8.31.2007
Hartford
My body gets angry when I try to train for a marathon. (I've attempted it twice) But I registered for the Hartford 1/2 today. So I guess it's official: I'll see you there!
Hey Ryan ...
I noticed that you posted your races and Dan's races. Where did these come from?
athlinks.com?
Have you all checked out that website? You should.
athlinks.com?
Have you all checked out that website? You should.
$9 Gasoline
A Nevada Congressman recently tied an early withdrawal of troops from Iraq to $9 gasoline here in the States. Good! Let there be $9 gasoline! I actually celebrated this news.
The first thing that came to my mind after reading this news was that Americans would be forced to be active. Here we are running around worrying about increasing gasoline prices when in fact we should be worrying about ballooning medical costs, largely due to Americans' sedentary ways.
Certainly for insureds (those that are lucky enough not to pay a premium), they're not thinking about what it costs to fill their varying number (usually high) of prescriptions used to treat diseases caused by their ever-expanding waistlines, they're thinking about the expenses that hit their pockets directly. Such as? Well, GASOLINE!
This is why I can't help siding with insurance companies.
Priorities priorities priorities.
Do I sound like a liberal or just a young idealist (is there a difference?)?
The first thing that came to my mind after reading this news was that Americans would be forced to be active. Here we are running around worrying about increasing gasoline prices when in fact we should be worrying about ballooning medical costs, largely due to Americans' sedentary ways.
Certainly for insureds (those that are lucky enough not to pay a premium), they're not thinking about what it costs to fill their varying number (usually high) of prescriptions used to treat diseases caused by their ever-expanding waistlines, they're thinking about the expenses that hit their pockets directly. Such as? Well, GASOLINE!
This is why I can't help siding with insurance companies.
Priorities priorities priorities.
Do I sound like a liberal or just a young idealist (is there a difference?)?
8.28.2007
Week 10 -- First Run
My first run of week 10 was quality (as it was supposed to be, anyway) in that it was one of my faster training runs yet (7.7 miles at 9:13 pace) and my legs felt fresh. I think that this week is going to be the best predictor of how I'll fare on marathon race day, so this is a big week for me. I'm doing 4.3 tomorrow and 7.7 on Thursday (that's 19.7 miles over the first three days of this running week). I'm doing 16 on Saturday, which will be my longest long run to date. I think that if I can get through this running week (nearly 40 miles) unscathed, then I'll fare well in Hartford. This is the ultimate test.
Pete Pfitzinger's Essential Ingredients II and III
Optimizing Your Mileage
"In distance running, the runner with the highest level of aerobic fitness almost always wins."
"...the aerobic system is highly trainable."
"You can build your aerobic base by increasing your running mileage..."
"Racing performance clearly improves after a sustained increase in mileage (and the longer the race, the greater the benefit), but, as with other aspects of training, the incremental improvement follows the principle of diminishing returns."
Long Runs
"When your legs are reasonably fresh, a pace of 10 to 20 percent slower than marathon race pace (MRP) is ideal because it is hard enough to provide a strong training stimulus, but requires only two to three days of recovery."
"In distance running, the runner with the highest level of aerobic fitness almost always wins."
"...the aerobic system is highly trainable."
"You can build your aerobic base by increasing your running mileage..."
"Racing performance clearly improves after a sustained increase in mileage (and the longer the race, the greater the benefit), but, as with other aspects of training, the incremental improvement follows the principle of diminishing returns."
Long Runs
"When your legs are reasonably fresh, a pace of 10 to 20 percent slower than marathon race pace (MRP) is ideal because it is hard enough to provide a strong training stimulus, but requires only two to three days of recovery."
8.26.2007
A few things I learned on my long run today...
- I think my running form is changing for the better as a result of longer runs. I need to use my arms more. It helps to keep up the pace.
- I think some exercise the day before a long run helps with intestinal issues.
- Distance running is a significant time commitment. Though my long run was only a couple hours, preparation and recovery seems to take several more hours. This was starting to piss me off earlier today as I had some other things I could have been doing. After I started running I forgot all about.
- It's pretty damn dark by 8:00PM this time of the year.
Do I have too much time on my hands?
HOME-WORK-HOME -- WINTER '07
62.8 miles per week. Is this sustainable? The better question: Is this worth it? Let's take a look.
Conclusions:
Assuming that parking is free, it's less of an expense to drive than run to and from work everyday. I would save $1.67 per month by driving everyday. That's 2.2% of my Hartford Marathon race entry fee!!!
Assuming that parking isn't free (it's not. it's greater than $100 per month), running rather than driving to and from work everyday is a no brainer.
What are the qualitative factors, and how do they affect the decision whether to drive or run?
62.8 miles per week. Is this sustainable? The better question: Is this worth it? Let's take a look.
Conclusions:
Assuming that parking is free, it's less of an expense to drive than run to and from work everyday. I would save $1.67 per month by driving everyday. That's 2.2% of my Hartford Marathon race entry fee!!!
Assuming that parking isn't free (it's not. it's greater than $100 per month), running rather than driving to and from work everyday is a no brainer.
What are the qualitative factors, and how do they affect the decision whether to drive or run?
8.25.2007
Week 9 -- Long Run
I did my long run this morning. Eight almonds and one piece of dark chocolate (no water) got me through this one--11.2 miles. Recently, I started thinking about my marathon race pace and experimented with it for the last two miles of this morning's run. I ran the first 9.2 miles at 9:36 pace and the last two (rolling hills) at 8:37 pace (this is slightly understated, but I tend to err on the side of conservativeness), which felt comfortable, even after having run 9.2 miles. However, I don't know that I could maintain that pace over 26.2 miles. BUT (the big but), I'll have to if I plan to take $75 of Dan Britton's money, which, I--and I think most that know Dan--know, is the epitome of what's sacred.
Not surprisingly, Tuesday's and today's runs were of a better quality than that of Wednesday's and yesterday's, both of which were on zero days of rest and tired (new pain in right knee). I think that at this point in my marathon training, midweek runs on zero days of rest aren't worth as much as my longer quality run on Tuesday and my long run on Saturday. I think I'd benefit more by resting every other day and concentrating on longer runs, adding a few more miles to my longest runs instead of running them as midweek shorter runs. Dan, I think your plan uses this logic and, of course, emphasizes XTing, which, since DAY 1, I've done little of.
I've come to value rest and running on softer surfaces. The most tempting thing these days is a strip of grass. Who would have thought it?
Onward.
Not surprisingly, Tuesday's and today's runs were of a better quality than that of Wednesday's and yesterday's, both of which were on zero days of rest and tired (new pain in right knee). I think that at this point in my marathon training, midweek runs on zero days of rest aren't worth as much as my longer quality run on Tuesday and my long run on Saturday. I think I'd benefit more by resting every other day and concentrating on longer runs, adding a few more miles to my longest runs instead of running them as midweek shorter runs. Dan, I think your plan uses this logic and, of course, emphasizes XTing, which, since DAY 1, I've done little of.
I've come to value rest and running on softer surfaces. The most tempting thing these days is a strip of grass. Who would have thought it?
Onward.
8.23.2007
8.22.2007
Dan's Races
Dan, I wonder what you were doing between the years of 1999 and 2004, during which time it appears that you were on a quite lengthy hiatus from running (or maybe just races because it appears that you didn't miss a beat but actually were faster in '05 than you were in '98). I'm glad you're back and also wonder what made you take up the sport again. Also, please let me know if off the top of your head you can think of any races that I may have missed.
Your buddy,
Ryan
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