yeah, I know, I live in Texas, what the heck did I expect? But, dang, it is hot out there. I didn't leave for my run until about 10:45, because the Elder Child had a playoff game early and it just didn't work out. I had a hair appt at noon,so I had very little time to hit the road and make it happen. I headed out toward the park and almost immediately the higher end HR alert went off once I got moving. It was VERY tough to keep it under 142, esp at the end, once I turned around and headed for home. The heat was just too much. During the parts of the trail that are in semi-shade it was a little easier, but pretty much I walked the last quarter of the route. Couldn't be helped. But, [SMALL VICTORY], I did get out and get it done, when it would have been just as easy (nay, easier) to sit on the couch and watch Season 1 of Dexter (which, btw, OMG, I LOVE that show/man/whatever!!).
So there you go. As soon as we find the school supply list, it's off to Target to get all the stuff that's needed. Sigh, I can't believe summer is nearly over. Gotta blast!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Friday, August 08, 2008
Morning Run
so, I got up and ran again this morning, "run" being a subjective term around here these days. It's extraordinarily demoralizing to be passed by an old guy with monster headphones shuffling by you, when you KNOW that if you weren't paying attention to your heart rates you could blow by him without even thinking about it. But, since we're only in week 2 of LHR training, we have to suppress those urges, and smile and wave when the old slow guy PASSES US! Sigh. No matter, this is all good and will be for the best. Base building, base building, base building.
Total time run was 42 minutes and change, nearly exactly what we did yesterday's run on the same route. So there's some consistency there.
SMALL VICTORY -- HR alert didn't go off once in the first half of the run, not even when I was climbing the small rise at the edge of the park (in pre-San Fran days, I'da called that a hill, but I know better now!), so I'm getting better at recognizing my upper limit and adjusting pace when needed relative to the terrain. Go me!
That is all. gotta blast and finish up the loads of laundry from the trip. Ugh.
Total time run was 42 minutes and change, nearly exactly what we did yesterday's run on the same route. So there's some consistency there.
SMALL VICTORY -- HR alert didn't go off once in the first half of the run, not even when I was climbing the small rise at the edge of the park (in pre-San Fran days, I'da called that a hill, but I know better now!), so I'm getting better at recognizing my upper limit and adjusting pace when needed relative to the terrain. Go me!
That is all. gotta blast and finish up the loads of laundry from the trip. Ugh.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
The Running Run-Down
in an effort to make this a running blog again (heh -- good luck with that!), I have decided to journal my daily activity here, including a section we will heretofore call "Small Victory." A Small Victory is just that -- a decision that I made that was better than the one I *might* have otherwise made, related to my health, my fitness plan, my eating. Or, it could be a breakthrough in the training, or a "Wow, that was great," completely unrelated to the health, fitness or eating, but otherwise made me feel like it's worthwhile to put effort toward the health, fitness and eating part of my life. So, look to that in the days to come.
Before we start again (is it me, or are we ALWAYS starting again around here? sigh), I need to give you a rundown of the run/walks I completed on the trip to Colorado. As I said earlier, I did manage to fit in a run nearly every there, and the one day I didn't run early, Elder Child and I did a 45-minute hike in Golden, so I'm counting that.
Wednesday -- Nothing planned. Flew into Denver early, then drove to Aspen. Had a light dinner at my brother's then we walked into town for dessert (for the kids! -- honest I didn't have any. Of my own...). But we did get in a leisurely 30-minute walk all told.
Thursday -- 40-minute walk/run along the Rio Grande Trail near our hotel. Gorgeous. Hard to keep the HR down, but nice.
Friday -- 55-minute walk/run along the Rio Grande Trail. This time, I was a little more acclimated to the altitude and was able to go a little further before I had to head back. But I headed back a different way, and ended up going down a different road toward town (OK, I admit it, I GOT LOST! but what a place to get lost!). Much more walking than running in the second half, mostly because of rolling hills.
