hell (if my finish line picture is any indicator I wasn't looking good). I followed this woman until she started running, I couldn't get my legs to work, it took a couple of attempts but I did run across the finish line to be greeted by medical personnel who promptly asked me if I needed help. They got me to the side of the road after the finish line, got me some ice, then a few minutes later got me to the first aid tent where Silvia and our little guy caught up to me. I was in rough shape, at least from my perspective. I thought I could get up and walk at one point, but then promptly sat back down because my legs weren't working. When I finally left the medical tent I made it across the way and down the road some where I let Silvia know I wasn't going to make it to the car with my legs feeling like they did. I sat on the grass for a while, got some calories in me and waited until I could feel my legs again, then got up and made it to the car.

So for my first race in a decade it was a success. I finished in spite of the challenges I faced. There were also some great things that happened. As I was on the last quarter mile a guy in a purple shirt said to me, "I know you'll finish!" then about a half an hour later he walked by me again while I was wearing my medal and said, "See, I knew you would do it." During the first mile I was feeling great, I was walking and at mile one my watch informed me that I had just finished my fastest mile in a few months. Which was good but I was going to fast out the gate which was not good. I got to go through an awesome neighborhood with some amazing houses. As I was in the medical tent, I put my medal on our little guy guy and got to see his smile. It means a lot to me that I didn't come in last. Now that it's a couple days after the race it's time to sign up for my next goal race, I will be doing Run From Yeti. I will be signing up for that now.

Thanks for reading.

-Riley

Building Momentum and Today's Ramblings

Before the Run

It's Thursday morning, and my run was going to be later today. Mentally I'm not feeling the best. I hope my run will help me get out of my funk a little and give me the momentum to start feeling better. But it didn't end up happening. I will try again tomorrow.

I haven't signed up for the 10k training yet. I am still working on my marketing course. Hopefully, today will be the end of that course. I need to plan how to make that hope a reality. The course has a final paper (which I'm currently working on) that's a marketing plan. I have it almost complete. It's just getting the last few paragraphs done. I've been working on the class for quite a while and don't feel like I have any momentum built up to finish it easily. It's all muscling through it at this point.

I think momentum is what I need right now. Mentally, academically, and even in running. My missing runs over the past couple of weeks has really eaten away at what I had built up. With my academic momentum, finishing this paper should help in getting that started again, the next course in my program is one I am more familiar with so my goal is to finish that as quick as I can.

Post Run (7/7/23)

I did it. I made it through my run today! It's fairly nice outside, around 80° and the sun is out. About half way through my run I really started to feel the sun, but it was alright with my cold electrolyte drink in hand. I am finding my leg endurance isn't as high as I think it should be. More runs will help that and getting in cross training should help too. I also think different shoes will help as well. I am used to walking in shoes like Altras or Whitins that have a larger toe box than my new balance do and no drop. I really noticed that my New Balance are a little snugger than I really like and the heel is huge. I think my next shoe after my New Balance will be a pair of Topos, since they have that wider toe box also and a lower drop than what I'm in now.

I ran my regular route I've done the past couple of weeks, and due to the holiday it was garbage day. I avoided running next to most of it, but towards mile two I wasn't paying attention and got a nose full of stink.

The run did help me mentally, I'm feeling better than I have been. I can think a little more clearly as well. Getting my marketing paper done should be a lot easier now.

That's it for my rambling today. Thanks for reading.

-Riley

I Couched to 5k

I have now officially gone from couch to 5k. Silvia and I finished the race, and she did it while pushing a 4-year-old. It was as perfect weather as possible on a July morning (just over 70° at the start). Starting the run, there was a decline for about 1/3 a mile, then it seemed like the rest of the race was uphill. It wasn't steep, just a hill that never ended. It really had that uphill feeling the whole race. There were 881 racers. I didn't come in last, which I am grateful for. My heart rate was high the entire race. When racing, it makes sense that it would be because of pushing harder. Looking at it now, I am not 100% I was ready for it. Missing runs over the past few weeks really hurt. I didn't think they would have that big of an impact. I am glad I did the race, even without being 100% ready. It's been a chance to dip my toe in the water getting back into running. And I got a shiny new medal to add to my small collection.

I will start working on the 10k by picking up where my 5k training ended. I will be signing up for my 10k training (hopefully tomorrow if I can finish my marketing course by then). One of the runs for the week is in the evening with the training group on Tuesdays. Then there is another group run on Saturday mornings. The training is for roughly 9 weeks.

I think that sums up my thoughts for today. Thanks for reading.

-Riley

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

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

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

Insoles, Brain Games, and Anxiety

I didn't get this posted after my run yesterday. The run went a little longer than previous weeks and threw me off kilter a little when it came to eating after the run and getting ready for work again. It was a hot run yesterday, about 86° when starting and I was running on the road, so it was a bit hotter there.

