Well sports fans, my next race is only a short time away, and I'm not in any better shape than when I ran the last one.
My Lake of the Woods 5k is this Saturday. Great. I'm really excited about it. I can hardly wait. I don't think there are many runners signed up, so there is a really good chance that I really WILL finish last (and I'm not just talking last in my age group.)
So what are my excuses? If I listed all of them the list would be pages long, so I'll just jot down a few. 1) WIND. I HATE RUNNING IN THE WIND!!!! 2) WIND and Snow. We're now in June, but we had a week in May with 20 mph WIND and snow. 3) WIND and Rain. Since we came back from the baseball tournament in Reno in March, we've only had a handful of days when it wasn't snowing and/or raining with WIND. I enjoy running in the rain, but not when it's raining sideways because of the WIND! 4) WIND! WIND!! WIND!!! I'm tired of it.
Basically what it comes down to, is that I'm still in really lousy shape, still way overweight, and running isn't fun when you're in my condition. I love running when I feel good and I'm in shape, but when I'm out of shape and I know it's not going to be pleasant going for a run, it's hard to get off the couch and fight the weather.
This weekend I'm going to pay for it...just like my Pear Blossom 5k fiasco. Except THIS time I won't be able to hide among the other runners. I'll be so far behind the rest of the pack that I'll get the "courtesy clap" for actually finishing.
I'll post again when (if) I finish.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Weather
The weather in Klamath has been really nasty since October, and I've gotten really tired of it. To give you an idea of what it's like, none of the trees in our yard have leaves on them yet. Normally by May 21st all of them are green, but Mother Nature has decided that we'll go from winter to summer without any spring in between, and I think she's confused about when summer is supposed to start. I watched the weather report last night, and we're supposed to have snow showers today and tomorrow. The wind has been blowing on a continual basis, also, which tends to discourage my running desires.
There was a parents' meeting for football last night, and I wound up talking to one of the coaches' wives who ran in the Eugene Marathon. Because of talking to her, my motivation to run picked up a little, so I headed out to the OC&E Trail when the meeting was done to try to get some miles in.
My running has been very erratic, to say the least. I managed to get 13 miles in last week (with a total of 3 runs), and my pace is very slow. As I mentioned earlier the wind has been brutal, and I really don't like running in the wind, so it's been tough to get off my lazy backside to run. Monday I went 4 miles, Tuesday we had 20-25 mph winds with rain so I didn't go, Wednesday we had more wind, more rain, and a baseball game so I didn't go, and I managed to get in 2 1/2 last night. Pretty weak training schedule, isn't it!
It's not possible to get in shape doing those kind of runs, so my goal in the Lake of the Woods Run 5 k is going to be the same as the lofty goal I had in the Pear Blossom 5k....finish in front of the last place runner. This time will be harder, because there are no where near the number of runners.
It's two weeks from tomorrow, and with weather forecasts predicting another week of wind, rain, and snow, the only thing that might save me is if the Henley baseball team makes it to the state championship so I don't have to run the race.
Go Hornets!
There was a parents' meeting for football last night, and I wound up talking to one of the coaches' wives who ran in the Eugene Marathon. Because of talking to her, my motivation to run picked up a little, so I headed out to the OC&E Trail when the meeting was done to try to get some miles in.
My running has been very erratic, to say the least. I managed to get 13 miles in last week (with a total of 3 runs), and my pace is very slow. As I mentioned earlier the wind has been brutal, and I really don't like running in the wind, so it's been tough to get off my lazy backside to run. Monday I went 4 miles, Tuesday we had 20-25 mph winds with rain so I didn't go, Wednesday we had more wind, more rain, and a baseball game so I didn't go, and I managed to get in 2 1/2 last night. Pretty weak training schedule, isn't it!
It's not possible to get in shape doing those kind of runs, so my goal in the Lake of the Woods Run 5 k is going to be the same as the lofty goal I had in the Pear Blossom 5k....finish in front of the last place runner. This time will be harder, because there are no where near the number of runners.
It's two weeks from tomorrow, and with weather forecasts predicting another week of wind, rain, and snow, the only thing that might save me is if the Henley baseball team makes it to the state championship so I don't have to run the race.
Go Hornets!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Good Week
The weather yesterday was absolutely wonderful, so when I got home from work I strapped on my bright blue Nikes and went for a run. It was about 72, 5 mph winds, and blue skies. Other than the fact that it was a little bit warmer than what I really like (65 is about right for a good run), I couldn't have asked for a better day. There weren't any people on the OC&E Trail, which made it even better. What a great day!
The run, on the other hand, wasn't so good. I'd decided that I was going to go a full 5 miles, even though I had doubts about my ability to make it that far. I did an out and back, and went 5 miles, but it definitely wasn't pretty. I walked a couple of times (when I walk I add the distance I walk to the end of the run, so I did run a full 5 mles), and stopped for water at my pickup with 1 mile to go. Like I said it wasn't pretty, but 5 miles is better than what I've been doing, so there's hope! So far I've run 13 miles this week, and I plan on going for a fairly short (2 1/2) mile run this afternoon.
