Category: Run Report

Tonight was a great run. Although it was hot out and I was dreading it a bit, I hit the ground as usual and started with my 80 push ups. I could have done 10 more, but my left elbow is still a little sore, so I didn’t push it.

Before I ran, I changed a setting on my Garmin Fenix 3 to give me pace updates every three minutes through my Bluetooth headset, and this turned out to be a very cool thing. I started running easily, and found that my pace was at around 8:55/mile after the first three minutes. I decided to work to keep that pace, and I was able to for the duration! I ended up with my first sub-9 minute mile average since before my AT (July 24th, actually). That also means I’ve finally turned my pace trend around, and now (according to Strava), I’m trending faster!

The best part is that I felt really good on the run, and I didn’t really have to push that hard. I did make sure my pace was up, but I wasn’t nearly as sore or out of breath as I thought I would be. Maybe this running thing is going to work out for me after all!

This morning’s run was pretty easy in some regards and not so easy in others. I took an unintended two-day break due to things popping up in our schedule and I hadn’t intended on running Saturday, but I had no choice. I started with my minimum 80 push ups, and the last 10 were a little tougher than I’d like. Add to that the fact that I have some pain in my left elbow that I’m watching carefully made things a little tougher. Fortunately, the pain isn’t too bad and it doesn’t feel like the push ups hurt the elbow more; it’s actually a set of tendons or ligaments (I forget which they are) that are not used during push ups.

After the push ups, I hit the ground at, what I felt was, an easy pace. As the first mile ticked off on my Garmin Felix 3 watch, I was pleased to see it at a 9:14/mile pace. The second mile was very close at 9:24/mile, and the final mile ticked off at 9:14/mile for an average of 9:19/mile for the three miles. This, once again, was below my 9:30/mile pace goal for now, and what was amazing about this run was that it felt easy (well, except for my leg muscles which were a little unhappy). Breathing was easy, my heart rate was good, and I didn’t sweat like crazy despite it being 87 degrees out.

My legs felt a bit thick, though. I don’t know how else to explain the sensation. They just never got out of the “Not warmed up yet” feeling that normally happens after the first quarter or half mile. For whatever reason, my legs felt fresh for the entire duration of the run.

Oh well. Overall, I’m happy with the result and the fact that it was an easy run at a good pace. I didn’t have muscle pain the rest of the day, and I feel good going into a possible run tomorrow after work (depending on how I feel). I normally don’t do back-to-back runs, but to get back on my M-W-F schedule, I just might do it. We’ll see.

I didn’t dwell on the discomfort, and I hit the driveway and knocked out the 80 push ups I set out to do. About half-way through, I did feel some soreness in my arms and back, but I pushed through and got to 80 without too much difficulty. Then, I literally just got up and started running.

I set out with an easy pace, or at least what I thought was easy. I was expecting a 10 minute/mile pace, but it ended up being 8:58/mile for the first mile. The second mile was close with 9:09/mile pace, and the third and final mile ended up with 9:36/mile for an average of 9:13/mile. I’ll take it. My goal was sub-9:30/mile, so this was good.

My legs were a bit stiff and sore, but my breathing was just fine. I was surprised at how easy my heart and lungs were taking it while my legs were, predictably, sore throughout the run. At no point did they hurt enough to make me want to stop, but they were, indeed, sore. I’m glad tomorrow is a rest day. Friday will come too soon.

As I was running, I was thinking back to how we were whipped into shape in Marine Corps Boot Camp. We started with short runs every other day. We always had a rest day after our runs to help our muscles heal and rebuild before going back out to run some more. I think it’s why my plan of running every other day has been working so well; I give my muscles time to rebuild.

It was very hot out, and I was a bit nervous heading into it, but I got out there, nailed my 80 push ups, and hit the pavement. I made sure to hold my pace down to not burn out too early, and I averaged a 9:27/mile pace for the three miles. Not bad for it being 97 degrees Fahrenheit outside as well as having not run for two weeks. My goal was to beat a 10 minute/mile, and I did it.

Tomorrow will be a rest day, and then back to it on Wednesday. It’s rebuilding time for my pace and my endurance.

Today, I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. I felt pretty rested and ready to go, but at the same time, my motivation level was a little low. I find that on days like this, it’s best to just get in there, hit the push ups, and get on the road as quickly as possible. I don’t let my mind linger on negativity; just go.

For push ups, I counted very carefully, and when I got to 100, I felt I could easily go for more, so I completed 120, a personal best! I felt pretty good afterward and hit the sidewalk on the small loop around the pond in front of my house. My first mile pace was decent at a 8:24/mile while my second and third miles were a little slower, one just shy of 9 minutes/mile and the other just over. So, the average pace of 8:47/mile is pretty decent, and I’m okay with it. Actually, I was really happy with it considering it was 97 degrees out.

I have one more run left before I go to my annual training. I am not looking forward to not running for two weeks or what that will mean for my run times when I get back. I will do push ups, though, so there’s that.

I had to take two days off. My legs were burning so badly after Wednesday’s hot run that I decided to take a rest and let the muscles rest some more. I’m glad that I did. Today’s run actually felt really good, and while my pace was nowhere near as fast as Wednesday’s run, it was still respectable considering the heat and that I’m use out there running to keep the heart and muscles working.

I started with between 90 and 100 push ups. Why don’t I know for sure? Because I lost count somewhere between 65 and 80, and instead of assuming I was right, I restarted from 60 as I was counting. I felt good after the push ups and hit the pavement in earnest.

