Its official: I miss running

Over the last few years I have become what one would call an extremely casual runner. I no longer can get out there and run 5 miles willy nilly. Busting out a sub 7 mile is no longer laughable, but something i need to work at and up until now I have been ok with that.


However, I miss running.

Whenever I discuss running people tend to right off the bat ask WHY!?! Why do you run and why do you enjoy running? My normal answer used to be because I am good at it. I think that is why most people do many things in life. Why not do something you can be successful at?

Taking a deeper look I have a different answer. Running has always been something that is 100% honest and truthful.

I am a scientist. I like facts. The grey area and I do not get along oh so well even if i do admit there is so much of it. When it comes to running I am gifted with competition against myself and other, something that is for the most part healthy for me, an activity to be alone or be with others, and something that gives you visible results when you put hard work into it.

Though all of these aspects are wonderful there is one bonus that I think is a bit over looked. Running is not objective. You are either faster or not. You either finish the race or you do not. You either run a faster time or you do not. There is no maybe in the world of running. This is both a glorious and heart wrenching aspect to the sport.

Too many times in life is this not the case. Most sports teams hold tryouts. You may have the best jump shot on your high school team, but if the coach doesn't know you then you may be riding the bench the whole season. You may tryout for a play and nail an audition, but the director may not pick you because "you haven't paid your dues." Even in the working world you may be the best employee out there, but the amount of work experience, race, or gender could hold you back from getting that big promotion. Too many things in life are predicated on the opinions of other people. Running sets you free from that. Fuck everyone else. It is just you and the road.

So yeah i miss that and I think (though the snow will soon be falling) it is time to get back to my roots and regain that feeling. A feeling of accomplishment when hard work is put in and I am able to visibly accomplish a goal without anyone else holding me back. In the end, if i cannot complete a goal in running it is on me. I have no one to blame, but myself.  And knowing that I control my own destiny even in a small insignificant way such as running is a beautiful thing.

-JPL

Pardon me, have you seen my puppy?

Well Another wonderful day of running! Today must have been dog walker Thursday because honestly I saw 11 different dogs on my run today. Ten were with owners....the other I shall get to in a moment.

First of all...why does it seem that only ladies walk their dogs? I know this is a false statement since a guy I work with walks with/loves his dogs, but I swear I only see ladies with their dogs when I go out yogging. I think my favorite was the like....mini black lab looking dog that just stopped walking and rolled on her back until she was pet by her owner. So so so darn cute! There was also a good variety of diggity dogs as well. I realized that the more dogs that were around the faster I ran....thus today's motivation was  dogs...so here is a dog video for y'all.....ENJOY!

The sad moment of this dog story filled day was that I swear I saw a stray puppy. Unless it was my Indian spirit guide. Around mile 2.25 I was turning a corner and saw what I thought to be a puppy. About a foot and a half little tiny guy with a short tail that was black and white. When i saw it the dog scampered into the brush not to be seen again. I hope it was not a puppy, but it really looked like one. I asked all of the travelers if they were missing a dog and no one seemed to claim him/her. So fingers crossed the doggy or my imagination is ok!


Now for the running part of the blog.....

It was an easy five mile run outside of Kensington today. It is oddly hilly because I feel like the first half is mostly downhill....yet on the same route backwards it too seems mostly downhill. Odd. Anyways there was a crazy symmetry with my run today even if my miles were not even. First and fifth miles were 7:45. Second and forth were 7:56ish and the third mile was an 8:20. Good times had by all during this run. On my slower mile my knee and hip both felt really sore/crappy. When my pace picked back up they felt good. I am not exactly sure what this means, but am worried I really change my stride when I slow down. Interesting indeed.  Life is good and hope that you are all having a wonderful day! I actually had fifty views yesterday....not bad!

