This morning after class, 5 miles from the gym and a cooldown mile on the treadmill, 51 minutes or so. Had an 8 mile loop planned through Fairmount but I was thrown off by a bike race, apparently time trials, looping through my route. I've never heard of this race before, but I guess it's a stage race from here to Pittsburgh.
Some twinges in my left foot were discouraging. Didn't really bother me that much until after the run. Not sure what's going on but until I can comfortably run (and walk at this point) I'm gonna have to rest it. No sense in digging myself into a hole.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Early Morning Hiccups
Yesterday mid-morning I went for a 5 mile recovery jog. Kept it very easy, but I didn't have much to give anyway. 44:36. The word smoldering comes to mind. Saw some mulch beds smoking along Del Ave. I guess broken glass gets in there and magnifies the sunlight to the point of ignition.
I felt kind of lame for crawling into bed before 10 last night. When my alarm buzzed at 4:30 this morning though I was glad I did. Headed out beneath the rising sun with some fresh tunes to listen to. As I stood outside my front door and heard the opening sounds of the Decemberists' Picaresque I thought my neighbors were still up from the night before, making drunken animal calls in their backyard. This set the tone for the first half of the run. Felt very emotionally charged.
Things went into a gradual decline around Fall's Bridge. Yesterday as I was scarfing down some whole wheat ravioli with MM, she pointed to a spot on the inside of my left ankle and noted that it appeared "swollen." Damned if this spot has been bugging me for the past few runs. Nothing debilitating, but today it managed to make me mildly uncomfortable. By the way, I deny that it's swollen.
I thought to myself, well, I better do something quick because I'm 7 miles out and only halfway there. So I buckled down and tried to be light on my feet, not dwelling on my stiffening legs. And Mr. Williams Sr. sang me the honky tonk blues all the way back into town. It was one of those runs that I can't imagine doing without music. During the last 20 minutes or so came After the Gold Rush, and it helped me get to my front door.
Overall, not a bad run, but it's a definite reminder that this isn't always fun and games. Today was work. I was kind of surprised at how quickly my legs forgot how to deal with more than 10 or 12 miles at a time. But I have faith that things will improve with patience. In the end, 14 and a quarter miles, 1:58:58.
Let me tell you how amazing it felt to be done with this by 7:10 am. Had time for a quick snack before biking back down to the Drives to cheer on some friends competing in the Philly Triathlon. I got sucked right in, clapping and yelling, and forgot all about the run I'd just finished. What a great way to spend a morning, almost as good as participating in the race itself. Congrats to all who finished today. Honorable mention to Matt, who finished in 2:09:xx, a personal best for him.
I felt kind of lame for crawling into bed before 10 last night. When my alarm buzzed at 4:30 this morning though I was glad I did. Headed out beneath the rising sun with some fresh tunes to listen to. As I stood outside my front door and heard the opening sounds of the Decemberists' Picaresque I thought my neighbors were still up from the night before, making drunken animal calls in their backyard. This set the tone for the first half of the run. Felt very emotionally charged.
Things went into a gradual decline around Fall's Bridge. Yesterday as I was scarfing down some whole wheat ravioli with MM, she pointed to a spot on the inside of my left ankle and noted that it appeared "swollen." Damned if this spot has been bugging me for the past few runs. Nothing debilitating, but today it managed to make me mildly uncomfortable. By the way, I deny that it's swollen.
I thought to myself, well, I better do something quick because I'm 7 miles out and only halfway there. So I buckled down and tried to be light on my feet, not dwelling on my stiffening legs. And Mr. Williams Sr. sang me the honky tonk blues all the way back into town. It was one of those runs that I can't imagine doing without music. During the last 20 minutes or so came After the Gold Rush, and it helped me get to my front door.
Overall, not a bad run, but it's a definite reminder that this isn't always fun and games. Today was work. I was kind of surprised at how quickly my legs forgot how to deal with more than 10 or 12 miles at a time. But I have faith that things will improve with patience. In the end, 14 and a quarter miles, 1:58:58.
Let me tell you how amazing it felt to be done with this by 7:10 am. Had time for a quick snack before biking back down to the Drives to cheer on some friends competing in the Philly Triathlon. I got sucked right in, clapping and yelling, and forgot all about the run I'd just finished. What a great way to spend a morning, almost as good as participating in the race itself. Congrats to all who finished today. Honorable mention to Matt, who finished in 2:09:xx, a personal best for him.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Old Homeplace or: Back to Reality
The past 48 hrs have been a blur. I'm happy to be home.
Due to unfortunate circumstances the vacation came crashing down and we had to drive home a day early.
