Back on Track

Well, it's been too long since my last post. I was at Boy Scout Camp last week with my 2 oldest sons, and didn't have very good internet access. I tried posting via my Blackberry after my Monday night run, but after I got it written, I couldn't get it to post. If I can figure out how to get this to let me do a back dated post, I'll write about my runs in camp later. But I wanted to get this one up for now. Suffice it to say that I made my regular Monday and Wednesday night runs at camp, and rather than walking on Tuesday and Thursday, I did some biking -- about 2 hours or so each day. I didn't get to run on Friday due to travelling back from camp, and Saturday was busy catching up after being gone. I told my personal trainer that I felt bad about missing those runs, and he told me not to be obssessed with missing a session here and there, but to me, I feel like starting out, I need to remain consistent.

Tonight, I was back running at the local high school track. 6 minutes running, 1 minute walking, 4 times, and then finished with 2 minutes of running. Made a total of 2.74 miles, and it felt pretty good. I was able to complete at least 2 full laps during each 6 minute running interval, which, if done consistently, is a 12 minute mile. I'm hoping that by Marathon Day, I can run 10 minute miles. That is my goal at this point.

I need to get back to tracking my caloric intake as well. I was previously doing that on www.livestrong.com, but quit doing it a couple weeks ago. I have still been doing pretty good, but know I do better when I'm recording everything I eat and all my exercise. I once heard it said that when performance is measured, performance improves. When performance is measured and reported, the rate of improvement accelerates. I can use all the acceleration in t his regard that I can get.

I have still been riding my bicycle to work every day, usually twice a day as I normally come home from lunch. It's 1.25 miles each way.

Since my normal schedule is to run M W F and Saturday, and to walk T, TH, but I missed Monday night this week too, I think I will run every night this week, increasing my running interval time by one minute each day to get myself back on the proper training schedule so that in another 4.5 weeks, I will be able to be running 30 minutes non-stop. I can't wait.

I'm also going to do a little research tonight before I go to bed, but I got a new game for Father's Day called EA Sports Active, for the Wii. It came out in May, and on their website, they had a 30 day challenge in June. I'm hoping they have another one in July. I'd like to add some more cross training to my running routines.

I'm also going to look on changing up my running a little bit, as far as location is concerned. There's a trail system nearby, the Tsalteshi Trails, which have a variety of cross country trails. I know they're used for both running and biking in the summer, and cross country skiing in the winter. A little variety would be good I think.

And boy did I do something dorky in my run tonight. I Must have been a little over eager to get our there having not run in a while. I ride my bike to the track most times, except when I take all the kids. Tonight I was alone, so I biked. I got to the track, did my stretches, and hit the track. I made it around the track about 1.25 times before I realized, I WAS RUNNING WITH MY BIKE HELMET STILL ON!!! Man did I feel like a fool. Luckily, it was about 10:30 PM, no one else was on the track, and hopefully no one in the houses that can see the track saw what a fool I was.

MARATHON DAY...

... but not this year for me.

So today was the 2009 Mayor's Marathon in Anchorage. That is the race I have selected to run my first marathon. But in 2010. So, I'm down to my final year of training!! Instead of going to even observe the race today, we went to Homer. It was pretty fun.

So tonight, it was time to up the ante again -- 4 minutes running, 1 minute walking, 6 reps. I can't remember if I was getting a full lap in on the 3 minute running last night or not, but I know that even if I did, it wasn't consistently and definitely wasn't every time.

Tonight, I was completing well over 1 lap each running interval -- most of the time close to a lap and a half. I had the 5 youngest kids with me again, but the B-Lakester only joined me briefly one time. Tonight's run went pretty good I felt. It was the first time I exceeded 10 total laps in the 30 miuntes -- 2.60 miles exactly. I certainly dodged a weather bullet tonight. During the day, it was raining off and on. After we got back from Homer, I decided to go run early again, and it wasn't raining when we left.

But at about the 27 minute mark, it began to rain. Uh oh, I thought. But knowing it was almost over, I knew I'd survive it. And I did.

