Saturday, February 27, 2010

Out with the old-in with the new.




In about an hour or so I am going to sell my old truck, I am happy I found someone to buy it but I am sad when I think of all the time I spent driving it, working with it, using it for Boy Scouts, driving my children places and doing home improvement with it since 1992.
I already picked up my new 2010 Accent in Yellow Mello earlier this week, I think this will be better for commuting and general running around but I know the first time I want to haul something I am going to wish I had the truck. But, I thought about that and calculated the savings in buying this car instead of another truck and the lower gasoline cost with the car, I could rent a truck at least four or five times a year. I really do not need a truck that many times in a year so I bought the car.
The running schedule is still on track, more snow on the road so I am still running on the street, however I am using the foam roller and this appears to help with muscle soreness. If the transfer of the truck goes well, I intend to make it to the runners seminar at coordinated health today, if I do I will write about it later this weekend.





Wednesday, February 24, 2010

I'm sorry.

Last night I bought a 2010, Mello Yellow,Hyundai Accent. This in itself is not a very big occasion, however, you must realize, I am not driving my 1989 Ford Ranger. So, a number of people at work are blaming the latest expected snow storm on me finally spending the dinero on a new car. So I apologize to everyone out there that will be shoveling snow over the next few days. Or, you can thank me for the muscle confusion, cross training............you're welcome. And if you see me tooling around the Lehigh Parkway give me wave.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Six miles.

Today's schedule called for six miles. This is the longest I have run this distance in over a year so I was anxious to see how I would do. I am still on the run 3 minutes-walk 2 minutes interval which seems to be almost too easy but this is the program I decided on so I am staying with it. I am also trying to cut down on coffee before running so I had some tea before the run, abstaining from coffee. The run went well with only a little stiffness in my right ankle, seems like the plantar fasciitis has spread or moved to my ankle which may be an indication of a different problem. So I used the foam roller on my lower legs, hamstrings and ankle and icing afterwards with good results.

I am at 55 push-ups and 63 sit-ups along with Tai Chi and Yoga on my non running days. Overall things are going according to plan for the half marathon.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Preconscious mind

I attended a breakfast seminar at a local university recently and the topic was on mind study. Your preconscious mind and how it affects your performance was discussed, if your preconscious mind is full of "stuff" you are distracted and then your performance, physical and mental suffers. That night after work (and my run) I sat down and searched for the journal entry I made a year or so ago after a run that did not go very well. I remember I had planned to run after church on Sunday as I usually do, however, someone told me we were going out to breakfast after church so I needed to change plans to Saturday. Saturday was not good because at the time I was attending Tai Chi classes in the morning and I do not like to do Tai Chi after a long run, additionally the forecast was hot,humid weather with rain-not my best conditions. Anyway I was not in a good frame of mind but I soldiered on and Saturday morning found me running in the Parkway with a very full, distracting, preconscious mind. Everything was wrong, I was angry, out of breath, I had to stop and walk, etc. I wrote in my journal that it was not a good run because I was not in a good place mentally and since then I try to not get upset when I run (or anytime actually). So, at the seminar this topic was really hitting home, especially when the presenter put a slide of Tiger Woods on the screen and said how good this guy could be with a clear mind because to do what he recently admitted to and perform on the golf course like he did with a full mind is incredible!

Last night I took to the streets for my run and everything is still good, a little sore from running on the streets but I am hoping for snow melt so I can get back to the trail. My PF is not too bad, I have been using the foam roller with some success.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Street Run

I did my 5 mile run today on the streets, I hope the snow clears soon so I can run on the cinder path in the Parkway as running on the street is tougher on the joints and I am beginning to feel it. Other than sore muscles today's run went well, I ran the 5 miles in 54 minutes, an easy pace of running 3 minutes then walking 2 minutes. I am shooting for 2 to 2.5 hours for the half marathon and I am where I should be to do that.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Good but boring run.

I took to the streets last night to get my run in so I could keep up with my training schedule. It was a little slippery so I ran down to Cedar Beach where there is a paved walking path that the city plows. I ran back and forth until I put in my designated time and then walked/ran home. I felt good but a little bored with the route. I had postponed my run on Thursday due to all the snow shoveling, Friday was a workout day so I will do that today and run tomorrow 9Sunday my rest day). Tomorrow my schedule calls for a five mile run so I plan on running home from church which just happens to be five miles, if I do this my training for the half in April will be back on track.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Last run in Parkway for a while.

I ran in the Parkway tonight, some of the path was cleared of snow-probably for the SB 10k, so I ran on the path and the snow was soft in some parts but I had to run some on the road where the snowmobiles went because it was packed hard and un-even. All in all a good run before the storm.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Snowy run.

I decided to run yesterday afternoon on the streets. Overall it was a good run, a little slippery but not too bad. I used the foam roller on my hamstrings,calves and Achilles Tendons before and after running and taped my right foot for the PF,this seems to help as I have no pain today. So far I am on track for the thirteen week plan for the half marathon-no missed workouts.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Snow


Here is a picture taken about 07:30 today EST, the snow is still falling and the wind is swirling it around.
Last night we went out for cheese steaks at the Brass Rail-good. I waited a few hours and did my one hour exercise routine, push-ups 50, sit-ups 63. I then used the foam roller on my lower legs and Achilles tendon which seems to help my heel pain from the plantar fasciitis.
I am hoping to run today or tomorrow, looks like tomorrow will be better. With all this snow I will have to run on the streets so I am going to map out a new run on Map Quest.
Joseph came home for the weekend and brought a case of Yuengling bock beer, I love bock beer and this was the first time I had Yuengling bock; I was not dissapointed!
So, I fell of the nutrition wagon with the beer and cheese steak last night but since I only do this on occasion I don't feel too bad. On to the oatmeal for breakfast!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Quote.

On my desk at home, which is in the same room where I get dressed for my run and do my Tai Chi and yoga I have a 3x5 index card with the following quote written on it"Don't let your ego write checks that your body can't cash". It is there to remind me to stick to my plan and not overdo it, especially when I am feeling strong. My Tai Chi teacher, Bill Newman, once made a statement during class that every time you hurt yourself you can go back and see that you did something wrong. Like bending to pick something up and not using your legs, or twisting your body as you reach for something. Any whoo, I try to keep this in mind when I head out the door as a reminder not to push too hard or add too much distance, because most of my running injuries seem to be from going too long too soon, running too hard when I am not quite ready, or running too many days in a row without a rest break.

The plantar fasciitis seems to be retreating!