I intended to keep things easy yesterday morning so I scoped out Porter Creek Trail, alongside a creek. Figured it would be flat enough, right? Wrong. The creek was a series of cascades and I again found myself trucking upwards and braking back down. Not what I was looking for but I tried to relax and just enjoy the scenery. 49:36, I'll call it 5 miles.
Then, back in the city, it wasn't until this afternoon that I could get out. This meant accepting the sun and humidity and just settling in for an hour or so of sweating. It wasn't really that hot but the loop around the drives felt harder than it should have. It hit me that my vacation was over, and that all the hills from the past 5 days' activities have tired me out quite a bit. After looping around back to Lloyd Hall I did a mile BF cooldown, which felt nice. I was surprised after struggling for most of the run to feel pretty good afterwards. Need to work on hydrating before runs, especially since the mercury will only continue to rise. Total for today was 9.5 in 1:13:37. It's the longest day of the year, so stop reading this and go outside.
Due to unfortunate circumstances the vacation came crashing down and we had to drive home a day early.
I intended to keep things easy yesterday morning so I scoped out Porter Creek Trail, alongside a creek. Figured it would be flat enough, right? Wrong. The creek was a series of cascades and I again found myself trucking upwards and braking back down. Not what I was looking for but I tried to relax and just enjoy the scenery. 49:36, I'll call it 5 miles.
Then, back in the city, it wasn't until this afternoon that I could get out. This meant accepting the sun and humidity and just settling in for an hour or so of sweating. It wasn't really that hot but the loop around the drives felt harder than it should have. It hit me that my vacation was over, and that all the hills from the past 5 days' activities have tired me out quite a bit. After looping around back to Lloyd Hall I did a mile BF cooldown, which felt nice. I was surprised after struggling for most of the run to feel pretty good afterwards. Need to work on hydrating before runs, especially since the mercury will only continue to rise. Total for today was 9.5 in 1:13:37. It's the longest day of the year, so stop reading this and go outside.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
"How many miles you joggin today, bud?"
To the crane operator on Rt 321, Tennessee: 10 miles. Run in 1:20:40. Felt great on the hills. Just finished a 3 hour whitewater trip.
Yesterday afternoon, about 4.5 miles hiked to visit Hen Walllow falls.
Yesterday afternoon, about 4.5 miles hiked to visit Hen Walllow falls.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
There's Always a Catch
Appalachian wilderness. Dollywood.
8+ miles hiked yesterday from 6200' to about 5000'. Leisurely 5 hours. It's a long story, but I had a fully loaded pack frame. Didn't stay overnight.
This morning, back on the roads. 7 and a quarter miles, around an hour. 10x20s strides turned into hill repeats only because the course was extremely undulating.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
Closure
In celebration of finishing yet another in a long string of terms, I went out and ran some trails. What I like about them is the focus and concentration they require of me. Problem was that I'd burned up all my concentration and focus regurgitating names and dates on this morning's final. So I laid back, kept it slow and then was forced to slow even more when my empty stomach and empty glass caught up with me. Explored some of the course from last Saturday's trail race and was reminded how tough the route really was. Ended up taking a few too many turns and ran about 11.5 instead of the intended 10. About 1:45 total running time. Really dehydrated, my stomach was sucked in, kind of a strange feeling.
Tomorrow I get to take a 12-hour drive with my folks down yonder for a family reunion. Not sure if I'll be wired so this may be the last post for a week or so. Smoky Mountains here I come...
Tomorrow I get to take a 12-hour drive with my folks down yonder for a family reunion. Not sure if I'll be wired so this may be the last post for a week or so. Smoky Mountains here I come...
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Relative Humidity
Lucy you're my girl
Lucy you're a star
Lucy please be still and hide your madness in a jar
But do beware...
It will follow you, it will follow you
Mine? I dump it down the storm sewers along Delaware Ave. Most of it anyway.
Had Brian Eno to keep me company on the mini'pod. What a difference a lack of humidity makes. Sweating actually does it's job. Despite afternoon heat and traffic, felt excellent out there and had to keep some surges in check. 5+ in 41:37.
Lucy you're a star
Lucy please be still and hide your madness in a jar
But do beware...
It will follow you, it will follow you
Mine? I dump it down the storm sewers along Delaware Ave. Most of it anyway.
Had Brian Eno to keep me company on the mini'pod. What a difference a lack of humidity makes. Sweating actually does it's job. Despite afternoon heat and traffic, felt excellent out there and had to keep some surges in check. 5+ in 41:37.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Two State Run
Went exploring in Camden this morning. Along their riverwalk I felt like I was on a movie set. There was absolutely no one around. I think they've got the better view though...
