Pace seems to be subjective

Its interesting, I read a blog and see someone talking about their "slow" seven minute mile, and I think - "Crap! That isn't even my FAST mile!"   Then I post how I took it easy, and ran a 9:15 mile.  The response I get are often the same.

One of the great things about running, is that "Fast" and "Slow" are both subjective.  Last night I headed out to do 4 miles. (It seems that this is my new "short" run - considering I am training for 26.2. )  My goal was to average an 8:30 pace.

I have no idea what happened.

Never sore where you think

[caption id="attachment_2831" align="alignright" width="300"] Me resting after using the bowflex.... (ok...ok.. the image MIGHT be from http://www.bowflex-help-online.com/is-a-bowflex-home-gym-worth-the-money.html )[/caption]

Last night I hit my bowflex for a nice workout. My thought is that by swapping days of running and lifting, I give my Plantar Fasciitis a chance to heal (in theory), while working on the upper body/core that I have spent years ignoring. It seems like a good way to develop a balance that I have been sorely lacking.

Now, the thing that surprises me with the bowflex, is that I am usually sore in different places than I expect. With out giving you all the details of last night's workout (imagine how exciting THAT would be... I pushed.. relaxed.. pushed.. relaxed..,) I was sure that today - I was going to be facing some seriously sore triceps. SURPRISE!!!! The Arms are fine, and your back is letting you know it was a great workout!

I'm certainly not complaining, as I know it was a good workout either way.

Walking for a Cause, and Running because..

Yesterday was the "16th Annual Making Strides against Breast Cancer" 5k walk at Recreation Park in Binghamton NY. My wife, my children and one coworker were there with our pink on to try and do our little part toward a great cause. It was amazing to see 3600 people out there walking on a dreary October day for such a great cause. The attitude was quite festive!

We went home after the walk - and ate left over chinese food (just as good the second day!). I did give it a chance to settle, and than headed out on the run. I had planned on a 15 mile run - figuring if I could do 15 yesterday, I had no worries at all that I was going to be able to pull off the 26.2 on the 30th of the month. Well, that and my buddy did the Wineglass Marathon in the morning, and it was "inspiring" (aka, I was having jealousy issues).

A Swim and a Run... Preparations continue! (though it does hurt more than I recall..)

I know that today is supposed to be a "Freaky Friday: Bizarre things found around the Interwebs"  - but I haven't had a chance to surf the interwebs lately - and nor have I posted on my exercising for the last two days.  So today is an update post instead!

Weds. was my "day off" of running (also known as a rest day) - I decided to take my kids to the local YMCA for the open swim.  They had a ball playing - and I did laps.  The one thing I quickly realized, is that laps are much more difficult to do as a 36 year old man, then they were when I was 12.  I remember going to my swim team practice (the Ramapo Raccoons!  and later the Rockland Dolphins) and doing lap after lap after lap - with no problems. Heck, I recall doing the 400 meter individual medley (100m each of Back stroke, Breast stroke, Butterfly, and Free-style)  - and being tired, but not thinking my arms were going to fall off...

So at the "Y" I headed out and did 50yds of Freestyle, did my flip-turn.....and switched to breaststroke.  Man, my shoulders felt it FAST (meaning that they got tired fast.. Not that I was fast.)  I ended up doing a total of 900 yards - with 2/3 of it being breast stroke.  Its kind of nice being able to pause during laps - and go play with the kids.  It doesn't give away the fact that I HAD to rest. This is the key reason I go to the open swim, and not to lap swim.   I have been reading up on line on how "public lap swim" works. And it seems that a lot of places do a "Circle swim" - where one side of the lane (or double lane) goes one way, and one goes the other. OR they might have shared lanes where each lane is like multiple mini-lanes.. you touch the person's feet when you want to pass.  I may have to go during "lap swim" time - to see how the folks at the YMCA do it. Who knew that swimming was so much more complicated than running? <side note: anyone have any advice on the subject of lap swimming?> 

Thursday I went out for a run in the evening, after Horace Mann's (my kid's elementary school) "Family Fun Night" - where the school serves hamburgers/hotdogs and has various bounce house type things for the kids..     By the time we got home - it was getting dark.

I strapped on my big 'ol "foot-coffins" (that name for shoes cracks me up) and headed out. I had no idea what distance I was going to do, just that it was going to be between 3 and 7.  I knew I wasn't going to run one of "Seton's" course's - strangely I have had no desire to do those after writing about them. I did a nice loop that worked out as almost perfectly 5 miles (I had to run past my house for 6 houses to actually hit 5 miles).  My legs were still tired - and it definitely showed in the last 2 miles - my splits slowed down noticeably.


Mile 1: 9:15
Mile 2: 8:45
Mile 3: 8:41
Mile 4: 9:02
Mile 5:  9:07

Still, not to shabby for my fourth run in 6 weeks. It brings my weekly total up to around 18 miles.  Hopefully I will get a run in today and tomorrow and push that up to 30 miles. 

I also have to say - jumping back in to running like this - my legs are sore today!  Though it does go well with the soreness of my upperbody from swimming.

Advil is my friend.

Marine Corps Marathon Registration

 So.. I have decided it was time to live one of my dreams that I have had since Highschool, and signed up for the  Marine Corps Marathon. Some background may be in order.

Personally, I served four years in the United States Navy working side by side with Marines, while my father served in the Marine Corps (Which is where he met my godfather - also a Marine.). My best friend - served in the Marine Corps. When I was in highschool, I ran cross-country - and talked of "Some day" doing a marathon. In fact, I decided it was going to be the "People's Race" (as the Marine Corps Marathon is called - it requires no qualifying time and is simply a first come, first serve - sign up.) So since It was half my life ago that I decided to do this - I felt I probably should do it sooner, rather than later.

The thought has really been running through my head that I should look stronger at this over the last couple of years. Last year it was held ON Halloween, and it didn't seem fair to do that to my children (6 and 8 years old at the time), Well, there is also the fact I wasn't in shape for it.. Nor had I registered in time.. But that's not really relevant is it?

This year, I they opened up the sign ups at 11ish on Feb. 23, and I signed up ASAP (I also signed up my best friend - yes he did know I was going to do so.) At this point, I have 240 days, 17 hours and 40 minute to get ready for it.

For further background - when i really decided I was going to do this - it was last year.. Which lead me up to the point that I worked my way up to running 13 miles in early November. I had some pain in the right hip area at the time, but didnt' really worry about it. After two weeks off I tried running again, and felt horrible pain.. After attempting physical therapy for a strained hip flexor.. well, it turned out it was an inguinal hernia. On January 6th, I went in for laparoscopic surgery.. That couldn't be done laparoscopically.. So recovery from the "open hernia surgery" has taken longer than I hoped. I am working my way back into running - doing some training in my Vibram Five Fingers (which i hope to be able to wear for the entire marathon by October) and some in traditional running shoes - as my calves aren't strong enough to do it all in my vibrams.

So this is going to be where I document my training.. my thoughts on it.. and even just input on shoes/water bottles/gel, anything else that seems pertinent..

So Currently I am doing most of my training on a dred-mill, but as spring approaches that should be changing!