Still Down for the Count

Why is it that every time I want to start my training schedule life has intervene? I have a cold that started on Sunday, dripped into Monday, poured into Tuesday, and limped into Wednesday. What is it with a cold? It's a simple attack on the body--coughing, runny nose, maybe a sore throat--yet this one completely drained me. No fever, no rash, no loss of appetite. I don't get sick very often, but when I do I'm a wimp. My wife disagrees with me that women seem to get sick more often, but just handle it better. Maybe it's because they know how to take care of themselves. Without my wife, I'd think a couple beers and a bag of potato chips would do the trick. Instead, she introduced me to a line of pills and syrups that would probably work if my body knew what to do with them. After sucking down a small cup of syrup, I had a real buzz--my head was light, my body felt like it disappeared, and my thinking self went to sleep. I became a smiling zombie.

At this point, I'm trying to make sure I'm well enough to hoist all the heavy furniture into the new house this Saturday, much less go for a run. A few minutes ago, my reflection in the mirror showed a bedraggled soul. I really need to pull myself together. At least the poor weather's given me reason to work from home, which helps me rebound faster and keep my colleagues healthy. After watching me bury my face in tissues yesterday, I'm sure they're grateful.

Let It Snow!

I spent the entire weekend working on the house. There was no time to go running except Sunday morning, which I spent in bed like a log. Turns out I caught some kind of cold, a rarity for me. It's nothing too terrible--lots of phlegm, sore throat, stuffy nose, lethargy--the basic garden-variety cold. I think I might be able to start running later this week, definitely on Sunday, when I will make my first Round Hill run after waking up for the first time in the new house. I can't wait!

Today it snowed--maybe 8 inches. It was enough for me to justify working from home. Even a little bit of snow triples the time it takes me to get into D.C. My feeling is the time is better spent working from home doing what I get paid to do--which is not commuting. Too bad I'm feeling too crappy to run.

6 Miles

For some reason this run felt effortless. I felt like I could have run forever--except that it was on a treadmill.

Stats
Place: Treadmill
Time: 59:00
Heart Rate: 148

Missed Run

My in-laws and wife are hanging out at the house in Round Hill tonight. I want to go running (really want, and need, to go running), but I don't want to miss anything. So I will ditch my run and go to the house. I definitely feel the sacrifice this time. A run would give me some much needed energy right now. I think I may need to revise my training schedule until the move-in date (1/31) is done and passed. There is just too much going on right now. My short-term goal could be to run three times per week for 6 miles each and just leave it at that until I'm moved in. After that, I can restart the training schedule.

6 Miles

The weather was too darned cold and the ice was too darned slick. I went to the gym. I went the distance. The run felt good. Then I worked the rest of the day moving boxes.

Stats
Place: Treadmill
Time: 59:33
Heart Rate: 159

Moving Boxes, Not Running

Well, I pulled a zero today and I'm not happy about it. That places me 8 miles behind schedule. To make up for lost ground, I will run 6 miles tomorrow morning while my wife it out and 5 miles on Monday instead of the scheduled 3 miles. That works better, as I like the longer runs anyway.

Why did I pull a zero? We are moving as much of the small stuff as we can. This will leave only the large pieces for friends to help out with. Still, I overpacked a box with books and screwed up my biceps--a bad combination of cold muscles and cold weather. Oh well, at least it's not my knee. I don't know what it is about winter, but I seem to be more injury prone.

I will say, though, it's been tough fitting running into my schedule for the past month. The house is eating up a lot of time and, more importantly, energy.

Sore Throat, Wicked Cold

I woke up yesterday morning with a sore throat, probably from the company happy hour the night before. It's feeling better today, but I took last night off. I will either make up the run tonight, or run Saturday, Sunday, and Monday--taking full advantage of the three-day weekend. I should get a lot of excercise this weekend packing up our belongings and moving everything small enough to fit in boxes out to the new house.

Today's Inspiration

4.25 Miles

It was a relatively warm night for January, but the winds were very strong. I had two layers on top and tights on the bottom, but I really wished I had my hat and gloves. Otherwise, the run was very comfortable. For the next couple weeks, I want to keep a 10 minute pace to ease back into things. The great thing about this run was I never looked at my watch. When I finished and stopped the timer I was amazed that I naturally kept a 10 minute pace. I guess body followed mind this time.