A few weeks ago I got some fancy insoles for my shoes, thinking they would help decrease discomfort to a degree when running. I had done some running without the insoles and had experienced some discomfort. I tried out the insoles for a couple of weeks and was having some specific discomfort of the anterior tibial muscle (muscle that is the culprit for shin splints). It was a big discomfort each run. So I took out the insoles and magically no pain in that area. Then I realized I still had other aches and pains that were bothering me, but a quick adjustment to form helped those fade away.

I have been running without headphones, which is very different for me. I am now more aware of cars coming up from behind, and am able to catch my mind going to less effective areas when I run. The hardest thing for me is to keep running at times. The conversation in my head goes something like this.

Me: OK two more minutes and I reach 5 minutes of continuous running.

Body: Alright let's do that, two more minutes... and stop running now. Two minutes wasn't going to work for me.

Me: Why did I stop running, 10 seconds and I will start again.

Body: Cool we can do this... in another 30 seconds.

This seemed to be my battle yesterday as I ran. I still feel like I got the workout in, but just not quite as intended. Tomorrow I am hoping it will go better, not sure how to prepare for it better though.

On Monday I planned to get my cross training in. I figured I would do it midday like I do with my runs. We were going to a church picnic in the morning and to help with handling with the amount of people I took some anxiety medication (which I only take when needed). I was in a relaxed daze for the rest of the day. I got nothing done after that picnic, I will be taking less than prescribed from now on. So with cross training, that will be today during lunch. It's the Nerd Fitness Beginner Body Weight Workout.

I think I have rambled on long enough, thanks for reading.

-Riley

Running on a Tuesday

It's Tuesday and I made it out to run, since I've not made it out on a Tuesday yet, it feels good. Today was 4 sets of 4 minute runs / 2 minute walks with a 3 minute warm up and cool down. I'm now sitting here trying to cool down. The first three 4 minute runs went well. They were slower because I didn't know how running 4 minutes without stopping would impact me. More about the last 4 minute run in the next paragraph. My first mile wasn't as draining as Saturday's was, so that's a win.

While running I have opted out of listening to music/pod casts/books like I did when I ran previously. I'm trying it out to see if it helps me to be more in the moment while I'm out there. So far I think it's working, I am much more aware of my body and what it's doing out there. My self talk is actually heard, but the body doesn't always want to listen. Like today, I was 2 minutes into my last 4 minute run and I started saying to myself, "2 more minutes you got this." Apparently I didn't have it because that's when I started to walk for a minute. I think I'm just out of practice of pushing through uncomfortable physical situations, it has been a number of years since I was last really physically active so it makes sense. I think that's where running buddies would help, they would be able to encourage pushing through the discomfort. Even reflecting on it now, I believe, will help to give me that bit of grit that I need to make it though similar situations in the future.

I am going to make some minor changes for my runs on Thursday and Saturday. I'm going to do 2 minutes of stretching before and after running. Just to make it an even 5 minutes for my warm up and cool down. I hope it will make that fist part of the run better by limbering up.

Thanks for reading.

-Riley

More in the Tank

Today I did not want to get out and put in my time. I intended on doing my 20% workout today but ended up just doing my regularly scheduled workout. I did 5 sets of 3 minutes of running and 2 minutes of walking. I could keep my heart rate down more which was excellent, and I still finished with the same distance as the past couple of runs.

As I finished my time, I realized I had it in me to go further. But I knew my 30 minutes was up and it was time to stop and go and use the restroom. I pondered having some energy left in the tank for a bit and decided it's better to have that than be completely spent on my day off where I need to get some homework done. 

I did experience what I used to when I ran years ago, the first mile sucked. I got to the 3/4 mile point and almost went home. My ankles hurt, my legs hurt, and I was tired. But I decided to keep going, and I'm glad I did. Today's run feels good now. It was shortly after the 3/4 mile mark that things started to feel better. I also didn't ruin the run by going to Mcdonald's (as tempted as I was).

Last thing, here's my running data for the week if you're interested.

• Workout: 3-Minute warmup, 3-minute run / 2-minute walk x5, 2-minute cool down
• Total Time: 1:30:07
• Average Split: 0:17:43
• Total Distance: 5.09 miles
• Shoes: New Balance Fresh Foam X 880 v12

Well, that's it for today, thanks for reading. 

-Riley

Running on Asphalt and Avoiding the Sidewalk

A lesson I learned a while back... and I wish I would have remembered when I was running yesterday is avoid running on cement as much as possible. For some people it may be alright, but myself it's not. By the end of my first half mile of running yesterday my low back was hurting to the point where I almost stopped, but as I transitioned to running on asphalt my back started to feel better. The slight give of asphalt is what I think made it so my back survived after that. Yeah this would have been better to write yesterday, but only reflecting on it now do I remember that valuable lesson.