Just keep swimming!! or running ;)

Speed Repeats Late-ish

Today I put off running due to feeling semi sick, but I also knew I had to run so I did while on my work "lunch/dinner"

I have been running slower miles like it was suggested to me, however I was worried that I would become too slow from it. I ran repeat miles on hilly terrain with 2:20 in between to jog/walk/rest. The first mile I did not want to look at my pace so I just sort of gunned it. I tried not going all out, but keeping a fast speed. I ran it in 5:46 which I was pleasantly surprised about. I felt fluid and did not kick at the end. I was pretty wiped out from it and pleased so my other two I made sure to take at a slower pace. 6:45 and 6:50 were the other two. I am not going to really call those speed miles, but fast enough for the day :)

My legs felt wonderful although my knee felt a bit poppy before I took off. The sun was setting since it was about 6:45 when I started. There were not too many people on the trail so a little less motivation as well. The one concern I have are my lungs. For some reason they have been feeling like I am some sort of smoker. Probably due to being out of shape, though I worry it is an effect from work or my apartment. I shall keep an eye on the situation.


As a bonus I wanted to add to every running post the song that was my motivation on each run. I will embed it as a youtube link to be enjoyed by all :)  (i edited yesterday's post to include this as well!)

Remember to smile!

Who would have thought?

Well.....I guess some people actually did used to read this blog. Go figure.


On that note I guess I will spiffy it up a bit and actually keep up with it! I am entering this crazy looking contest thingamabob where you have to run a lot in November  Sounds like a great idea since that is basically lets get fat month and lately I have been on the lets eat train. I set a goal of 40 miles per week.....probably a bit lofty, but not really.

The next race I am training for seems to be the turkey trot 10k though I may throw in something shorter/faster in between now and then.

On a side note what beautiful days for runs yesterday and today. I didnt run the best but a solid six miler seemed decent. I am trying to take "runnersworld" advice and run a bit slower for my training runs. I am really worried that I will/am losing my speed but at least I am gettiing in my miles. I know when I am running slow enough because I will sing a full song without being dead at whatever pace I am running. Go Team Go!

Stay Sexy everyone :)

I am back suckkahs......

Well good thing I basically gave up on my goals and aspirations with this run. A few freak injuries really threw me off....plus stopping this blog did not help.


SO I screw it.....back to running I will go. I have a solid month to train...by month I mean three weeks. Ouch. Oh well I can at least give it a go right? Why not at least just run. My life really falls apart when I do not. I need to stop concentrating on crap and get back to what matters in life!

today crappy run

I started the day with an intention of running 10 miles. Looking back that was a poor choice. My schedule gives me a day off between hard runs, but i said no big deal i can do it! I, ladies and gents....could not.

I started off with a pace goal of around 7:20/7:35 aka 30/45 seconds slower than my marathon goal. The first mile was a breeze, though my legs felt ....eh to say the least.  after my 7:15 I fell down to a 7:20 pace for the second mile. I started to really feel it since mile two is mostly uphill. by two and a half i noticed my pace was dying...8:04 pace. I just couldn't get one leg ahead of the other. At 3.5 i turned around and i took a 15 second walk. The 84 degree heat which didn't feel too bad at the start really began to get to me. My legs felt like lead and unlike yesterday I couldn't will them to move. I was also a bit disheartened because i feel like i have been quitting on my runs. Back in the day I took pride in finishing everything! I think i just need the confidence to really go after it again.

Another solution i have been thinking about is DOING WHAT IM SUPOSED TO BE DOING YOU PUNK! Along with a bit of a better diet. Ready set break! :)

7/9 Fun speed!

I did my speed workout today!on these days i have to run three miles of speed using repeats...i decided to do them in mile repeats with 1/4 jogs in between. I did a little less and just jogged around for 2:45 seconds. 

My mile goals were between 6:15-6:10 (10k pace). I found this out using the hand dandy mcmillan running calculator! http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/calculator/ Definitely check it out. My miles ended up being 6:15, 6:02 and 6:08. The last mile was mostly uphill so it skewed a bit. I may have gone a bit too fast today, but it was one of those i feel great sort of days. Hooray for not being too hot either. 

Speed/Redline Repeats

Since my long run was done on friday, I just ran an easy six on sunday to switch the workouts. It was a beautiful day though I was a bit sore from a bit too much saturday fun.