Stats
Place: Leesburg
Time: 42:30
Heart Rate: 161

3 Miles

I did it! I dragged myself out of bed and went for a run--well, at least a trot. The temps were hovering about freezing (32 degrees) so I tossed on a few layers up top, put on my cold weather running tights for the first time, and went outside. I felt warm enough, but it still took a while for my body to settle into the run. Right when I felt well-adjusted, I finished my scheduled run. Oh well. It's going to be difficult to stick to the easing-in schedule that will prevent injuries. I have to remember that before long, I'll hit the longer runs--and it will be warmer!

Stats
Place: W&OD
Time: 29:50
Heart Rate: 158

Strength Training

I did more of the same excercises while watching the NFL playoff games. I tried not to overdo it as I start my new training schedule tomorrow. The routine: 2,000 crunches, push-ups, biceps, triceps. My goal it to get up early tomorrow and brave the cold temps for a change.

Strength Training

More crunches (3,050), push-ups, bicep curls, and tricep dips. So far, my body is handling everything without problem. I'm using repetition rather than heavy weights. My arms feel fine today. My abs are tired, but not sore.

Today's Humor

(Cartoon by Ben Boyd - All Rights Reserved - © September, 2000)

Strength Training

I did over 2,000 crunches last night, as well as push-ups, bicep curls, tricep dips, and calf raises. My muscles feel pretty good today, just a little sore. I think my body is adjusting to the strength training pretty quickly. Of course, working on the house doesn't hurt, either. I even worked out a sit-up routine I like by fitting in as many crunches as possible during commercial break. The interesting thing is that I wasn't able to totally exhaust my abs.

Strength Training

I guess what I did counted for strength training. While watching TV, I did some work on my abs, triceps and biceps. Last night, I worked on my chest with some push-ups. My basic strategy right now it to do as many repeats as it takes to exhaust my muscles. The next day, I'm sore but not incapacitated. I frequently do calf raises while waiting for the bus or while at home with nothing better to do. For now, I'm laying off my quads until I'm confident about my knee again. Whether this works instead of going to the gym, time will only tell. If it helps me gain strength, all is well. I'm sure I'll reach a point when using gym equipment is more efficient than several thousand crunches and hundreds of push-ups. But I'm still a ways from that ceiling.

2004 Winter/Spring Training Schedule

Here it is, my training schedule. I have it starting next week, giving myself one more week to ensure my legs are ready to begin. The schedule prepares me for a hypothetical half-marathon on 4/4/2004. I still have to pick my race, which I should probably do fairly soon, but it'll have to be no earlier than 4/4/2004.

I basically pulled my schedule from a Runner's World training plan.

Gifts

It's about time I take note of the great running gifts I received for Xmas. I'm really jazzed about all this stuff considering I mostly received house-related gifts.

Books:
Runner's Literary Companion
Marathoning for Mortals
Quotable Runner
4 Months to a 4 Hour Marathon

Gear:
Under Armour Cold Gear Running Tights (aka "compression pants")
Hind Zip-up Pullover (with Under-Armour-like material)
Orange Winter Hat (with the Runner's Retreat logo on it--a local running store par excellence in Winchester, VA)

3 Miles

I decided it was high time to test out my legs--even though my left leg was still very sore from laying the hardwood floor. But how could I resist temps in the mid-60s in JANUARY! The only stipulation I made for myself was to keep the pace slow, lest I jinks everything and hurt myself. I resolved to run no faster than a 10 minute pace.

All in all, I felt okay. My sore leg loosened up and my right knee gave me no troubles.

Stats
Place: W&OD
Time: 31:11
Heart Rate: n/a

Today's Inspiration

If
Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds worth of distance run,

Yours is the earth and everything that's in it,

And--which is more--you'll be a man, my son.

(From The Runner's Literary Companion)

"Strength Training"

Starting New Year's Eve, my father-in-law and I started laying the new hardwood floor in the foyer. By 8:30 am we were underway. At 5:30 pm we called it a day to celebrate the new year's coming in. The next morning we started at about 10:00 and wrapped up at 4:30. While working, I spent most of my time alternating between squatting, crouching, kneeling, and standing. The sum effect was very sore hamstrings, quads, groin, and inexplicably, my right calf. Definitely a great workout for the old legs. Fortunately, my knee is feeling fine--so I may be able to run once the muscles recover from the latest abuse.

Oh, and the floor looks great!