Friday, March 30, 2007

Treadmill Fun

Run: 3.1 Miles
Time: 29:57 (9:40 pace)


Got to the gym around 9:00 pm last night and hopped on the treadmill. I spent about 3 or 4 minutes just getting adjusted to running on it because this is only my second run ever on treadmill.

I decided I would do high tempo 5k to see where I stood with that distance. I started off a little slower then I wanted and did the first mile in 10:30. The second mile I turned up the speed a little bit and hit 10 flat. Just over the 2 mile mark my time was around 20:30 so I pushed up the speed a little more and did the last 1.1 miles in 9:27. It felt great and my allergies didn't bother me while I was running, however, during my cooldown the allergies kicked in and really started acting up. Once I got out of the shower and took my meds I was fine.

I'm really happy to push my 5k distance under the 30 minute mark. My last two 5k training runs have now been under that mark. Tonight I will do another treadmill run and tomorrow morning I am meeting a coworker to do a long bike ride around Donaldson Center. I'm going to push to do around 28 miles, which is about 4 laps. I will be meeting him around 8am tomorrow morning and it should be a blast. Hope everyone has a great Friday. - Jason The Running Man

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Allergy Filled Wednesday

Well, I did not get to the gym last night. My allergies have really put a damper on my March workouts. It looks like we may get some rain today which will help calm this pollen nightmare down some I hope.

Maybe this is my body telling me to slow down some and just relax. Now with three days of rest behind me tonight I will be at the gym on the treadmill, I don't care if I'm sneezing or throwing up I will be on the treadmill tonight. Well, maybe that's a little harsh:) but with the rain coming hopefully my allergies, I'm praying, that my allergies will be calm down enough to enjoy the run.

My diet has not been the best over the past three days either but I didn't gain any weight so no harm no foul. I'm really excited about April especially April 21 which will be my first half marathon experience. I plan on running the 13.1 distance at least two times during my training next month. I was orginally going to run the Cooper River Bridge 10k this Saturday but with everything going on here I will not be able to make the trip. I didn't see any other 10k local races between now and my half so I may run another 5k race before the half. It looks like there is the Furman 5k on April 7th so I will look into maybe running that one and after looking its only a $10 registration fee which is cheap. I hope everyone has a great Thursday. - Jason The Running Man

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Did I Mention I live in Pollen City...

They say a high pollen count is around 100. Greenville registered a pollen count yesterday of 4800 and will hover around that number all week. Sounds like I'm going to have a great week!!

Well, this week did not start well and it continues to be a struggle. Last night was a nonworkout night because of the annual homeowners meeting for our community that I had to organize and run. The meeting went well but I would have rather been working out. Tonight I will be at the gym on my favorite machine, I'm sure you can sense the sarcasm in that, the treadmill. I'm not going to put a distance on tonights run I'm just going to hop on, turn up the ipod, and imagine I'm running outside. Will see how it goes so stay tuned for the treadmill report.

It is very clear to me that I'm going to fall short of my March goals. I could sit here and give excuse after excuse as to why but I will not do that. I'm really ok with it because April is a new month with the opportunity to set new goals and work even harder to achieve them. In fact, I believe I will fall short on every goal I set for March. Failure is not necessarily a bad thing, it's an opportunity to improve and grow both physically and mentally. If you've missed your goals just smile pick yourself up, rededicate yourself to reach further and work harder. I know I will and I look forward to facing the challenges April will bring.

I will update after my workout tonight. Have a great Wednesday! - Jason The Running Man

Monday, March 26, 2007

Sunday Heat in Pollen City

Run: 5.7 Miles
Time: 1:12:03 (12:41 pace)
March Totals
Running Miles: 50
Biking Miles: 7.1
Strength Training: 7 sessions
Weight loss: 6 pounds

The plan for Sunday was to do at least 11 miles and as you can see I fell short. Instead of running Donaldson Center we decided to run in downtown Greenville starting out in Cleveland Park.