Today i decided to do my speed workout. The mileage for the week seems to be six and so I wanted to see if i could sustain a faster mile speed. I have begun to realize that I have been doing far too much extended leg heel running. I have been concentrating on shortening my strides a bit and really giving front foot and calves a workout. The speed increase is really incredible while the effort does not seem to be too much greater. The workout of choice today was a 2 speed miles....one slow jog/walk mile......rinse and repeat.

The course of choice today began from the lyon oaks golf course and followed the bike path down the road. The course is mildly hilly especially in the beginning. I pushed out feeling lethargic and slow. My pace was only about 7:15 for the first 1/4 mile to get warmed up. Luckily there are quite a few downhills more than uphills on the first mile. I finished mile 1 with a 6:44 pace which i was pleased about. I ended up seeing a few walkers and of course had to catch them. I was also feeling really good. I pushed out mile two in a 6:21 pace. I slowed down to a speed walk as I gasped for a bit. After a very slow jog to mile three I stopped to tie my shoes and took off for the second speed run. This time I ran more uphill. To my advantage though, I knew the course better on the way back so it actually did help a bit. My first mile there was 6:11 which I was pretty proud of, but that was a bit too fast. I started fighting with my mind whether to do mile two. The last 1/2 mile of that second mile is uphill and at times fairly steep. I did end up finishing it in 6:33. After the deathly slow job back to the car I felt pretty good. The two speed workouts were an improvement and I felt pretty darn good after each set.

On a side note I really have to make sure I am eating properly for this level of activity.....hmmmmm

Leslie's Long Run 6/22

Today I made another trip to Grosse Pointe. I decided to get some mileage in today as a casual long run. My philosophy on increasing mileage is that you have to train your legs first to be active for a certain period of time before they will be alright with running hard for a long distance.

 We met at the wonderful GP woods park for an 8 miler. The run was basically down mack for a bit until we decided to run down lakeshore. We kept a pretty steady pace right around 8:50-9 min miles. The run ended up being a little over nine miles which really was a nice little running bonus. The company was wonderful and we talked about everything and anything. Cathartic mind cleansing runs are always great for the soul especially on days when the weather is so nice. The only issue was a stretch with 0 shade and sun that seemed to have intentions to cook me. All in all this was a great training run and my third in GP for the week!

The Air was Soupy

A wonderful morning run today on this soupy wednesday. I say that it is a soupy wednesday because the air is so thick that it seemed to condense into a liquid, which really did not sit well in the lungs.

I must start out today's piece by thanking Laurie! I decided to do a little Grosse Pointe running and when I asked for running partners Laurie was the only gutsy volunteer. The company was much appreciated indeed. We began the run from Shore's station and headed down the scenic lakeshore drive. The 6am run was really a beatiful site. When we began the weather seemed to be cooperating. The temperature, though hot, seemed bearable. The sidewalks were pretty populated considering the time of day. As we began on our trek of an unnamed distance the weather decided to play a nasty trick on us...it suddenly became much hotter, steamier, and more humid. Ok, so maybe the issue wasn't the weather, but instead just me actually running now instead of standing in the shade. You really do never know though.....that weather is a tricky master. Anyways we ran a 3 there and 3 back route. We kept a pretty happy pace of 830, but it felt much faster due to the conditions. Neither of us enjoyed or felt grand while running, but we pushed through.

On our way we met some fun characters. I will rank my top three characters that crossed our path (besides today's amazing running partner). 

#3. This character was a bit of a blast from the past. Over a year ago I joined the GP running ladies. After about one week I was just begining to meet all of the different members that were part of this group. During this first week there was another woman who joined the group (this is still when it was smaller and not the behemoth it is today). She was a nice younger mother with a good speed streak. I hadn't seen her in forever, but today she passed by twice. The first pass by was one of those ...."was that...." On the second pass by she ran with us a bit. We caught up and discussed how early 5:00AM really is. Yes it is very early. She took off down her own street never to be heard from again (over dramatic much?)

