Catching up

Thursday was a better run than Wednesday. I felt good and the muscles were loose to start. My first mile was 14:06, second 14:29 and third 14:13. Avg m/m is 14:16. Fastest time yet. The stretching and the electrical zapping with the tens unit have apparently been good for the legs.

No run Friday so I came home and started more fund raising. I got a call from Marai, my mentor, and we discussed fund raising projects. I wanted to get my neighborhood work done before the group run so that I would stay with my schedule. I finished a little script about the fat old guy running around the neighborhood and went down the street knocking on doors. Got about half the street done before it was too dark to be knocking on doors and scaring people.

Saturday I got up at 5:15 and raced around to get over to Brandon by 6:30 for the group run. I should have taken more time to read the coach's e-mail since training was in Tampa Palms this week. Got to the Brandon location and no one was there. Well, not to waste what is still foreign to me (getting up early) I knew there was a 5 mile route that the Full Marathoners used last time. I ran that and finished with just over a 15 minute per mile pace. However, to my great pleasure, I came in first this time. Never happened before. Course I was the only one there.

After running the 5 miles, I stretched well, drove home, soaked in the pool, showered again and then printed the rest of the brochures for the neighborhood. For the next 2 1/2 hours, I walked around the mile route and met several neighbors who have lived here for many years and we never met before. This is a nice social event. Found that there are other racers in the neighborhood and other fund raisers. Nice neighborhood. I got home really tired but emotionally pumped and needed another shower from the walk in the Florida sun.

I picked up 2 donations on the walk, got a call back to pick up a check, and got an online donation. Thanks to John and Judy, Eric, Joe and Shirley, and Mark. Your support is very much appreciated. You made the long hot walk very worthwhile!!!

Today is a recovery day so I think I will watch the Buccaneers do all the exercise.

Go Team

Oooo that was tough

Ran 4 miles...had no legs...1st felt slow and was about 14:30 and went downhill from there. Tried a GU at the end of mile 3 and that helped a little...62:30 for the 4 miles...over 15 min miles. At least I made the distance that I said I would do when I started.

Ran the first two miles at a 7/2 pace. That may have been too fast or too long. Dropped to 4/2 for the last two miles.

That's all..

Good nite Go Team

Another week.

After the weekend run, I was preparing for a steady week. When Monday arrived, I was too pooped to run so I decided on an extra rest day. No sooner did I get into bed early, then the phone rang and the Pasco County Sheriff's office called for me to come investigate an accident involving one of their deputies. That kept me out til after 12:30 even as a quick assignment so my normal run would have been interrupted anyway.

Tuesday saw us running again. This was a 3 mile run that involve 3 loops around the neighborhood. Running at a speed of 14:09, 14:30 and 14:17, it appears that some new speed is entering into the process. Does this mean that muscle is developing, weight is dropping, lungs and heart are strengthening?

They are all 3 miles days this week but since I am behind from Tuesday, maybe I will try to gain an extra back tonight. It is still early and I think I will go change and run before dinner.

TTFN Go Team

Long Saturdays

Now that I am getting up before the birds on Saturday mornings, the day seems to go on forever. I started at 5:00 had breakfast, some fluid got my stuff together and out to get to Brandon by 6:30. The run was a 3 mile easy run. I got back to the house by 9:00 and still had an entire day ahead of me.

The run felt pretty good. The time was okay and made better by the fact that the third mile loosened me up to pick up my pace near the end and run my way into the parking lot at a faster rate than the rest of the run. That is when the legs will stretch a little more.

My new friend Sart was still with me at the end of the day so I got out the tens unit that I bought in Las Vegas. I gave the hip to knee path several good jolts and apparently that is what it needed to relax. I think I will add that to my stretching routine and see if we can get Sart to calm down and join in with the rest of the muscles as just tired and not whining.

That is all for now.

Go Team

A Rose by any other name.

Sartorius AG is a laboratory equipment manufacturer. Sartorius is a character in Stanislaw Lem's "Solaris". George Rose Sartorius was a British naval office who served as admiral of the fleet of Queen Maria II during Portugal's Liberal War. Ernst Sartorius was a 19th century German theologian. Finally, Sartorius is the surmane of a family of Polish nobility, also established in Spain. Sartorius is the Latin word for tailor. In history, many people whose name meant "tailor" in their own language adopted the surname Sartorius because it had a more honorable sound.