The temp was approaching the 90 degree mark here yesterday so I took plenty of fluids on the run. We started out fine but about a mile and half in Mendy had a few leg cramps so we stopped for a brief moment then started to walk a little. The heat was really starting to get to me as well but we picked back up and continued on. Around mile 3 we both had to stop again and walk as the heat was just really beating us up. After a brief walk we picked back up again and lasted until about the 4 mile mark and we both had to stop and walk. After Mendy refilled her water bottles we took off again. The pattern would continue as we would run for a good bit then stop and walk. This is really my first run at this distance in 80 plus degree heat so I knew it was going to be a struggle. At around the 5 mile mark we both looked at each other and said "don't think 11 miles is in our future today", we were whipped. We pushed through the final mile and came in at 5.7 miles for the day. I was exausted and ready to rest. Even though we struggled it was good to get out and at least enjoy the day with friends.

After I got back home I realized a couple of things...

First, I have severe allergies to all kinds of pollen and let me tell you we have no shortage of the yellowish powder here right now. My eyes we nearly swollen shut and burning badly. Second, I realized after calculating my calories for the day last night I only got 900 calories for the day, WOW, terrible no wonder I had no energy and struggled on the run. Third, I was just getting over that stomach bug from Friday and my body just wasn't 100% yet. So, after realizing all of that I was really ok with my performance. It was my first run wearing my Fuel Belt and I have to say I was pleased with the comfort and overall feel of the belt. I carried 4 10oz bottles and the belt stayed right where it needed to be the entire run. The only thing that bothered me was just removing the rear bottles and getting them back in place which is something I will just have to get used to over time.

I may try and get some miles in on the treadmill this week to avoid exposure to all that pollen. I'm just not a big fan of the treadmill but I guess it's better then suffering with allergies. Tonight is a strength training night and I'm looking forward to it. Have a great Monday. - Jason The Running Man

Saturday, March 24, 2007

SICK FRIDAY

Well, it got me. I ended up leaving work early and all day yesterday I could not hold anything down and spent the whole time on the couch. Luckily by late last night I was feeling much better and I'm thankful that I'm almost back 100%. As of right now I am still planning on my long run tomorrow afternoon and with the temp expected to be in the mid 80's I am bringing plenty of fluids.

Due to the stomach bug I missed an easy run and a long bike ride. I guess it could have been worse so I'm thankful it turned out to be just a 24 hour bug. I'm not going to get crazy and try and make up those missed workouts, at least not right away. I will be meeting Mendy at the Naval reserve center probably around 2-2:30 tomorrow afternoon and I think we are planning on running somewhere between 11 and 13 miles just depends on how I feel. Today I did pick up a 4 bottle Fuel Belt and also 4 additional 10oz bottles. This will be the first time I've run with a fuel belt so it should be interesting. I'm going to take about 30oz of water and around 10oz of Gatorade Endurance blend.

I will update tomorrow after the run. Have a great Saturday night. - Jason The Running Man

Friday, March 23, 2007

Building Strength

Last night I got to the gym a little later then normal around 9:20. I'm really starting to see my strength increase and was able to up the weight on almost all exercises. Here's the rundown.

Standing Calf Raises: 4x30 - Increased weight
Lat Pulldown: 4x10 - Increased weight
Incline Bench Press: 4x10 - Increased weight
Decline Bench Press: 4x10 - Increased weight
Shoulder Press: 4x10 - Increased weight
Hammer Curls: 3x20
Regular Curls: 3x20
Crunches: 4x15

This morning I woke feeling a little uneasy and I'm hoping I'm not getting what the wife got. It feels like a stomach bug right now and I hope its only a 24 hour thing. If I'm still feeling yucky by lunch time I will probably skip my easy run today in hopes to get better for my weekend workouts, will see. Hope everyone has a better Friday then me. - Jason The Running Man

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Unplanned Day Off

Wife caught nasty stomach virus and I had a terrible time with my allergies, hello spring, the tree pollen is insane right now. So, Wednesday became a training day off.

