Taking a look back at running in 2005 is kind of encouraging.
In February, having only been running (again) for 6 months at the time, I set two goals for the year. One, to run the half-marathon distance once in every month. Two, to run a 10km race at a better-than-9:00/mile pace.
On the first count, I missed in February, July and August. All other months had at least one 13.1 mile run in it. On the second count, I made it, in spades, running a local 10km race in 52:19, an 8:24/mi pace. I’m encouraged with the year.
Total distance for the year was 1,304 miles. Kind of amazing. This included 12 races, 4 of which were half marathons, the rest shorter. No wonder my closet shelf is looking in disarray with all the T shirts…I need to give some away!
And, oh yeah, I started this blog. I’m not sure anyone is reading. But it serves a very useful public service anyway in that a) I have a place to talk about running and the lessons one learns from it and b) my family doesn’t have to listen to me blather on about running. They’re happy, I’m happy…what a country.
A cool year. Tomorrow I’ll write about the 2006 goals I’ve settled on.
Persevere.
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Do Webbed Feet Freeze??
ORN: 12.3 miles, 1:59:02, 9:39/mile
Go figure.
It was/is an ugly spate of weather here in Indiana, typical of what we'll see through the next two months. 36, damp, gray, 20 mph West wind. So gloomy you want to close the blinds for fear the outdoors will suck all the light out of the house. Plus, I'm fighting a head cold and felt pretty lousy this morning anticipating the week's long run. I thought (for a short time) about bagging it altogether. But, out I went.
And had a super run.
I'm trying to do my long runs at 9:50/mile and I couldn't hold back today. Kinda neat (splits at the end). A Gu at mile 6 was a bigger-than-normal boost, kind of surprising to me. Felt good and the last set of miles were quicker than the first.
Go figure.
It was/is an ugly spate of weather here in Indiana, typical of what we'll see through the next two months. 36, damp, gray, 20 mph West wind. So gloomy you want to close the blinds for fear the outdoors will suck all the light out of the house. Plus, I'm fighting a head cold and felt pretty lousy this morning anticipating the week's long run. I thought (for a short time) about bagging it altogether. But, out I went.
And had a super run.
I'm trying to do my long runs at 9:50/mile and I couldn't hold back today. Kinda neat (splits at the end). A Gu at mile 6 was a bigger-than-normal boost, kind of surprising to me. Felt good and the last set of miles were quicker than the first.
And a peculiar thing. My route takes me past a lake, now frozen, that is home to a large flock of geese. And today, they were all just walking around the middle of it, on the ice. Don't their feet get cold? Is it like sticking your finger on a frozen metal surface and having it stick? They didn't seem to mind, though. Fun to contemplate.
Another reason why running is good. You do the right thing, even when you don't feel like it. Feelings follow. They do not govern.
Splits:
9 14
9 51
9 46
9 49
9 33
9 41
9 48
9 32
9 39
9 38
9 51
9 29
3 05 @ 9 21 pace
Nice way to end the year.
Persevere
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Planning for 2006
ORN: 4.5 miles, plodding, windy
Wow, did I not want to go out this morning. And once I got outside, I really didn't want to keep going, as the balmy temperatures for yesterday's long run gave way overnight to a chilly NW wind.
The run itself came in two parts.
The physical side stunk. The legs just were lead-filled, very clunky. The wind was no fun and it remains really, really dark here at 5:30am.
The mental side was, by contrast, quite enjoyable. I have been working through my running goals for 2006 and made some headway, specifically bringing some rationality to a few ideas I had. Plus I solved some issues in my mind at work and at home.
Which made it worth it. And which is why I make myself get out each day.
Persevere.
Wow, did I not want to go out this morning. And once I got outside, I really didn't want to keep going, as the balmy temperatures for yesterday's long run gave way overnight to a chilly NW wind.
The run itself came in two parts.
The physical side stunk. The legs just were lead-filled, very clunky. The wind was no fun and it remains really, really dark here at 5:30am.
The mental side was, by contrast, quite enjoyable. I have been working through my running goals for 2006 and made some headway, specifically bringing some rationality to a few ideas I had. Plus I solved some issues in my mind at work and at home.
Which made it worth it. And which is why I make myself get out each day.
Persevere.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
49 in Late December?? Wow!
ORN: 8.2 miles, 1:20:21, 9:45/mile
Wow, what a switch, to wake up at 5am and see 49 on the thermometer! Running in the dark in shorts, with just a wind vest and a LS poly shirt.
The long run didn't feel as great as the temperature. The legs were surprisingly heavy. Perhaps due to the 16 miles on Saturday. The run just didn't flow all that well. But sometimes that happens.
What did I write last time?? One step after another??
Yeah.
Perservere.
Wow, what a switch, to wake up at 5am and see 49 on the thermometer! Running in the dark in shorts, with just a wind vest and a LS poly shirt.
The long run didn't feel as great as the temperature. The legs were surprisingly heavy. Perhaps due to the 16 miles on Saturday. The run just didn't flow all that well. But sometimes that happens.
What did I write last time?? One step after another??
Yeah.
Perservere.
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
What is Running??
ORN: 4 miles, no watch, went fine.
What is running?
At its most basic, it is simply putting one foot in front of another at a gait faster than a walk. Repetetive. Over and over.
And it gets you somewhere.
And this is helpful to remember the basics.