Perhaps I was a little overzealous yesterday because today I was dragging from step one. About halfway through things got pretty sluggish, and I began pondering why this could be. Lack of sleep? Not eating enough? Who knows. Oddly this feeling dissipated in the last couple miles when I picked up the pace, probably motivated by the ever nearing cold tap in my kitchen. 10+ in 1:22.
Perhaps I was a little overzealous yesterday because today I was dragging from step one. About halfway through things got pretty sluggish, and I began pondering why this could be. Lack of sleep? Not eating enough? Who knows. Oddly this feeling dissipated in the last couple miles when I picked up the pace, probably motivated by the ever nearing cold tap in my kitchen. 10+ in 1:22.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Weight Loss Plan
Sunday was spent celebrating MM's quarter-centennial. This included tracking down the nearest open body of water and dipping in for a few hours, which really has me wanting to swim more. Right arm is sore from some catch and two-hand-touch on the sand. I'd already put in about 42 miles for the week including Saturday's race so it felt great not to worry about getting a run in. Yesterday was 99 degrees which translates to zero miles. So, two days rest and I was feeling pretty good when I stepped off my stoop this morning.
On the way up to the Temple track I caught myself questioning the prospect of daily runs all summer long. This morning I did 10x100m strides and various drills, including a barefoot mile. I also used the pullup bar since I'm always complaining that I can't find one of those that's not at a gym. Watch ran the whole time, so including stops it was 8 miles in 1:13. Just after leaving the track I felt weighed down, definitely didn't drink enough water between last night and this morning (aka the water to scotch ratio was a bit low). For the hell of it I checked my weight when I got home to see that I was not weighed down, but instead 4 pounds lighter than normal. That's a half gallon of water. Sheesh.
On the way up to the Temple track I caught myself questioning the prospect of daily runs all summer long. This morning I did 10x100m strides and various drills, including a barefoot mile. I also used the pullup bar since I'm always complaining that I can't find one of those that's not at a gym. Watch ran the whole time, so including stops it was 8 miles in 1:13. Just after leaving the track I felt weighed down, definitely didn't drink enough water between last night and this morning (aka the water to scotch ratio was a bit low). For the hell of it I checked my weight when I got home to see that I was not weighed down, but instead 4 pounds lighter than normal. That's a half gallon of water. Sheesh.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Fox on the Run
Heat seems to be the hot topic everywhere, in the streets, on the airwaves, via the internet. It's not officially summer yet but this weekend it sure feels like it. My classes are done as of yesterday, at least for a few weeks. I still have finals, but it's downhill from here. It's also MM's birthday tomorrow, which arrives with requisite celebration.
I spent last night on a South Philly rooftop serenading the neighborhood with some string band ruckus. Was out kind of late, and had a few more beers than I usually would have the night before a running event.
In spite of this, and in spite of the heat advisory issued for the region I decided to run the Wissahickon Trail Classic, a 10k race over some local trails. This morning I took the train to Chestnut Hill where I met John. We "warmed up" by jogging to the start of the race. By "warm up" I mean that we were both drenched in sweat after the mere 10 minutes of easy running.
After chatting with some folks for a while the race director announces that if we vomit on our bib, we're responsible for tearing off the number in the race chute. Apparently there have been issues with this in the past.
I don't remember too many specific details about the race. I know that I went out at a moderate pace, underestimated the first hill or two, and thought maybe I'd be one of those folks tearing their own numbers off at the finish. In John's word's, the race was "horrible." Somehow this translates to fun. Seriously though, despite the heat, and excluding the 50 minutes or so between the start of the race and the finish, it was a pretty good time. There was pizza provided at the finish line and on the jog back to John's neighborhood I really wished I'd indulged. Not sure if he could tell, but as I rushed out his door to catch a nearby train, I was pretty kicked.
My final time was somewhere around 47 minutes, pretty good considering the conditions, and considering that I wasn't really there to hit a certain time. Props to John who finished 23 overall. I knew he'd do well considering all the miles he's been putting in on those trails lately. On the bike ride home from downtown I realized that the past 24 hours have been pretty damn good, spent in good company doing some of my favorite things. I'll call it 10 miles for the day.
I spent last night on a South Philly rooftop serenading the neighborhood with some string band ruckus. Was out kind of late, and had a few more beers than I usually would have the night before a running event.