So, the final one year countdown begins. 52 Weeks to go. RUN, ROB, RUN!!

Friday Night With The Kids -- 3 Run/1 Walk

Tonight was fun!! (I'm actually writing this a night late, but who cares.) I came home from work and decided to go running a little early. My wife asked me if I'd take some of the kids with me. Why not. I figured it could be fun. I was originally thinking I was taking 5, but when it was all said and done, 7 of them ended up at the track with me.

When we first got to the 4 that had ridden in the car with me all headed right to the track and started running a lap. It took me a couple minutes to get my HRM set up for the interval change and get stretched out. Just as I was about to start, one of my sons, who I was expecting, arrived on his bike. I headed off. As I was coming out of the final turn of my first lap, I looked at my GPS to see how much running time I had left on my first interval. ARGH!!! I hadn't started it correctly!! So I wasn't even getting credit for it on the HRM. I went ahead and started my walking there, and reset the intervals on the HRM. Got it up and running, and took off again. About that time, 2 more of my sons arrived on their bikes. (We only live about a half mile from the track.) By this time, most of the little kids had bored of running laps, (I think they ran one at the most, some less than that) and they had ventured off to various things -- running around the grass on the football field, playing on a dirtpile they found or frisbee on an adjacent field.

On about the 4th interval tonight(I had 8 to do), as I came up one of the straightaways, there was my 4 year old son, the B-Lakester as he likes to be called. As I came along side him, he told he he was going to run with me. Lucky for him, that interval was about to turn from walking to running. I think I was the most relieved that it was time to walk for a minute, but he picked up quickly on what the beeping "watch" that I was wearing meant. When it came time to run again, I started to pull away from him a little bit. He told me to slow down and wait for him. My first thought was about how it would affect my distance travelled tonight. But I immediately followe that thought up with the thought if, does that really matter? And it didn't. So I slowed down to his pace again. He eventually bored of running on that interval, but did join me one more time before the night was up.

Who knows, maybe he'll be running the marathon with me next year!! That could be pretty entertaining.

Another Easy Walk

So today, I got rained on. But not during my walk. I ride my bike to and from work each day. Twice most days since I usually go home for lunch. This morning when I woke up, it had been raining. Before I left for work, it had stopped, but I wore my "slicker" as someone called it anyhow. But no rain on the way to work. When I left to go home for lunch, I looked outside. Everything was dry. Still a bit cloudy though. No raincoat needed. After lunch, time to ride back to work. Got part way there, and it started. The further I rode, the more it was raining. Oh well. I guess I learned my lesson. When in doubt, bring the raincoat with you.

Tonight, I did my 30 minute walk as scheduled. Went pretty good. Just down the road and back. My wife went with me. Saw a friend walking the other way about 3 minutes from home, so we stopped and talked. I wonder if that really counts as a 3o minute walk since I wasn't walking continuously. Oh, well.

Tomorrow, 3s and 1s. Should be interesting. Another step up. I'm looking forward to it actually.

2/1 Again....This time, much better

So tonight, it was another night of 2 minutes run and 1 minute walking, for 30 minutes. It went better than Monday. My son went with me to ride his bike while I did my intervals. He lasted about 10 minutes before he decided to head home for some hoops.

I managed to make it the whole time running and walking at the proper intervals this time. I mad sure to tell myself not to run too fast. I think that was part of what did me in Monday. But this time I made it without stopping.

TOmorrow, another walk. Then a bump up to 3 and 1.

An Easy Walk

Tonight's agenda called for a 30 minute easy walk. I think we walked closer to 40 minutes. But I forgot to wear my heart rate monitor. Oops!! Or actually, my friend's heart rate monitor, which he so graciously loaned to me. I think I may have a brand new one on Sunday for Father's Day. I'm just guessing.

So, we just took a stroll down the street and through one of the local subdivisions in our neighborhood. Interesting to see all the houses for sale.