Tonight will be strength training and Friday will be an easy run day. Saturday I will be doing a long bike ride to catch up on some of my bike miles. I will at least do 22 miles maybe more depending on how I feel. Sunday I am meeting friends Dave and Mendy for a long run around Donaldson Center.

Should be an intense weekend and I'm looking forward to it. Hope everyone has a great Thursday. - Jason The Running Man

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Back to Normal Routine

Run: 7 Miles
Time: 1:21:11 (11:35 pace)
March Totals
Running Miles: 44.2
Biking Miles: 7.1 Miles
Weight Loss: 2 pounds

Wow, what a crazy past week and half I've had. Last week when my laptop crashed I lost what I thought was a month of fitness data. It turned out to be 4 months of data. Luckily I've also been recording my mileage at Running Ahead as a backup. My laptop is now fully back up and running as of this afternoon. Through a crashing laptop, longer hours at work, and a weekend out of town trip I only missed one workout. I wish I could report I didn't miss any but I'm really pleased to have only missed one workout. I am behind on my bike mileage but should put a nice dent in that this weekend as I plan to ride around Donaldson center.

Tonights run was actually rough for me. Just couldn't seem to get into a good rythym. Just had a difficult time pushing through 7 miles. I was pleased with my pace because I felt like it was going to be in the 13 min mile pace range so to come in around 11:35ish was one positive thing from a struggling run. Overall happy to get in 7 miles tonight. Last week I only got in 11.1 miles and the workout I missed was my long run. I did get all three strength training sessions in last week though and I'm seeing some really good gains in that department. My weight loss did stall over the last 2 weeks but after adjusting my calories I should see some good weight loss over the next week.

Here is a snap shot of my 7 mile run from tonight.

Pace








Elevation








This past weekend me my father-in-law and another friend of ours Russ went down to the Run to the Sun car show in Mrytle Beach, South Carolina. My father-in-law has a 1971 Buick Skylark GS and Russ has a 1971 Buick Skylark GSX that we entered in to the show. We had a great time and both cars showed very well. Here are a few pictures from the fun weekend.


1971 Buick GSX











1971 Buick GS































Sunday, March 18, 2007

Fun Weekend

Well, I feel like I haven't updated my blog in a while. Here's a rundown of my weekend fun.

I took a trip down to Myrtle Beach with my father-in-law and friend to show their high performance Buick Skylarks (71 GS & 71GSX). I have some pictures I will post as soon as I get the chance to upload them. We just got back in to town about 2 hours ago. We had a great time and both Buicks showed really well. I did take my running shoes and got in a 4 mile run on Saturday early morning before the show and it felt great.

My laptop however is not so well and they were unable to pull anything off the drive. That included all my fitness spreadsheets and docs. I do have backups from about a month ago so not so bad, just frustrating. I will be getting it back tomorrow and will update my workouts and stats from last week hopefully sometime tomorrow night. Hope everyone is doing well and I should be able to get back to my normal routine this week and I'm really looking forward to it. Have a great Monday morning. - Jason The Running Man

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Laptop Troubles

Hey everybody. Just a quick update. My laptop hard drive tanked on me Tuesday and is currently being fixed. Because its a work laptop my desktop group is currently trying to restore some data I didn't save...I know...I know, you don't have to say it, and I should hopefully get it back soon. I will update this weeks workouts tonight.

Thanks - Jason The Running Man

Monday, March 12, 2007

Another 7 Miles

Run: 7 Miles
Time: 1:24:04 (12:00 pace)
March Totals
Running Miles: 33.1
Biking Miles: 7.4 Miles
Weight Loss: 3 Pounds

Well, first let me backup to Sunday. Sunday afternoon I met Mendy and David out at the Donaldson loop to bike. I was hoping to get 2 laps in which would have been about 14.2 miles. However, when I was loading up my bike I noticed my tires were a little low on air so I grabbed my hand pump and got the back tire just fine but the front decided not to play nice. The tire would pump up just fine but when disconnecting from the stem it would not hold the air. After messing around with it for about 20 minutes I decided to head on out and get it resolved at the base. To make a long story short the tube had a leak and if it wasn't for Mendy having an extra tube I would not have even gotten the one lap in. I think we spent about an hour trying to fix it and we got the tube replaced. Thanks Mendy for the assist. Once we got the new tube and tire back on the rim and filled with air we were ready to go. It was a great time riding even if it was a short. Only got about 7.4 miles in but it was a rewarding ride after working so hard to fix the tire. I really need to take a class on Bike maintenance and buy a good set of tools to carry with me.