#2 The gatekeeper. On our run today we needed a sip of water to take away the burn from the heat. After mile two there was a gated park. Laurie came up with a brilliant lie to tell the gate keeper when we met. As we approached she let me in on the trick. We walked in as the gate keeper sat humbly on his tiny chair reading some sort of paper. We dodged out of the way without him saying anything and just waltzed right in. Slightly disappointed that she didn't get to use her trick, laurie yelled back, "sorry we just need to grab a quick drink of water. We live on ______ but we forgot our ids" The man in one of the best voices responded with an...of course you did....of course you did. Yes he even repeated himself. He believed us that little. I am disappointed the plan didn't work a little better, but we still got our water break so take that Mr. snarky gatekeeper!

#1 My favorite meeting to be honest was a duo. We didnt say too much. We barely saw each other. The best duo that we passed was a group of old men. They were all out in headbands and tiny many shorts. I was proud. I said...one day i will be that guy. They were enjoying themselves, smiled, and even said hello! I fully expected to see a tattoo that said running buddies for life. Maybe i'll have to get one of those.

honorable mention: jiggly bright shorts jogger guy with his dog that never says hello to laurie but said hello to me when I was with her....." How you doin' ;D"

Progress

Today was a great one.....because I saw some progress. I ran with sarah today at 6am. I am just not a fan of waking up so early.....but it happens and was well worth it. 5:30 out of bed and 6 am run for 6 miles. I was taken on a tour of many GP parks. I was unable to keep up solid conversation at the pace, but i did try to talk and throw in a little bit here and there.

The run was also funny because of how it started. I planned to make sure we didnt go out to fast so that I could last the whole way. As we started out i felt great until i realized i felt too great. I checked my watch and noticed a 730 pace. I felt really bad. I picked it up and we ended up finished mile one in a 7:03 pace. That was a great starting line goal. miles two and three were 6:56 and 6:58 respectively. I felt strong so i began to push it a bit. 6:51 was mile four and also where I started to feel it. I had that tired shit im not going to finish this run feeling. Scary feeling indeed, but its good to mentally get over that. 6:56 was mile 5 and the last mile was one of those grind it out i feel slow but really its my fastest miles. Without using a dead sprint the final mile (after passing two older women three times to the point where im sure they believed we were stalking them) was 6:45. Not too shabby of a comeback run after my 4.5 mile stop debacle run last week.

Go team Go

on a side note....im quite tired....maybe i can fall asleep early and go to GP to run with the lovely GPERS??

yogging before work?

Today was a recovery day! I did a four mile yog just to recover from a little dead leg syndrome. To be honest my legs aren't feeling too bad, but i woke up a little stiff this morning.....haha real funny, get your minds out of the gutter.

I ran the outside kensington route since it had been a while. As i took off for my first mile I had trouble moving the legs. I was confused how I had been running under seven so much lately when I felt like 8 minute miles were causing me to breathe sort of hard. I began to fiddle with my stride a bit. I realized that since I knew I was running slower today I was plodding much more. My steps were heavy and I landed more flat footed slapping the pavement. I began to consciously use the front of my feet a bit more. My legs were struggling a bit with it but in time the calves will become strong again. When I changed my stride I noticed my  pace picked up drastically. I still took it easier, but it was a great sweaty run! Hills and I are starting to become friends again which is a pretty exciting adventure. The four miles were 7:45, 7:15, 6:59, 6:52. I am recovered and ready for a beautiful friday run!

6/13 The you can do it run

The great thing about running with a group or partner that is faster than you are is that it shows you  (and your body) that you can push yourself even more. I love that about running. I am a masochist....bring on the pain. One of the reasons I was such a good runner back in the day was that I was more willing to take pain than the other guy (or so i tell myself in my attempt to be a much crappier version of my hero prefontaine).