Saturday -- headed down toward the path along the creek that cuts through downtown Golden. One option was to head toward the Coors plant, the other was in the opposite direction. The clerk at the hotel recommended the other. What he didn't tell me was that there are mountain lions and bears in the brush on the other side. And I didn't find out until I'd hit the trailhead, a good 10 minutes past where the paved path ended. Eeep! The sign told you what to do if attacked! I opted for climbing the hill toward the country road above me, and then took a LONG detour back toward town. OK, I admit it, I GOT LOST! But I preferred that to being EATEN BY A BEAR!
Sunday -- nothing early. After the reception that went on past 11:00 PM, I was too beat to even consider waking up. Then we had to pack and change hotels and see the sights in Golden. So I decided that if I didn't run, it would be OK. Ended up we went on a great 45-minute hike on Dinosaur Ridge. Challenging but not too much. Definitely got the HR up, but more because of the steepness than the difficulty level of the path. Then, we did some "swimming" in the "pool" at the Residence Inn. If you want to call it that. Mostly, I hung out in the hot tub, trying to unkink all the muscles in my legs.
Monday -- not a dang thing. Travel day. And crash-because-we're-dead-tired when we got home.
Tuesday - not a dang thing. Still recovering and had to get to work early since I'd been gone and had three things waiting for my attention. Plus, wicked hot in the afternoon, so that made running late difficult (EXCUSE ALERT, EXCUSE ALERT!)
Wednesday -- not a dang thing. Thought about it. But up against a deadline and never got to it. Not even making excuses. I just didn't make it happen. And I thought about it last night, but then I thought, nope. I needed to recover one more day.
Thursday -- 42 minutes through the park. Slow, slow, Slow. I thought I'd have been able to speed up considering we have all this oxygen here, but apparently not. Felt good, too, since we've had a break in the heat. Still slow, but I'll deal with it. I just need to get it going again. And make it happen.
So there. I pinky-promise I'll keep this up a little better, both the exercise and the logging. Have a great day!!
EDITED TO ADD:
Derr, after all that, I forgot to do the "Small Victory" for today. So here goes:
I got myself out of bed and ran today. I could have stayed in bed. I wanted to stay in bed. But I didn't. And it was good. Go me!
Before we start again (is it me, or are we ALWAYS starting again around here? sigh), I need to give you a rundown of the run/walks I completed on the trip to Colorado. As I said earlier, I did manage to fit in a run nearly every there, and the one day I didn't run early, Elder Child and I did a 45-minute hike in Golden, so I'm counting that.
Wednesday -- Nothing planned. Flew into Denver early, then drove to Aspen. Had a light dinner at my brother's then we walked into town for dessert (for the kids! -- honest I didn't have any. Of my own...). But we did get in a leisurely 30-minute walk all told.
Thursday -- 40-minute walk/run along the Rio Grande Trail near our hotel. Gorgeous. Hard to keep the HR down, but nice.
Friday -- 55-minute walk/run along the Rio Grande Trail. This time, I was a little more acclimated to the altitude and was able to go a little further before I had to head back. But I headed back a different way, and ended up going down a different road toward town (OK, I admit it, I GOT LOST! but what a place to get lost!). Much more walking than running in the second half, mostly because of rolling hills.
Saturday -- headed down toward the path along the creek that cuts through downtown Golden. One option was to head toward the Coors plant, the other was in the opposite direction. The clerk at the hotel recommended the other. What he didn't tell me was that there are mountain lions and bears in the brush on the other side. And I didn't find out until I'd hit the trailhead, a good 10 minutes past where the paved path ended. Eeep! The sign told you what to do if attacked! I opted for climbing the hill toward the country road above me, and then took a LONG detour back toward town. OK, I admit it, I GOT LOST! But I preferred that to being EATEN BY A BEAR!