Tomorrow night it's back to the track. I think I have an appointment with my health coach tomorrow too.

The Next Step....Am I Ready?

So today was the day to change up my workout. Last week was 1 min run/2 minute walk, repeated 10 times. Was supposed to do that Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, with a mild 30 minute walk on Tuesday and Thursday, and Sunday being a day of rest.

Well, a family outing to Hidden Lake threw a little hitch into the plans. I had every intention of doing my workouts even while I was gone, but realized that for the smell of the tent, it was probably better not to get all sweaty in the evening just before bed. Or in the morning for that matter, as I had no intention of jumping in the lake while I was there. So, I decided to forgo things completely on Thursday night, but managed to get a nice walk in on Friday evening. Saturday night we had company, so I didn't get out then either. Which leads me to tonight.

This week, I am to begin increasing my run times on the intervals. Tonight was supposed to be 2 minute walk/1 minute run. I managed to keep moving the whole time, and made it through the first 5.5 running sessions, but then it hit me. Over the rest of the intervals, I had to stop running a little early each time. I'm actually supposed to go to 3/1 on wednesday, and then 4/1 for Friday and Saturday. I think I may do 2/1 again on Wednesday, then 3/1 on Friday and 4/1 on Saturday.

Sore Thighs...To Run Or Not To Run?!?

OK, so yesterday I was a little frustrated with this site because even though I was posting my daily blogs before midnight in Alaska, it was showing the post time in the Pacific Time zone. So tonight I went hunting for the time settings and found it, so everything shows as being posted on the proper day.

My thighs have been pretty sore the past two days since I ran my first round of intervals Monday night. I wondered if I'd be able to run as scheduled tonight. After biking 1.25 miles to and from work twice today (I go home for lunch), and then about a mile and a half to the ball park for my son's baseball game, I have to admit I thought about taking the night off. But there was no way I could do that. I've got to save my passes for when it's really critical.

My wife decided to join me at the track tonight, so we donned our helmets, hopped on our bikes for the half-mile ride to get there. Once we arrived, we did a little stretching, and then it was time. I thought maybe she was going to try to run with me for a little bit, and I was even prepared to run a little slower, but when I hit the start button on the timer and started running, she just walked, and that was fine. As it turned out, she walked about half the distance that I covered when I was doing my 1 minute run/2 minute walk intervals. She completed 5 full laps. I made it 2.43 miles. But I completed my 30 minutes, and that's the most important thing.

While I will most likely not post anything on here for the next few days, I will still get my Thursday walk and Friday intervals in. We're heading out on a family campout tomorrow after work. Should be a good time.

To recap todays workout:

1 minute run/2 minute walk intervals for 30 minutes. Everything is still on schedule.

And the jacuzzi is filling up now.

Another Day, Another Training Session

Well, I made it through my training session tonight. 30 minutes of walking. I actually was out for 35. And then I went on a bike ride after that with my wife. Good times.

I think tomorrow will be a real test. My thighs have been pretty sore all day today after kicking off my training officially yesterday with some intervals. I think it's a good thing that all I had to do today was walk. I should have probably soaked in the jacuzzi for awhile tonight. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow.

After an email exchange with a friend of mine, I'm thinking about moving my training sessions to morning.

My Marathon Quest

OK, it's time to face the facts. I'm out of shape, and I need to do something about it. I got to thinking about this recently, and decided that there's no better way to do that then to run a marathon. Now, this is not something that one does overnight. And so I have picked one out over a year away. I'm still not sure I have the best training regimen picked out, but I think I'm on the right track.

I started an 8 week program yesterday to "become a runner." Once I complete this program, I will do a 5 week, 5K training program, followed by a 10K training program, a half-marathon training program, and then a full marathon training program.

I believe that the 2010 Mayor's Marathon in Anchorage, Alaska will be held on June 19, 2010. That is my goal race. Stay tuned for further updates.

Most of my training programs can be found on the Runner's World website at www.runnersworld.com. Being a rookie at this running game, I'm open to suggestions.