Tonight I got out on my run around 8:30 and the plan was to do 5 miles but when I got out there I felt so good and the weather has just been fantastic so I decided to push on further. I also made sure to keep my pace nice and slow as this was just an easy run. I came in at a 12 min pace for 7 miles and it felt great. Tomorrow night I will hit the weights as its been a few days since I've been in the gym. Below is a snapshot of tonights run. Have a great Tuesday! - Jason The Running Man










Saturday, March 10, 2007

7 Mile Saturday

Run: 7.1 Miles
Time: 1:17:26 (10:52 pace)
March Totals
Running Miles: 26.1
Biking Miles: 0

This morning I got up and helped my father-in-law install new seats in his 1971 Buick Skylark GS and then had some lunch. Around 1:30pm we went down to our local running store because I've been in desperate need of new running shoes. I've never had someone analyze my foot and running motion before so I was excited to get the correct pair of shoes for my foot type. I've always gravitated towards Nike shoes but have noticed that they are not one of the top running shoes worn. I joked around with my coworker Mendy that I bet after they analyze my foot that they would bring me a pair of Nike shoes from the start....

Two minutes later the guy came back with guess what....Nike Air Zoom Plus!:) I tried them on and could not believe how comfortable they were, so much more cushion! He ripped out the inserts and put better ones in. Just to make sure I asked him to give me another brand with the same foot structure and he brought back a pair of Mizunos. I put the Mizuno on one foot and the Nike Zoom on the other and went outside for a jog. The verdict, the Mizuno could not even come close to the comfort of the Nike shoe. So, true to my form I stayed with Nike. I also picked up a pair of iBungee laces for quick slip on slip off no tieing and a pair of Injinji socks to help in the blister department. By the time we got out of the shoe store it was 2:45 and I planned on meeting Mendy at 3:30.

Finally got over to Mendy and her husband David around 3:20 and after a quick potty break and hugs and kisses to my wife and daughter we headed over to where we were going to start the run. This is a 7.1 mile loop around the Donaldson Air Force Base here in Greenville. Mendy and I started off with a nice easy pace and just settled in while David hung back briefly. He runs around a 7 minute mile pace and caught us quickly and moved on. The run is somewhat hilly at the beginning and levels out nicely towards the end with the excepetion of one tough hill near the end of the route. I did take a 20oz bottle of water and we stopped at the 4.6 mile mark for about a minute or so to rehydrate and then back on pace we went. Right near the end there was a slight up hill and Mendy was in front of me about 5 feet and all I heard was sprint sprint lets go and I quickly picked up the pace but didn't have much left in the tank and Mendy started to pull away slightly then slowed to let me catch up and we crossed our finish line at 1:17:26 a 10:52 pace, no wonder I didn't have much left in the tank that's a whole minute plus faster then what I normally do my long runs in!!

It felt great though and it was good to run with someone for a change. Thanks Mendy and David it was a blast. They're are going to bike that loop tomorrow and depending on what I have going on I may bike it with them. Will see. Anyway, fantastic to jump into the 10 minute mile pace for more then 6 miles! Got home took a quick shower and went out to eat with my wife and daughter and treated myself to a 12oz ribeye steak and a plain baked potato....mmmmm it was excellent and also Mendy's fault for brining up steak during our run. First time I've had red meat for quite a while. Hope everyone has a great Sunday morning and don't forget to turn those clocks ahead one hour tonight! - Jason The Running Man













Friday, March 9, 2007

New PR for Thursday

Run: 3.4 Miles
Time: 32:14 (9:23 pace)
March Totals
Running Miles: 19
Biking Miles: 0