Sunday -- nothing early. After the reception that went on past 11:00 PM, I was too beat to even consider waking up. Then we had to pack and change hotels and see the sights in Golden. So I decided that if I didn't run, it would be OK. Ended up we went on a great 45-minute hike on Dinosaur Ridge. Challenging but not too much. Definitely got the HR up, but more because of the steepness than the difficulty level of the path. Then, we did some "swimming" in the "pool" at the Residence Inn. If you want to call it that. Mostly, I hung out in the hot tub, trying to unkink all the muscles in my legs.
Monday -- not a dang thing. Travel day. And crash-because-we're-dead-tired when we got home.
Tuesday - not a dang thing. Still recovering and had to get to work early since I'd been gone and had three things waiting for my attention. Plus, wicked hot in the afternoon, so that made running late difficult (EXCUSE ALERT, EXCUSE ALERT!)
Wednesday -- not a dang thing. Thought about it. But up against a deadline and never got to it. Not even making excuses. I just didn't make it happen. And I thought about it last night, but then I thought, nope. I needed to recover one more day.
Thursday -- 42 minutes through the park. Slow, slow, Slow. I thought I'd have been able to speed up considering we have all this oxygen here, but apparently not. Felt good, too, since we've had a break in the heat. Still slow, but I'll deal with it. I just need to get it going again. And make it happen.
So there. I pinky-promise I'll keep this up a little better, both the exercise and the logging. Have a great day!!
EDITED TO ADD:
Derr, after all that, I forgot to do the "Small Victory" for today. So here goes:
I got myself out of bed and ran today. I could have stayed in bed. I wanted to stay in bed. But I didn't. And it was good. Go me!
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Colorado Pix
So, the photos from the Colorado trip are all posted on Picasa (have I talked about how much I love picasa? No? Well, I do. Lots!), and prints have been ordered for Grandma & Grandpa, since they don't believe in the Internet. I know, don't get me started, whatever. Here they are:
I was able to run/hike every day on the trip except for Wednesday and yesterday, which is about right. We know ahead of time that travel days don't bode well for the training plan. But, now we're home and back on plan. More on that later.
Gotta go since I AM working. Sort of. Kind of. Maybe.
I was able to run/hike every day on the trip except for Wednesday and yesterday, which is about right. We know ahead of time that travel days don't bode well for the training plan. But, now we're home and back on plan. More on that later.
Gotta go since I AM working. Sort of. Kind of. Maybe.
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Independence
Driving along from Aspen to Interstate 70, enjoying the dropoffs and sheer cliffs on either side of the road (OK, so I wasn't the one driving, which is why I could enjoy them!), when out of nowhere pops this little ghost town in a clearing, Independence Ghost Town:
At over 10,900 feet, this town couldn't last long. Snow from October through May would make sure of it. The Independence lode was discovered on July 4, 1879 and soon after a town of 300 sprang up. By 1882, there were 1500 residents and over 40 businesses. Known by other names also, Chipeta, Mammouth City, Mount Hope, Farwell and Sparkill, Independence only produced about $190,000 in ore and was a ghost town by 1890. Nearby Aspen attracted the people and became the county seat.
Nice little stop along the way to reality. Now I'm off to have hair and makeup done for this afternoon's festivities. More later about my morning run in Golden. Peace out!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Hi There!!
Yeah, so it's a little nice here. Just a tad cooler than Texas, just a tad.
Went for a GREAT 45-minute run/walk this morning. Bit of a struggle to keep the HR down with the inclines along the path, but well worth it for 52 degrees and amazing wide open spaces at 6:30! After a great breakfast, we took a little hike up a smaller mountain, then took the gondola up to the top of Aspen Mountain. The view is spectacular, to put it mildly.
