I scheduled Wednesday morning runs to be my 2nd longest run of the week, with Saturday runs being the LSD. I wanted to get up today and run 7 miles, but at 4:30am when the alarm went off, I heard rain. I don’t like running in the rain when it’s warm outside, let alone in January. I reset my alarm, thinking I could snooze a little and then head to the pool for some laps instead. When 5:15am rolls around the rain had stopped! Now, I don’t have enough time to run 7, but maybe I could run 5? I’m making running a priority over swimming now because I only have two races with swimming this year (Tri for Joe – sprint triathlon at Coney Island in late May, and a half Ironman – probably in Muncie, Indiana, in July).
I get my gear on, which I lay out the night before to speed things up, and head out the door. It is a beautiful morning! I put my beanie in my pocket and half unzip my light jacket. It is one of those days when runs feel really awesome. Surprisingly, I only saw one other runner. But, about 2 miles into the run I realize that I’m running out of time. I have a strict deadline of being home at 6:30am so my wife can get to work on time. I either need to run 3 miles faster, or only run 2 at my current pace. I started slow (10:30m/m) because I’m easing my legs back into running after skiing all day Saturday (they’re still very sore!). I wound up running 4.23 miles in 44:57.13, with an average pace of 10:38m/m, burning 457 calories, with an average HR of 154bpm.
It was the first run in my newest pair of shoes. I bought another pair of Asics Gel-Kayano 18, though in a different color. I bought them online for $90, saving $60 over the running store price. I recommend getting a good shoe fitting at a running store, but buying the same shoes a second time I can’t justify the extra cost. My previous shoes had about 400 miles put on them in 4 or 5 months, and it was time for some new shoes. I always keep old running shoes and use them for mud runs or things that would trash a nice pair.
I’ve also never mentioned that I never really stretch, before or after a run. I just walk outside, half asleep, and take off. When I’m done, I strip down and hop in the shower, then get the kids and myself ready for the day. I’m very inflexible, but I haven’t bumped into too many issues from running because I don’t stretch. When I do speed work, the lactate builds up and I use a roller to get that out, but otherwise I don’t stretch much. It could be because I run so slow, it’s not really necessary. I do have lower back pain, and fantasize about the day I stretch regularly to help with that.
Last night, I read about ANOTHER endurance athlete (former Ironman pro Brendan Brazier) that encourages a plant based diet over processed foods or meat. That makes around a dozen athletes that all perform at the highest level and say the plant based diet speeds their recovery times, helping them train more/better, and getting to the top of their game. Several also site American diseases being an effect of our poor diet as a nation. With that in mind, I had fruit (red seedless grapes, blueberries, and cut strawberries) with low-fat cottage cheese for breakfast. I will have a big salad for lunch. Dinner will be regular meat chili, but being good 2/3 of today isn’t bad. Normally, I have instant oatmeal for breakfast.
I was just thinking of my daily routine. It’s great having a spouse that does the same hobby as me. I don’t like that she’s better than me, but I’m working on that. But with both of us training, it’s hard to find time to do more. If I exercise, then she can’t and is watching the kids, and vice versa. This is why the mornings work well for me, as she gets off work at 3:30pm most days, and can run or swim before I get home. I was just thinking how nice it would be to be able to train more often than I do. I’d love to go to the pool after work and have more than 30 minutes to swim. I would swim for an hour, then maybe lift weights or enjoy the hot tub. Maybe play racquetball with a buddy. Weekends could be filled with 4 hour bike rides or rock climbing at Red River Gorge. Maybe when my kids are older I will be able to do these things, but that was a thought I had today. Kids are the best thing ever, and they take priority over my training any day, but with all the New Year’s Resolution people trying to get motivated to work out I think how lucky they are to have the free time. I have to write these blogs after the kids are in bed, but I need to get to bed early for my early alarm, but when do I see the wife or read? It’s the hardest part of my routine: time management. Running for an hour or two is the easy part, and it's a nice break from the daily grind. It is the only time I can really clear my head and be to myself.
Asics Gel-Kayano 18
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