Well last night I was so not motivated to go run. Just wanted to veg out and watch tv but I knew what I had to do. I laced up my shoes grabed my Garmin and headed out around 9pm. I decided to do a high tempo shorter distance run. My goal last night was to at least hit the 5k distance and I got in just shy of 3.5 miles. I was so excited when I looked down at my Garmin at mile 3.1 (5k distance) it read 29:06. Finally ran a sub 30 5k distance and when I finished I was happy to see my pace in the 9:20 range. Thats another first for me as well, to hold a sub 10 pace for more then 3 miles. Nothing like going from wanting to be lazy and doing nothing to hitting a PR and achieving a small goal of sub 10 pace for 3 miles.

More often then not on the days I don't feel like getting out there and running those become my best runs. When your not motivated to run that's when you need to lace them up, get out there, and make it a great run. I know when I achieve small milestones like last night it really fires me up to get out there and not just run but be excited about getting out there. Below is a snap shot of last nights run. Also, tonight I will be hitting the gym for my missed workout on Wednesday and tomorrow will be my long run.

Tomorrow I will have a running buddy with me, my coworker Mendy and I are going to do a 7 mile loop around Donaldson Air Force, should be fun. Mendy is really the one that encouraged me to run in my first 5k race last May (she really made a few of us guys at work feel like we had to "man up" and register for that 5k):) and the rest is history. Mendy just finished her half marathon last month and is running in the Chicago Marathon in October. Go over to her blog and say hey! Anyway, make it a great Friday!:) - Jason The Running Man





Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Dental Visit Wednesday

Today at 3:30 I had a dentist appointment scheduled. One root canal and 2 and a half hours later I was walking out of the dentist. Two and half hours in the chair, mouth stretched to limits I thought could never be achieved, and the root canal was complete.

First problem he had was numbing the area. I got two shots of novacaine and then he started drilling and scraping away when I realized the numbing was either wearing off or he just didn't get enough of the right area because the pain was just ubelievable, so he stopped and gave me another shot of novacaine and let me sit there for about 10 minutes. So round two starts and the area just wasn't numb enough because again the pain was crazy. So, he stopped once again gave me two more shots and let me sit for another 10 minutes. Round three starts and it was much better but still not totally pain free. At this point I was not about to tell him to stop and just wanted it over.

I've had a root canal before but that was just plain old rough. I'm just so exausted I decided to make tonight a day of rest and make up my workout later in the week. This is one time I don't feel guilty for missing a workout. Have a great Thursday morning. - Jason (Sore Mouth) The Running Man

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Easy Run Tuesday?

Run: 4.5
Time: 49:47 (10:56 pace)
March Totals

Running Miles: 15.6

Biking Miles: 0

Got out a little earlier around 7:45 tonight. The plan was to run 4 miles but I got in an extra half mile. I was going to just take it easy and run at a nice 12 minute mile pace but at around 2.5 miles in I decided to push a little bit and picked up the pace.

The first mile I was real tight but true to my form I loosened up about 1.2 miles in. The remaining miles went by real fast and the next thing I new I was coming to the end. My 3 and 4 mile runs just go by so fast now after experiencing my first 10 and 11 mile runs. I have to hold myself back sometimes from running further because of that.


Tomorrow I plan on getting an easy bike ride and a strength training session in. Hope everyone has a great Wednesday morning! - Jason The Running Man

Gym Night

Last night I got to the gym around 9:00 pm and a great 50 min or so workout. Here is the rundown.