Anyways wednesday's run was an attempt to prove that I can take the lessons learned from tuesday and apply them to a run on my own. My garmin and I geared up for a seven miler (turned six miler). I took the  most rolly hilly route from my apartment. I have this fantastic bike path to run on which makes life wonderful due to a lack of lights and wide lanes. The goal was to just stay under seven minute miles. The temp was perfect although I keep running too late in the day. Sadly I did not pass the amount of people I would in a grosse pointe area, but I passed quite a few walkers which was nice as I waved hello! I finished my first three going up a dirt hill. I pushed the first three out at 6:58, 6:54, 6:59. Must to my surprise I was hurting, but I really didn't want to stop. I also knew that most of the run back was downhill. A beautiful thought! The last three were 6:49, 6:55, and a grueling last mile of 7:09. I was happy with that.

To be honest I just love running. I really do. I am a competitor and I do love racing, but i just love the feeling after a good run as sweat pours off of your body and you feel like you did something. Or the ice cold shower afterwards as you sing justin beiber while finding it difficult to stand. I can definitely sleep so much better after a day of running. Hooray life!

She came from the West 6/12

I have a new training partner to add to others that I already run with! Sarah ran for GVSU and was pretty darn good. Last year dominating the marathon enough to qualify for boston (even if she was a man she would have qualified). Good stuff. It is just what i have been asking for....someone to come in and kick my booty.

I was a bit nervous when we met at 8 for our grosse pointe run. As I told her....your small frame is not intimidating, but your speed is! Anyways we planned on a 7/8 mile run at around 650 pace. Needless to say that did not happen. I chickened out and made sarah stop at about 4.5 miles. On a positive note we ran those miles very speedily. 6:42, 6:48, 6:53, 6:44, (half mile at 6:42 pace). I was should have pushed one more out, but why overdo it on day one. That was a tough run, but i loved every second of it. Especially talking during the run. Well....more like josh gasping for air and saying one word answers. PS....yes sarah my garmin is accurate and not lying to you about our pace!!

Life is good....very very good.

And so it begins 6/8-6/11

A quick catch up post here....

I have been running however I moved into a new home! It is very exciting, but the move and a very special wedding took up a bit too much time and I took a week and a half off.....and boy did I feel it. They say that for every week taken off you lose 3-4 weeks of "in-shapeness". I definitely believe that because I am a bit behind the ball again. Worry not.....official training begins 6/20 and all signs are pointing to ready set go.

On a side note wixom is far hillier than warren could ever dream to be. I have so many trails and difficult runs around me. I am excited for the training I have always wanted! Friday and Saturday I went for some easy jogs around the neighborhood. I didn't time myself because I did not want to be discouraged however I realized that the route I took was much more difficult on the way back than on the way there....ouch!

I also wanted to point out a scary running condition. Beware long tree alleyways on hot summer days when the sun is directly above. The trees blocked all breeze and the trees incubated my poor body like a cooked chicken. I was feeling great at about mile 2.5, but by 3.5 I was cooked. A little walking happened on that run. I ran a gentle 5 miles monday in order to get ready for a nervous run with ....a new running partner?? get excited and read my next entry!

speed work 1

Today was a speed work day!

One aspect of my upcoming training will be speed workouts. I will do track workouts that include 400s 800s miles and so on with jogging in between. Today's run was done using hills to add a bit of difficulty. I decided halfway through that i need something like a speedy high school girl or something like that to really push me on these runs. I guess the high school part isn't needed but I heard about a 4:47 miler in the catholic league and i feel like training with her would help.....true motivation not losing to younger women. Pretty impressive stuff. I would love to crank out one or two under 5 mins miles in about 2 more months.

Today's workout was 800s. I ran one 800 fast then jogged one. I ran three  at 5:50 pace with three 800s at 10 min pace in between. Good times indeed. I think without hills i would have gone much fast. I also would love some running partners....possibly this weekend??

first three honks of the year!

It felt hot today. It was only 70 and very sunny.....but it felt HOT. I thusly ran shirtless of course.