Later tonight, Ashcroft and then dinner, and then tomorrow we'll try to hit the Maroon Bells and Independence Pass before we head back to Denver for wedding weekend fun. Peace out!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Partner in Crime
I loves teh Internets! As discussed below, I've just started the LHR training thang, and am constantly trying to figure out the missing part of the equation in regards to getting the weight under control. But today, I think I may have found another avenue that will keep me accountable, that will keep me motivated, that will keep me, let's face it, HONEST! And that, friends and naybers, is a Training Partner! More details to come... I've got a couple of revisions to make to a couple of hairy spreadsheets and a proposal doc before I head to bed, and I also need to hit the streets for a 40-minute run now that the temps have cooled down to 90 degrees now.
More later, pinky promise!!!
EDITED TO ADD:
I did NOT go outside to run yesterday. By the time I finished with what I needed to finish, it was 10:30 and STILL 90 degrees out. Hub was adamant that I not go out into the dark and heat to run at that hour. Elder Child was passed out in the playroom where the treadmill is, so I didn't want to bother him, and I couldn't handle a 15-minute drive to the gym for 40 minutes of SLOW running. So I bailed. I am a chucker loser and a slacker, I admit it. BUT!!! (she adds somewhat victoriously) I did NOT have a bowl, or even a cup, or even a spoon of the praline caramel ice cream in the freezer instead. So, I'm not a complete slack-ass, just a partial one.
More later, pinky promise!!!
EDITED TO ADD:
I did NOT go outside to run yesterday. By the time I finished with what I needed to finish, it was 10:30 and STILL 90 degrees out. Hub was adamant that I not go out into the dark and heat to run at that hour. Elder Child was passed out in the playroom where the treadmill is, so I didn't want to bother him, and I couldn't handle a 15-minute drive to the gym for 40 minutes of SLOW running. So I bailed. I am a chucker loser and a slacker, I admit it. BUT!!! (she adds somewhat victoriously) I did NOT have a bowl, or even a cup, or even a spoon of the praline caramel ice cream in the freezer instead. So, I'm not a complete slack-ass, just a partial one.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Day 1 LHR
Today was the first day of the LHR training, and this is how it went:
Run time: 31:53:02
Total mileage: 2.5 miles
Pace/mile: 12:45/mile
calories burned: 288
Average HR: 137
Peak HR: 145
Time in
Sheesh. That's slow, even slower than my prep runs on Monday and Tuesday (those were half-hour runs of 2.75 miles, for an average pace of 10:54. But I realized this morning that my heartrate was well above my LHR high end of 142, as I had a bit of a struggle to stay under that several times today. I did manage to stay within the HR range of 120-142 for 29 minutes, though, with only 1 minute above the range. I slowed to a walk almost instantly when I heard the watch alarm go off, and I only started to run again when it came down to about 135.
It's been hot when I go out, but not nearly as humid as I'm used to by this time of the year, so I think that's helped keep the effort down. I'm looking forward to trying this when I start traveling again, too -- we'll give it a test when we go to Denver next weekend. It will be interesting to see how it translates to the treadmill, too. Right now, the plan is to keep to half-hour-ish runs this week, with a long run of 90 minutes on Sunday, and then bump up the daily runs to 45 minutes next week and an hour the following week. After that, I'll keep up hour-long runs 5X a week with a long run on Sunday. With that approach, we'll let the mileage be what it will be, and worry just about keeping the HR steady and improving the engine.
So that's all. Gotta go - I'll be posting the slideshow from last weekend tonight so everyone can see it, but first I've got to send the email to my donors and honorees.
Run time: 31:53:02
Total mileage: 2.5 miles
Pace/mile: 12:45/mile
calories burned: 288
Average HR: 137
Peak HR: 145
Time in
Sheesh. That's slow, even slower than my prep runs on Monday and Tuesday (those were half-hour runs of 2.75 miles, for an average pace of 10:54. But I realized this morning that my heartrate was well above my LHR high end of 142, as I had a bit of a struggle to stay under that several times today. I did manage to stay within the HR range of 120-142 for 29 minutes, though, with only 1 minute above the range. I slowed to a walk almost instantly when I heard the watch alarm go off, and I only started to run again when it came down to about 135.