Standing Calf Raises: 4 sets of 30
Lat Pulldown: 3 sets of 10
Incline Bench Press: 3 sets of 10
Decline Bench Press: 3 sets of 10
Shoulder/Military Press: 3 sets of 10
Bench Press: 3 sets of 10
Hammer Curls: 3 sets of 20
Regular Curls: 3 sets of 20
Crunches: 3 sets of 15

Not nearly the volume I had on Saturday but went a little heavier on the weights. This past weekend I really wanted to pick up a fuel belt for my long run days. Saturday the searching process started and after visiting the fourth store I gave up. Oh I found fuel belts but they were all for people, should I say, with very small waists!:) After looking online I decided on the Speed 4 from Nathan's. I will probably order it in the next few days. Tonight I will be doing a four mile run and I'm looking forward to it. Hope everyone has a great Tuesday afternoon. - Jason The Running Man

Sunday, March 4, 2007

Saturday Strength & Sunday Long Run

Run: 11.1 Miles
Time: 2:13:03 (11:59 pace)
March Totals
Running Miles: 11.1
Biking Miles: 0
Weight Loss: 2 Pounds

Today was my long run. Didn't get out until about 8:30pm tonight. My plan was to just settle into a nice easy pace and that's what I was able to do. It was about 41 degrees when I started but it got cold very quickly and by mile 4 I was wishing I had brought my gloves. I was also wearing shorts and wishing I had put some long pants on as my legs and hands were numb by mile 8. This run felt much better then my 10.3 mile run early in the week and I am already feeling my body recover quickly. Just two miles shy of the half marathon distance and it felt great. Here is the rundown of my run.

PACE









ELEVATION









March has started off with a bang with my longest run ever, a great Saturday strength training session and a two pound weight loss. Here is a rundown of my strength training session on Saturday.

65 Min Strength Training
Standing Calf Raises: 4 sets of 40
Lat Pulldown: 4 sets of 10
Hammer Curls: 4 sets of 20
Regular Curls: 4 sets of 20
Leg Press: 4 sets 20
Squats: 3 sets of 10
Bench Press: 3 sets of 10
Decline Bench Press: 3 sets of 10
Incline Bench Press: 3 sets of 10
Shoulder/Military Press: 3 sets of 15
Crunches: 4 sets of 20

Felt fantastic after that workout but very sore Sunday morning. I wasn't sure how my run was going to go because I had some soreness in my thighs and calfs from Saturday but after the first mile they warmed up good. Have a great Monday morning and don't forget to workout. - Jason The Running Man

Friday, March 2, 2007

Restful Friday

Today was a rest day. Tonight I was able to just hang with my family and had a great time shopping with my wife and daughter and just relaxing. Tomorrow will be strength training again and I'm looking forward to it. March just means full steam ahead!

Tomorrow evening I'm going to purchase a fuel belt for my medium and long run days just in time for Sunday's long run. I am still searching for another 10k race for this month instead of the Cooper River Bridge run. I would love to find one local to eliminate the travel since I will be traveling for my duathlon and my marathon this year. Will see what I can find. This month my goals will be the following...

MARCH GOALS
Run a 10k
Bike 60 plus Miles
Run 70 Miles
Strength Train 3 days a week
10 Pound weight loss

These are all goals I know I can achieve with my strong faith and unrelenting determination to never ever give up the fight. I know I...C-A-N. - Jason The Running Man

Thursday, March 1, 2007

February Totals

Wednesday Night Run
Run: 4.9 Miles
Time: 50:19 (10:16 pace)

February Totals
Running Miles: 68.8
Biking Miles: 57.4
Weight Loss: 6 Pounds
Total Miles: 126.2
Running Miles Since Jan 1st: 119.4

Last night I was going to do 3 miles but as I was running I decided to go a little longer. The weather was great and I was enjoying the run. I feel so blessed to be able to go out and enjoy a run like last nights. I don't know if some of you watched the first video I posted last night but that is Team Hoyt. I watched that video several months ago and happen to find it yesterday and I had to post it. How inspiring is that? Anytime I feel like skipping a workout I'm going to think of Team Hoyt and what they have been able to achieve. Truly inspiring!

February is now in the books and I have to say I'm really pleased with my totals and my progress so far. I was able to squeeze out another pound bringing my total weight loss to 6 pounds. Well, now onto March and another month closer to my marathon in November. Below is a snapshot of last nights run and I hope everyone has a great Thursday. Tonight is strength training! - Jason The Running Man