Immediately, my legs felt good. There was a slight pain in my left foot for about 50 yards but it quickly subsided and I continued on. My first mile pace was good: 9:17/mile. I slowed a bit as I wasn’t sure if I was going to hit 3 or 4 miles, and I decided to just have a relaxing Saturday morning run. My second mile ended with around 10:17/mile pace, and I kicked it in just a little bit for my third mile and got it done with around a 10:01/mile pace for an average of 9:47/mile.

I also took a new route today, and I think I like it a lot. It’s just at 3 miles and takes me around the neighborhood in a nice loop. It’s mostly shaded, too, which is nice for those days when the sun is beating down and it’s hot out. I may make this a more regular route for my relaxing runs, although I find that I run a lot faster on the sidewalk around the pond in front of our house. I don’t know if it’s because I am able to pace myself better, or that I work harder knowing I’m running close enough to home that if I were to get hurt, I could literally crawl home to safety.

For those following along, I did my first kettlebell workout yesterday. It was pretty tough; tougher than I thought it was going to be. That resulted in me having some soreness in my muscles. Which muscles? All of them! Even my neck muscles under my chin! I wasn’t sure how this would effect my run. I expected it would slow me down, and since my last run was relatively slow as compared to previous runs, I decided I’d at least push through the soreness.

I started with 90 push ups. My arms and back (and shoulders) were all sore from the kettlebell routine, so I stopped at 90 push ups. This felt like a victory, all things considered. Then, I hit the sidewalk. Immediately, my legs felt sore, but I figured I’d just push through the soreness and run as best I could. As I read my first mile pace, I was surprised: sub-9/mile. My second mile? Same thing. My third mile was just a hair over 9 min/mile, but I was okay with this. My legs were burning throughout the entire run, and I was able to keep pushing, to continue a decent pace.

I am happy with my average pace considering I had to work through so much discomfort. I am still undecided if I will do another round of kettlebell tomorrow. I guess I’ll wait and see how I feel, but so far, I’m leaning towards a rest day to allow my legs to heal a bit. Even though kettlebell isn’t as demanding on my legs as running is, they feel utterly spent. I don’t want to push to failure. I’ve been doing a good job of living without muscle pain or burn for the past 10 months. There’s no need to introduce that into my life now.

I have to admit that I didn’t think the kettlebell workout yesterday was that tough in the beginning. It quickly became pretty tough, and by the end, I was out of breath. Afterward, when walking to pick up the mail, I was surprised at how my legs felt worn out. More so than even after my typical runs.

Well, today, they are downright sore. Not painful, but sore. They feel like they did after I did my very first run last September; like I’d never worked those muscles before. I find this interesting because as a person who runs every other day, I thought my legs were in good shape. Pavel Tsatsouline, author of Simple and Sinister (a book about kettlebell exercise) said that the kettlebell will work muscles that aren’t typically exercised in weight training. He didn’t mention that it would use muscles I don’t even use in running! Either that, or I have gotten to a point in my running where my muscles aren’t really challenged. I think the latter is more likely than the former.

I have a run scheduled for today, and weather willing, I will be out there running again. I just hope I can run with a semblance of speed. I am not looking to break any records, but my last run was really slow in the heat, and kind of disappointing to see the pace drop off by over a minute per mile on average. I’d like to stay in the 9’s today if at all possible, but with the muscle pain I have, I think that may be a tough order.

I’m going from three exercises to six per week this week, and I know it’s going to be tough on me. I don’t think it will be too much, though, considering that my non-running days will be working muscles in a different way, and mostly different parts of my body. But, time will tell. If anything, I’ll definitely get stronger, which is what I’m after.

It was a hot and muggy day, but I went out and got it done regardless. Starting with 90 push ups, I was surprised that I was able to get them done considering the beating my shoulder took this weekend from my new rifle, the Springfield M1A. There was the slightest soreness on the first push up, but for the remaining 89, I didn’t feel a thing! After knocking out the push ups, I hit the pavement.

Normally, when I start running, I already have a plan for which route I will take, whether it’s laps around the lake or a neighborhood run. This time, I didn’t really know what I was going to do, but the sun dictated it for me once I got started; it was going to be a neighborhood run. I choose neighborhood runs on sunny and hot days because the neighborhood behind my house is older and has large trees alongside the road which provides shade for me to run under. This is crucial to keep me from getting overheated.

Even with the trees, however, each mile got harder and harder due to the heat. My first mile was at a 9:16/mile pace, while the second mile was a 10:09/mile pace finishing up with an 11:10/mile pace for the third and final mile which gave me a 10:11/mile average overall. Not the worst time, but definitely not my best. Whenever it’s really hot like it was today, however, these are pretty standard times for me. I try not to push myself too hard in the heat for fear of getting heat exhaustion or worse, heat stroke. The last thing I want to do is die on a run.

So, I’ll take it. I’m glad I got out there, I’m glad I got it done, and now, I feel much better. Oddly enough, after the run, and after cooling down in a shower, I feel refreshed and ready to take on the world. 

It was overcast and cooler out this afternoon due to some cold fronts rolling through, and while it was raining in some parts of the Houston area, we didn’t get any rain where I live and run. That made for a perfect afternoon of running! I hit the deck with 90 push ups and set out for my run with the goal of running faster than my last few runs. Good news: I accomplished my goal with an average over the three miles of an 8:41/mile pace. Better yet; my pace stayed pretty consistent for all three miles, with only a few seconds of variance between miles 2 and 3.

I used to worry about my form, but I don’t anymore. I now concentrate on my breathing and pace, and it seems to be helping. I am not really working toward a run or APFT, so I’m not doing sprints yet. When I have an event to work towards, I’ll formulate a good plan and work on it, but for now, I run to run for my health and heart’s sake. Nothing more, nothing less. Oh, and because I like it.