In spite of this, and in spite of the heat advisory issued for the region I decided to run the Wissahickon Trail Classic, a 10k race over some local trails. This morning I took the train to Chestnut Hill where I met John. We "warmed up" by jogging to the start of the race. By "warm up" I mean that we were both drenched in sweat after the mere 10 minutes of easy running.
After chatting with some folks for a while the race director announces that if we vomit on our bib, we're responsible for tearing off the number in the race chute. Apparently there have been issues with this in the past.
I don't remember too many specific details about the race. I know that I went out at a moderate pace, underestimated the first hill or two, and thought maybe I'd be one of those folks tearing their own numbers off at the finish. In John's word's, the race was "horrible." Somehow this translates to fun. Seriously though, despite the heat, and excluding the 50 minutes or so between the start of the race and the finish, it was a pretty good time. There was pizza provided at the finish line and on the jog back to John's neighborhood I really wished I'd indulged. Not sure if he could tell, but as I rushed out his door to catch a nearby train, I was pretty kicked.
My final time was somewhere around 47 minutes, pretty good considering the conditions, and considering that I wasn't really there to hit a certain time. Props to John who finished 23 overall. I knew he'd do well considering all the miles he's been putting in on those trails lately. On the bike ride home from downtown I realized that the past 24 hours have been pretty damn good, spent in good company doing some of my favorite things. I'll call it 10 miles for the day.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Maybe Next Time
4 miles run in an easy progression on the treadmill, about 32 minutes. Been throwing in some drills here and there, today was a set of "butt kicks" for each mile. Any other day I'd have been outside. I wanted to go for a swim afterwards but the pool was full and I didn't feel like waiting or sharing a lane.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Two Coffee Morning
Cooler temps after the rain yesterday made for a fresh morning run with Mike. A bit of tightness for the first 10 min or so dissipated with time. Variation on the shorter eastern city routes I've been doing lately. Learned about some yokels who've been tramping around my neighborhood. Paparazzi snapped an action shot of Mike. Wound up with 5.5+ in 44, including 5x30s strides.
As I crack the lid of my second coffee, I'm glad the weekend is just around the bend.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Rain Dance
Up early not for running, but rather to delve further into the gauntlet that is the last week of classes. Dashed off campus in time for thunderheads to dump on me. Rain on my glasses makes me go blind, so I take them off, not much better. Pass Matt on Kelly Drive, join him, extending my run by 15 minutes. Ran fairly briskly and typed even quicker. 10+ in 1:17. Invigorating.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Up with the Sun
Another run with Mike, another early morning. After running solo through dark winter dawns, it's nice to have company, and the sunrise makes the early hours more pleasant. Felt nice to be done by 6:15. Penn's Landing to Society Hill, looped back through Washington Square Park for 5.5 easy miles in 44:47. With all these slow runs, I wonder how it'll feel when I try to coax my legs into moving faster.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Closing In
Later to bed, later to rise. Oh well. 7 miles planned ended up just shy of 8, 1:07 including stops. Took the BFB over to Camden and back. The last mile was run naked through the park. Ha! Well, not entirely, but my feet got a breather. Easy running, and everything felt right.
My friend Matt caught me off guard on Delaware Ave as I turned to hear him heckling me from his pickup truck. Congratulations to him as he placed 10th overall in the Bear Mountain Sprint Triathlon over the weekend. Also a shout out to the Chug and Runners (two members known to me are Deirdre and Shanley) who were the 2nd coed team to finish the half-iron relay. Nice job.
I kicked off the new month with a big zero run (Sunday). Did some yoga instead before heading to work and the harder-than-usual bike ride there reinforced my decision to call off my easy 5 miler. Final projects and exams are creeping up and it was about this time last year that I returned to running. 5 miles was a huge effort then. The past year has been full of wonderful learning experiences, mostly fun, some painful, but I feel more motivated now to continue than ever before. This is good, because a week from today I begin a 6 month build to "race" a marathon.
My friend Matt caught me off guard on Delaware Ave as I turned to hear him heckling me from his pickup truck. Congratulations to him as he placed 10th overall in the Bear Mountain Sprint Triathlon over the weekend. Also a shout out to the Chug and Runners (two members known to me are Deirdre and Shanley) who were the 2nd coed team to finish the half-iron relay. Nice job.
I kicked off the new month with a big zero run (Sunday). Did some yoga instead before heading to work and the harder-than-usual bike ride there reinforced my decision to call off my easy 5 miler. Final projects and exams are creeping up and it was about this time last year that I returned to running. 5 miles was a huge effort then. The past year has been full of wonderful learning experiences, mostly fun, some painful, but I feel more motivated now to continue than ever before. This is good, because a week from today I begin a 6 month build to "race" a marathon.
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