It's been hot when I go out, but not nearly as humid as I'm used to by this time of the year, so I think that's helped keep the effort down. I'm looking forward to trying this when I start traveling again, too -- we'll give it a test when we go to Denver next weekend. It will be interesting to see how it translates to the treadmill, too. Right now, the plan is to keep to half-hour-ish runs this week, with a long run of 90 minutes on Sunday, and then bump up the daily runs to 45 minutes next week and an hour the following week. After that, I'll keep up hour-long runs 5X a week with a long run on Sunday. With that approach, we'll let the mileage be what it will be, and worry just about keeping the HR steady and improving the engine.
So that's all. Gotta go - I'll be posting the slideshow from last weekend tonight so everyone can see it, but first I've got to send the email to my donors and honorees.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
All Your Base Are Belong to Us
So, I have no events scheduled. Not just in the next month, or three months, or six months. I. have. no. events. scheduled. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Which is something that makes the common folks who share my house very, very nervous. See, 'cause if I don't have anything to train for, then that means, pretty simply, that I have no reason to train. And we can't have that. Because the week I took off to recover from my little weekend stroll nearly killed me. And those in my house. I was crabby, cranky and pretty much a pain to be around. If not for the garage sale tasks, I'd have made everyone else crabby, cranky and pretty much a pain to be around too, just by osmosis.
So we have to have a goal for the training. We have to have a Raison d'être or we just pretty much make everyone nuts. And the goal for the training, for at least the next three months, probably for the rest of the year, is....
(insert drumroll, in case you can't guess by the headline)
Base training, using LHR (that's low heart rate) training. Building the aerobic base and teaching the old body to be an effective aerobic machine. Also, building base for next spring, in which I re-attempt the Love the Half marathon madness, hopefully with much faster times. Also, building swimming endurance for the triathlons next summer, in which I will progress to an Olympic distance by the end of the year. Also, spending a lot more time with the pushup, the pull-up, and the crunch (gawd, I HATE the crunch -- a fact well-attested to by my waistline).
So, that's it. There ya go. We've done some unofficial LHR runs yesterday and today, which were mostly unofficial b/c the Suunto T1 did not arrive until our friendly UPS guy brought it by this afternoon (last year's model -- score! "brick" color AKA burnt orange -- double score!!). So tomorrow, we begin in earnest, with a target range of 120-142. Look for more stats like total time running/mileage (just for comparison's sake)/avg HR, etc. This place may start to look like a running blog again. Go figure.
Peace out, folks! It's past dinner time and the boys are hungry -- gotta rustle up something to eat!
So we have to have a goal for the training. We have to have a Raison d'être or we just pretty much make everyone nuts. And the goal for the training, for at least the next three months, probably for the rest of the year, is....
(insert drumroll, in case you can't guess by the headline)
Base training, using LHR (that's low heart rate) training. Building the aerobic base and teaching the old body to be an effective aerobic machine. Also, building base for next spring, in which I re-attempt the Love the Half marathon madness, hopefully with much faster times. Also, building swimming endurance for the triathlons next summer, in which I will progress to an Olympic distance by the end of the year. Also, spending a lot more time with the pushup, the pull-up, and the crunch (gawd, I HATE the crunch -- a fact well-attested to by my waistline).
So, that's it. There ya go. We've done some unofficial LHR runs yesterday and today, which were mostly unofficial b/c the Suunto T1 did not arrive until our friendly UPS guy brought it by this afternoon (last year's model -- score! "brick" color AKA burnt orange -- double score!!). So tomorrow, we begin in earnest, with a target range of 120-142. Look for more stats like total time running/mileage (just for comparison's sake)/avg HR, etc. This place may start to look like a running blog again. Go figure.
Peace out, folks! It's past dinner time and the boys are hungry -- gotta rustle up something to eat!
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