If I can figure out how to do it I'll put a mileage tracker on my blog so I don't have to keep track manually. If you're reading this (Laurie) and I don't have one feel free to comment on how to do it.
The Lake of the Woods 5 k is 3 weeks from today. Hopefully I'll be able to stay healthy and increase my miles/pace so I do better than my last race.
The run, on the other hand, wasn't so good. I'd decided that I was going to go a full 5 miles, even though I had doubts about my ability to make it that far. I did an out and back, and went 5 miles, but it definitely wasn't pretty. I walked a couple of times (when I walk I add the distance I walk to the end of the run, so I did run a full 5 mles), and stopped for water at my pickup with 1 mile to go. Like I said it wasn't pretty, but 5 miles is better than what I've been doing, so there's hope! So far I've run 13 miles this week, and I plan on going for a fairly short (2 1/2) mile run this afternoon.
If I can figure out how to do it I'll put a mileage tracker on my blog so I don't have to keep track manually. If you're reading this (Laurie) and I don't have one feel free to comment on how to do it.
The Lake of the Woods 5 k is 3 weeks from today. Hopefully I'll be able to stay healthy and increase my miles/pace so I do better than my last race.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Old Man Shuffle
It's been quite a while since I last posted...in fact, a little more than a month. What a slacker!
The Pear Blossom 5k gave me motivation to try to get in better shape. I'd forgotten how much fun races are, but as I mentioned a month ago my time was worse than atrocious, and I really do think that I could have walked almost as fast as I ran.
The week after the Pear Blossom I did 3 1/2 mile runs on two consecutive days, and then managed to strain my left calf. Rather than try to run through the pain, as soon as I felt the first twinge of pain I started walking, and was able to keep the injury fairly minimal. Since then I've gotten in 6 or 7 runs, and have gone on two 4 milers this week. My time is still really slow, but at least I'm getting some miles in.
This morning on the way to work I passed a guy that reminded me of something Tom posted in one of his blogs...the "Old Man Shuffle." For those of you who don't know what it is, it's when an old codger (like me) goes for a "run." They act like they're running, but their strides are usually really short, and they don't go much faster than a crawl. They don't pick up their feet - they just kind of slide them along the ground. They pump their arms, and bounce up and down, but their forward progress is pretty slow. I saw an old guy (older than me) on the OC&E Trail a couple of weeks ago, and his strides were short enough that his tracks were overlapping. I asked him how far he was going, and he told me "this run is pretty short. I'll get in about 8 miles today." I know from watching him before I passed him that he literally COULD walk faster than his running pace.
Every time I go for a run I think of Tom's post. I really hope that I'm not to the stage where I'm doing the "Old Man Shuffle."
The Pear Blossom 5k gave me motivation to try to get in better shape. I'd forgotten how much fun races are, but as I mentioned a month ago my time was worse than atrocious, and I really do think that I could have walked almost as fast as I ran.
The week after the Pear Blossom I did 3 1/2 mile runs on two consecutive days, and then managed to strain my left calf. Rather than try to run through the pain, as soon as I felt the first twinge of pain I started walking, and was able to keep the injury fairly minimal. Since then I've gotten in 6 or 7 runs, and have gone on two 4 milers this week. My time is still really slow, but at least I'm getting some miles in.
This morning on the way to work I passed a guy that reminded me of something Tom posted in one of his blogs...the "Old Man Shuffle." For those of you who don't know what it is, it's when an old codger (like me) goes for a "run." They act like they're running, but their strides are usually really short, and they don't go much faster than a crawl. They don't pick up their feet - they just kind of slide them along the ground. They pump their arms, and bounce up and down, but their forward progress is pretty slow. I saw an old guy (older than me) on the OC&E Trail a couple of weeks ago, and his strides were short enough that his tracks were overlapping. I asked him how far he was going, and he told me "this run is pretty short. I'll get in about 8 miles today." I know from watching him before I passed him that he literally COULD walk faster than his running pace.
Every time I go for a run I think of Tom's post. I really hope that I'm not to the stage where I'm doing the "Old Man Shuffle."
Monday, April 12, 2010
Survived!!!
The Pear Blossom 5k was really ugly, but I managed to finish relatively unscathed. My time was atrocious, but I wasn't trying to run it fast. I just wanted to get a race under my belt (and beat my co-workers). That part was a success. The weather was a little bit chilly - 36 degrees when we started - and I overdressed. I wore a pair of warm ups when I ran, and about 1/2 mile in wished that I'd just worn shorts. Oh well. It was fun anyway.
On another note, I've taken Tom's advice on signing up for another race so I stay motivated. I've signed up for the 6.7 mile run at the Crater Lake Rim Run on August 14th. I've been told that it's a brutal run, but it's far enough out that I think I can get ready for it. The biggest issue is that it starts at around 7600 feet, so lack of oxygen is a definite factor. I've already mapped out a couple of training runs that are at 6500 feet, so if I can put some miles in at that elevation it might not be quite so brutal.
I'll try to stay updated on here with my progress.