Work life is much the same. Do the task. Keep at it. Remember the basics. Keep the form. Keep at it.
Running helps me learn.
Persevere.
What is running?
At its most basic, it is simply putting one foot in front of another at a gait faster than a walk. Repetetive. Over and over.
And it gets you somewhere.
And this is helpful to remember the basics.
Work life is much the same. Do the task. Keep at it. Remember the basics. Keep the form. Keep at it.
Running helps me learn.
Persevere.
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Christmas Eve, 2005
Since I started my professional blog, Learning about Lean, I’ve written on family items on Christmas eve. I did so again today and paste the post here as well. It’s fascinating to look at my comments from 2002, 2003, and 2004. Things progress and grow. And some things remain the same.
We were thrilled in late July to have David return safely from his tour of duty as a medic in the Sunni Triangle in western Iraq. Words don’t really capture what we felt to have him there and the joy of his return. He, Susan, Nathan and Andrew are now together, stationed in Colorado Springs, spending their first Christmas together in three years.
Our middle son Nathan is really finding a niche in Human Resources in Portland, Oregon. Hard to believe our youngest Matt is deep into planning for college. But I guess the math works, as Gretchen and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary this year. Oh my.
I remain very grateful for my Dad, who died 12 years ago today. The values and insight I learned from him will never leave. I hope I’ve passed those same values on to my sons. I’m a very fortunate guy.
Where will 2006 go? Don’t we wonder about that every year?! To the degree that we each focus on others, apart from ourselves and seek to serve in the worlds we find ourselves, we will have opportunity.
I’m grateful for Immanuel, God with us, as we celebrate the birth of Christ tomorrow. This faith undergirds everything for me. It is an exciting and humbling journey.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
We were thrilled in late July to have David return safely from his tour of duty as a medic in the Sunni Triangle in western Iraq. Words don’t really capture what we felt to have him there and the joy of his return. He, Susan, Nathan and Andrew are now together, stationed in Colorado Springs, spending their first Christmas together in three years.
Our middle son Nathan is really finding a niche in Human Resources in Portland, Oregon. Hard to believe our youngest Matt is deep into planning for college. But I guess the math works, as Gretchen and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary this year. Oh my.
I remain very grateful for my Dad, who died 12 years ago today. The values and insight I learned from him will never leave. I hope I’ve passed those same values on to my sons. I’m a very fortunate guy.
Where will 2006 go? Don’t we wonder about that every year?! To the degree that we each focus on others, apart from ourselves and seek to serve in the worlds we find ourselves, we will have opportunity.
I’m grateful for Immanuel, God with us, as we celebrate the birth of Christ tomorrow. This faith undergirds everything for me. It is an exciting and humbling journey.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Running in Shorts on Chrismas Eve!!
ORN: 16.5 miles, 2:43:57, 9:56/mile
With a "balmy" 38 degrees when I headed out the door, I left the tights in the drawer and got back in to shorts for the first time since Thanksgiving. Boy, did that feel good.
I needed a long run today and I got it. Nothing really spectacular other than the fact that it was long and I kept going for just shy of 3 hours, when I add in the warm up and cool down. THAT is kind of cool. No twinges, no pain. Just kept going. I spaced out some sports drinks and downed 2 Gu's along the way. It felt great.
My overall pace was a little slower than the 9:50 I targeted. But, hey, why worry?? This is only the second time in 25 years I've run this far.
For reference, here's my splits:
9:33
9:38
10:12
10:03
9:47
10:10
9:51
9:32
9:57
9:58
10:14
9:44
10:20
9:51
10:12
9:57
4:53 (9:44 pace)
And did I mention I wore shorts?? Didn't see any other runners in shorts which, by itself, is kind of fun. Dialogue in cars: "Ethyl, did you see that crazy guy? Does he have shorts on? With snow on the ground?"
Note to self: 16 mile route: normal trail, with Morehead extension, one loop around Purdue's CoRec, back north, take Lindberg extension, then home. To get 18 miles, add one more pass on Morehead extension. To get 20 miles, add the Kalberer extension.
Persevere.
With a "balmy" 38 degrees when I headed out the door, I left the tights in the drawer and got back in to shorts for the first time since Thanksgiving. Boy, did that feel good.
I needed a long run today and I got it. Nothing really spectacular other than the fact that it was long and I kept going for just shy of 3 hours, when I add in the warm up and cool down. THAT is kind of cool. No twinges, no pain. Just kept going. I spaced out some sports drinks and downed 2 Gu's along the way. It felt great.
My overall pace was a little slower than the 9:50 I targeted. But, hey, why worry?? This is only the second time in 25 years I've run this far.
For reference, here's my splits:
9:33
9:38
10:12
10:03
9:47
10:10
9:51
9:32
9:57
9:58
10:14
9:44
10:20
9:51
10:12
9:57
4:53 (9:44 pace)
And did I mention I wore shorts?? Didn't see any other runners in shorts which, by itself, is kind of fun. Dialogue in cars: "Ethyl, did you see that crazy guy? Does he have shorts on? With snow on the ground?"
Note to self: 16 mile route: normal trail, with Morehead extension, one loop around Purdue's CoRec, back north, take Lindberg extension, then home. To get 18 miles, add one more pass on Morehead extension. To get 20 miles, add the Kalberer extension.
Persevere.
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