A (very) Little Speed???

Yesterday I did a 60-min spin on the bike trainer, pushing larger gears than I usually do. Today, I headed out into the sun and nearly 60 degree weather for my first "speed" workout of the year. I chose to do a moderate Fartlek workout (3.5 miles total). Ran the first mile slow, then ran segments of 2 minutes hard, 2 minutes easy the rest of the run. I would guess the hard segments were around 7:35-7:45 pace (overall pace of run was 8:15). I concluded that, at this point in my comeback, I have very little speed! I'm still going to focus on building up the mileage, and on cycling, but I may throw in another Fartlek or interval run or two before my 5k in June.

Today's run...and first Vidcast!

Ran a nice, easy 5.5 miles today...then took an ice bath. It was a rather eventful ice bath...

No run or ride today

All day Sunday I fought a sore throat and very low energy (as in feeling drained by walking up two flights of stairs). I feel like I have a little chest thing going on. The sore throat is pretty much gone today, but my chest still feels tight and I still have very little energy. I was going to ride today (actually, I also skipped my planned run on Saturday, too), but instead did 100 pushups and 100 situps. I did 10 pushups, 10 situps, then rested 60 seconds, repeating the cycle ten times. It wasn't much, but I felt a little better about missing my workouts. The days off may help my sore hip, though. I plan on running tomorrow, assuming I feel well enough.

Average bike ride, thoughts on running

This is the first week this year that I've done more than one bike ride outside. Most of my rides have been on the trainer so far, with maybe one outdoor ride per week when weather allows. This week, weather has allowed (at least by my standards as a wimpy cyclist...but I'll RUN in all kinds of cruddy weather). Didn't have much energy. Rode 20 miles in 75 minutes. Changed my seat position just a tad (a bit more forward and up), but my hips still protested a bit...especially my left (my "good") hip. Guess I need to continue adjusting. That's it for the bike this week. If time allows, I'll put in a run tomorrow.

I've decided to run a little, local 5k in mid June. I just need an event closer than the triathlon to keep me motivated. I won't be training for it specifically, so I don't expect to run fast. I'm guessing it'll be about 23 minutes or so.

As I've run and cycled so far this year, I'm learning that my heart isn't quite into the cycling nearly as much as it is the running. Yes, I'll train hard on the bike for the triathlon coming up in August, for which I'm doing the bike leg as part of a team, but injuries or not, I'm a runner through and through. I started running back in 1983, then on and off the next 26 years. Whenever I've taken a break, usually due to nagging injuries, I've nearly always done so with a negative attitude toward running, like a jilted lover in a co-dependent relationship, breaking up yet again..."this time for good". But as my body would heal and I'd start thinking about putting those shoes on again, all the good memories of running would blot out the bad, and I'd start remembering the feeling of well-being that can come from a good run. I guess it's an addiction. But with my history of injuries (possibly from training errors, possibly from biomechanical issues...or both), I don't want to fall TOO much in love with it again, for fear of having to put the shoes away again for the long-term. But I gotta admit...these measly 117 miles I've run so far in 2009 have been some of the most enjoyable since I started running all those years ago.

The Not-So-Long Long Run of '09

Just ran 5.5 miles today, which is the farthest I've run this year. Yes, I know all you marathoners and ultra-ites could do that in your sleep, and that used to be a short run for me as well, but given the fact that I thought I was done running FOR GOOD back in '06, it's a pretty nice milestone for now. My hip started hurting about 2 miles into the run, then actually started feeling a little better after 3.5 miles. Not sure if that's because I cheated and took ibuprophen before the run or not. Also had a nice 12-minute ice bath after some post-run stretching. I focused on keeping my stride shorter than usual during the run. Ran at an 8:20/mile pace, which felt very comfortable. Hip issues aside, I felt like I could have continued on for a few more miles. I think the long bike rides have done a lot to build up my endurance & V02 max, which seems to cross over into my running. Tomorrow will be either an outside bike ride, or some time on the trainer indoors.

Today's spin, and goals

Just wrapped up a 60 minute spin on the trainer. I can tell my body is becoming more efficient in transporting oxygen. It's taking less and less effort to do the same workouts. I'm still a little intimidated by the hill training that's to come, but I'll climb that hill when I get to it (boo).

As an aside, I've been thinking about what I want to accomplish as a runner, assuming my (relatively) old body holds up. I mentioned before that my best time in the mile was 5:01, back in 1985 when I was a senior in high school. It torqued me off to miss a sub-5 mile by two seconds, and to be honest, it still bugs me a little (not that I'm losing sleep over it). I've been wondering if I want to take a stab at that mark again. Could I break 5 at my age, with the proper training? Probably. Should I attempt it? I don't know. With my history of injuries, I might be asking for trouble. I don't want to become obsessed with physical goals and tear myself up trying to achieve them...yet goals are what keep me (and most others) going. I'd also like to run a marathon...and do a century ride...and probably a few more things that escape me right now. I think the best approach is to have some long-term goals that are pretty daunting, but have several "mini-goals" that are more achievable, on the way to those larger goals...and try to keep everything in perspective. Should I never run a sub-5 mile, or even a marathon due to injuries, I need to be able to live with it. But I'll be doing whatever I can to keep my body strong and uninjured as I pursue them.

Today's run

Put in a 4.3 mile run this afternoon. Legs were a little tired after yesterday's long bike ride, but I ended up running a pretty decent pace (8:07/mile). I sound like a broken record (remember those?), but my right hip was acting up a bit. My knee protested a little for a couple minutes during the middle of the run, then was fine.
Tomorrow will probably be a short (1 hour) ride, outside if the weather is nice.

Hornet Juice give-away!

Never tried Hornet Juice before, but I've heard good things about it.

Awesome ride!

Just returned from a 35-mile bike ride in almost exactly 2 hours (17.4 mph avg). Thanks to Claritin D for helping me survive the major pollen population along the trail I usually ride. Came home with a little wheeze, but nothing too bad. Also came home with some relatively sore hips, probably ready to be stretched and iced. The legs and lungs felt strong, though. Will continue building a base for another few weeks, then will switch to some pretty serious hill training. If the hip(s) concur, I'll be doing a run tomorrow.

Day off

Folks are in town, and my hip is pretty tender, so my guilt for taking the day off is assuaged a bit. May shut it down the rest of the week, actually. Probably not a bad idea anyway. After two and a half years of not running, I can say I'm excited to be back training again. And people are asking me if I'm losing weight (usually in a concerned fashion), so I guess I'm on the right track!
Have a great weekend, everyone!