On another note, I've taken Tom's advice on signing up for another race so I stay motivated. I've signed up for the 6.7 mile run at the Crater Lake Rim Run on August 14th. I've been told that it's a brutal run, but it's far enough out that I think I can get ready for it. The biggest issue is that it starts at around 7600 feet, so lack of oxygen is a definite factor. I've already mapped out a couple of training runs that are at 6500 feet, so if I can put some miles in at that elevation it might not be quite so brutal.
I'll try to stay updated on here with my progress.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Will
Since the Pear Blossom Run is the day after tomorrow, I decided that I should do a quick post in case any of my family (in addition to Tom, who responded to my LAST post) happen to take a look at it.
This post is in reference to Tom's comment, in which he was concerned that I might not have my Last Will and Testament put together properly. Well Tom, even though I'm worth a lot more dead than alive, I don't have a will. Sorry!
Obviously he is concerned that I might have to be scraped up off the side of the road Saturday...a concern that is definitely legitimate. I've thought about it several times over the last couple of weeks. There are several opportunities for that to happen during the race. I could have a stroke, heart attack, collapse because my lungs don't work, or accidently start the race in front of someone and get trampled when they go by me. All of them are possibilities, but the last is the most likely. I don't know how they start runners, but there are 1182 people signed up for the 5 k and ALL of them have faster times than I do. If they start us according to the date we signed up I could have a couple hundred rabid runners laying down tracks on my back. Not a pleasant thought.
On a more positive note, my daughter Laurie let me know that my new Nikes showed up yesterday. I'm sure that when I start wearing them I'll be able to run twice as fast...or maybe I should say half as slow! I'm looking forward to getting them, even though I don't REALLY think my time will improve as a result.
Less than 48 hours until my 5k will be over. I'm looking at two more races to sign up for so I can have something to motivate me to run.
This post is in reference to Tom's comment, in which he was concerned that I might not have my Last Will and Testament put together properly. Well Tom, even though I'm worth a lot more dead than alive, I don't have a will. Sorry!
Obviously he is concerned that I might have to be scraped up off the side of the road Saturday...a concern that is definitely legitimate. I've thought about it several times over the last couple of weeks. There are several opportunities for that to happen during the race. I could have a stroke, heart attack, collapse because my lungs don't work, or accidently start the race in front of someone and get trampled when they go by me. All of them are possibilities, but the last is the most likely. I don't know how they start runners, but there are 1182 people signed up for the 5 k and ALL of them have faster times than I do. If they start us according to the date we signed up I could have a couple hundred rabid runners laying down tracks on my back. Not a pleasant thought.
On a more positive note, my daughter Laurie let me know that my new Nikes showed up yesterday. I'm sure that when I start wearing them I'll be able to run twice as fast...or maybe I should say half as slow! I'm looking forward to getting them, even though I don't REALLY think my time will improve as a result.
Less than 48 hours until my 5k will be over. I'm looking at two more races to sign up for so I can have something to motivate me to run.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
D Day
Saturday is the Pear Blossom Run. I'm not even close to being able to run it, even though it's only a 5k. My goal is to not finish last, and I'm not sure that that's possible. I'm pretty sure that there are a lot of people who WALK faster than I run. This could be really ugly. I'm hoping that I can finish the course in the allotted time (I think I have about 55 minutes...if I can't make that it's time to take up knitting!), and finish somewhere in the top 1141 entrants (there are 1142 signed up for the 5k).
I have been running, but because of nasty weather, baseball games, fallen trees, and a few other acceptable excuses my workouts haven't been consistent. We've had really nasty weather for about a week and a half, and it's not easy to get motivated when you have 30 mph winds blowing snow into your face. The winds were strong enough that they managed to blow my neighbor's 50 foot spruce down on our wooden storage shed, so I had to spend a good portion of last week dealing with that. Wielding a chain saw is a workout, but probably won't help much to keep me from getting lapped in Saturday's race.
I've been managing to run 3 to 4 days per week, but my mileage is still pretty low. I think the longest run I've managed to get in is about 3 1/2, and it wasn't pretty. Because of the winds I've been having Janet drive me upwind from my ending point, so the entire run is with the wind at my back. It's kind of cheating, but at least I've gotten some miles in.
Regardless of my training, I'm committed. Two days until D Day.
I have been running, but because of nasty weather, baseball games, fallen trees, and a few other acceptable excuses my workouts haven't been consistent. We've had really nasty weather for about a week and a half, and it's not easy to get motivated when you have 30 mph winds blowing snow into your face. The winds were strong enough that they managed to blow my neighbor's 50 foot spruce down on our wooden storage shed, so I had to spend a good portion of last week dealing with that. Wielding a chain saw is a workout, but probably won't help much to keep me from getting lapped in Saturday's race.
I've been managing to run 3 to 4 days per week, but my mileage is still pretty low. I think the longest run I've managed to get in is about 3 1/2, and it wasn't pretty. Because of the winds I've been having Janet drive me upwind from my ending point, so the entire run is with the wind at my back. It's kind of cheating, but at least I've gotten some miles in.
Regardless of my training, I'm committed. Two days until D Day.
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