While running i did collect three honks (always a fun game to play). Most of the honks i assume are angry people yelling at me to put on a shirt....but as a guy you always hope that at least one of those honks was from a beautiful woman ahahah. Anyways I wanted to bust out 6 but my legs were shot from yesterday and the hills. I pounded out a solid 5. I ran slower than my desired 7:15 pace

My miles were as follows.....7:15, 7:14, 7:20, 7:45, 7:31. I really rode the struggle bus for that last mile.


On a side note I really miss running with people....i need to get back to that. I hope to do so soon!

5/22 Back from the hiatus!

Well I am back. I think it was sort of a two week break with sporadic running sessions, but it is now time to get serious. I have a month until the real training begins and i need to make sure I am ready for it!

Today was a great run to be honest. I need to make sure that my race pace ideas are not too fast. So today i decided i would test it out on my hilliest course. 4 miles at 6:52 was the plan. I took off and honestly i struggled keeping the steady pace. I hope that soon I will get it a bit better, but my body really seemed to want to run either 7 minutes or 630. The hills really made it hard to judge my overall pace because uphill i would go my slower pace and down I would go to the faster pace. It always seemed to balance out, however, i was worried it would not on the back end of the run which caused me to go a bit too fast.

I was not really comfy with this run which worries me a bit. I also have not been running consistently so that may be a slight issue as well. I passed one of my bosses on the run which was interesting.....since i was on my lunch break. I had to charge the hill to pass him which probably made me look like a dick. If i get fired ill know why ;D

Anyways, long live running!!!

weekend running

So I really need to improve on weekend running....because its essential, but for some reason I am awful at it.

Anyways woo back on track running. Today was a run/workout day. Only 4 weeks ish till i start my true marathon training schedule. That sure came up quickly. Today was just a simple three miles. One easy mile to start me off. The next two were tough/fast. It was nice to run on a flat course again. I worked out with my brother which basically means I killed myself in a sort of masochistic way. Good times indeed even if it was just "an easy day" for him.

The times I posted were as follows:

mile 1= 8:05

mile 2= 6:32

mile 3= 6:13

I am really feeling good about the speed I am able to maintain even in a regular workout. A 5k would probably be a nice speed test as well, but it is about time to start doing miles....lets do this!

Misty, the mystery girl

First note of today.....do not eat two doughnuts before a run....no matter how good/delicious they look.

     Hello again everyone! Well what a change a day makes. Since yesterday went a bit poorly I changed it up. 4 miles at an attempted 7:30 was the idea for the day.  The course was hilly yet again, but the temperature was quite perfect. The course looked amazing as a slight mist rose from the road due to the recently fallen rain mixing with the heat of the setting sun. Just picture that one....yes just as pretty as it sounds! Anyways the run went well. It was one of those runs that is mad hilly, but feels like you are running downhill for 90 percent of it (which was not possible since it was a there and back run). Great feeling and I even progressively ran faster which was a nice feeling.

     On a side note I should talk about misty, aka the name i gave to this random mystery girl. I was thinking of calling her blue since I have seen her the past two days wearing the same blue shirt, but blue sounds too sad. Yesterday she parked next to me before the run. As i stretched she took off. I eventually caught her, but i realized she was moving at a really solid pace. I was worried when I died at the end yesterday that she would catch me. When we passed there and back yesterday she was very pleasant with her wave and smile and all of that jazz. I was impressed. Reminded me of my RP runner girls. Anyways as I reached mile 1.8 today there she was.....different path...different course....though same general location and time. She was walking this time, but when she saw me she took off even though we were running in the opposite directions. Good times. If i see her again I plan on having a conversation with her and possibly running with her because it was an odd twist of fate.  It is always kind of fun to make up stories in your head of the people you pass or are being passed by as you run. Sort of a mind game to help keep you going.

The run today was as follows...7:31....7:31.....7:15.....7:07. I was happy and feel fresh after running. I have noticed that I have been really dehydrated even though my water level intake has been steady. I blame this on the weekend. This may also explain my tid bit of heavy leg syndrome I have been experiencing. We shall see when I hopefully do some speed ness with the ladies of grosse pointe tomorrow.

READY SET BREAK!