All this sounds so good. Respectable hard working tailors, theologians, military officers, etc. Why then is my Sartorius causing me so much problem?

Here I am referring to the new found muscle that runs down and across the length of the thigh. Apparently something in my running is causing that one muscle to work harder than all the others from the top to the bottom. It is sensitive to the touch just below and to the inside of my right knee cap. It is particuarly sensitive to what I refer to as the hacky sack move. I have seen people bounce a hacky sack on the inner side of the foot with the leg at a figure four position to pop the sack up just in front of the midline of the body. Never was good with a hacky sack but can't practice tonight.

I got somewhat sore there in California last week (hmmm my first 4 mile run came there too.) Then I sat twisted in an airplane seat for several hours on Saturday. Then I ran Sunday (hmmm my first 5 mile run came there too.) I took two days off to let it rest.

Tonight I had an "easy" three mile run scheduled since this is recovery week. I felt bad about being 3 miles behind from not running last night so I decided to do 4 tonight.

Mile one took 14 minutes. Mile two 14:30. I Power Gelled at the water stop and mile three took 15 minutes. Mile four was just being ambitious. One of the coaches came back to keep me company (I always stay behind so that if someone is injured, they won't be left out on the run undiscovered. It just looks like I run slower than they do. Very clever don't you think?)

I walked a little more than the 4/2 pace as my heart rate was elevated but the final 100 feet, I showed how my long legs can be used to an advantage and we speed the rest of the way, just in case anyone was watching. Probably something in the high 15 minute range. Did not look at my watch at the end.

I got in the car since I wanted to stop off and by a present for Judy so did not stretch as well as I had been doing with Lisa in California. Getting back out of the car at the store made me feel my age. However, I now feel it with 4 more miles under my feet.

Medical expert, daughter Jennifer, advised what I needed to do to make the Sart my friend again so I am closing to get a bag of frozen peas to ice it down.

I do think I am enjoying running. I crept up on me somewhere. My 3rd mile is becoming my easiest. The first two get me warmed up and stretched out and 3 has been fun for the last couple of weeks.

Gotta go ice, Go Team

5 miles anyone?

Well we managed to do 9 miles and a Yoga for the week. I was supposed to do a long run on Saturday that would have made it 14 miles. Unfortunately, I could not run while seatbelted into the plane seat for most of the day. We left California at 10:40 AM and did not get to the house until after 10:00 PM in Florida. I let the night do its best for recovery and tried to figure when to do my run. We slept in during the morning( first time Miranda was not at the door going "Buppa...Grammie...Get up!" in 10 days)(now I know why Lisa and Frank gave up their bedroom to us and slept in the playroom waaaaaaay at the other end of the house.)

I decided to make it an evening run and told Judy to be ready for an 8:00 run. I should have told the weatherman since the thunderstorms rolled in just about 7:55. Of course they don't last long around here so by 8:30 I was putting one foot in front of the other.

I ran 5 times around the neighborhood and got my longest run in yet. Miles 4 and 5 were the most comfortable. I guess it takes about 2 1/2 to 3 miles to get warmed up. I did the whole thing is 1 hour 16 minutes which is just over 4 miles per hour. Finished up with good stretching which I hope will make me feel good tomorrow.

Night All....Go Team

Something new perhaps?

Thursday brought another 3 mile run at the Marina where we ran last weekend. Mile 1 was done in 14:00...best yet....mile 2 was completed in 14:30....mile 3 in a little over 14.Overall a good run but the end of mile 2 brought a new experience....Runner's Tummy....I started the kick a little too early following a fast mile one and when we were about 100 feet from the end, I thought breakfast might see daylight. I did not want to stop before reaching the mile mark but Stomach did not have the same ideas. I barely managed to complete and not decorate the landscape....I tried some GU for the 3rd mile and that seemed to help.

With the Yoga stretching and Lisa's recommendations for stretching, I am feeling better, looser, and taller than for a long time. I think I will be doing better in my stretching from now on.

It has been great running with my daughter for the last week and a half. It is a very memorable experience that I will cherish for many years to come. The big race will be even more fun.

In a month my other daughter, Jenn, will be the visiting family member and she will be doing her training with her sister.

We will all be working to share medals at the 1/2 Marathon in January and giving a triple whammy to those blood borne cancers. Lots of fund raising for this family!!!

Night all...Go Team