Post Afternoon Run

Changed the data display on my watch to include heart rate, it kinda helped me stay at a lower heart rate. I was doing good until I got to the incline. It's a small incline that bumped my heart rate up and I couldn't get it down after that. The incline is right at the end of the first half mile. Since I am at 1.69 miles for my runs right now it kinda messes me up for the rest of the run. So that will be something I work on this coming week.

I thought I planned a route that was going to keep me off of the cement today, little did I know that the street that I hit my mile on was all cement, and since I was walking that portion it was a bit easier on the back.

Saturday will be my next run and I will include a recap of distances for the entire well.

Thanks for Reading.

-Riley

Running 80/20 + Couch to 5k

Morning of 5/16/23

In my past 2 weeks of new experiences running, or previous experiences coming back to light, has led me to start watching some videos on YouTube and reading some running articles. They have been about the 80/20 training method. I am by no means an expert after having seen a few videos and read a little about it. This made sense to me though, the gist of it is you do 80% of your training in Zone 2 of your heart rate and 20% in Zones 3 - 5. Zone 2 is roughly between 75% - 80% of your max heart rate and is the fat burning zone. Max heart rate is 220 subtract your age according the the CDC. So for me at age 42, my max heart rate is 178 and my Zone 2 heart rate it roughly between 133 - 143. 

After looking at my heart rate during my runs I saw that my heart rate was between 133 - 143 during a 0:15:00 - 0:16:00 minute mile. Which is slower than I have been running when it's time to run during my workout. So I am going to make that adjustment this week and see how I feel. My weekly runs will consist of 20% of my total minutes running for the week being in Zones 3-5. I will do those minutes during my Saturday morning running.

I am making this change to try it out, I think it will help. Since my runs are all roughly the same length for each week, it will also provide a little bit of a variety. So today is easy day 1.

Post Run Evening of 5/16/23

The run didn't happen. I had my running clothes in the dryer and the dryer failed to dry the clothes by the time.  Having the right clothes on for running is a must for me. By the time they were dry I wasn't in the mindset to run. Which now that I think about it means I should have ran. I will be running tomorrow during lunch.

Post Run Afternoon of 5/17/23

My run was 30 minutes today. By sticking between 15:00 - 16:00 minutes I wasn't completely out of gas by the last leg of the run. During my running portions I was at about a 15:30 - 15:45 mile. My average heart rate was 147, so higher than I want it to be, but the high was lower than in previous outings. So I stayed closer to 147 for the whole run. I'm thinking that my pace for my next run should be closer to a 16:00 mile to dial in on my target heart rate. So first run of 80/20 went well and I'll keep the experiment going.

The draw back to running in the middle of the day when it's 79 degrees outside is that I won't stop sweating for a while. I didn't get a drink until the 30 minute mark, but didn't feel dehydrated at all either. I will need to watch fluid consumption more as it gets hotter outside.

Thanks for reading.

-Riley

End of Week 2

Starting out yesterday, I had in my head it would be easy to wake up, get out there, and put some time in on the road. It was a glorious morning, and I slept in. Which isn't ideal, but that's what happened. I had to give up on running in the morning because it was just me and our little guy, and I wasn't ready to tackle a voyage with just the two of us. So I planned on running around 6ish.

Fast forward to 5:30 pm when I tried to get out running in the neighborhood. I walked outside and panicked because there were people outside who could see me trot along at my slow-paced run/walk. I felt like all eyes were on me. So what did I do? Packed up the car with Silvia and our little guy and went to the nearby track at the JR. High just down the road. It's a track may of tarmac around a football field, so better than cement. I made it, and we started the training session. 

The three-minute warm-up was complete, and time to start the 2-minute run followed by a 2-minute walk. The first one went great! I still wasn't feeling it regarding getting my workout in, but we had finished 1 or 5. Our little guy was on his bike. We were moving forward. The second set started and our little guy decided to go off track (my guess is he got bored going in circles on the track). After a slight chase, he got back on the track, and our 2-minutes of running ended.

At this point, we were near the car again and our little guy decided it was time to run and play in the puddles in the parking lot. Silvia went after him, and that's when her training for the day ended. I made it through set number three of the run/walk and our little guy kept getting further away and then running back through the water toward Silvia, then away again in the water. During this time I made it halfway through the running part of the fourth set and decided it was time to go. I stopped my fancy watch, walked back to the car, gathered the family, and went and got a Slurpee.

Silvia said I should be proud that I at least got out there and tried as I lamented I didn't finish my training for the day. That's how it ended, and I did what I could. Next week things will be different. I have 3-minute runs with a 2-minute walk. I need to pace myself better to make it through the entire week and through each workout.