Outdoor Run In January!

Saturday, January 28, 2016:

Running:

Trails and sidewalks were almost dry and bare today, and the temperature was almost up to freezing, so I couldn't resist.  We haven't had much snow recently, and the city and (most) citizens have been doing an admirable job of clearing it.  In the few places where citizens have ignored their civic (and legal) duty to keep their sidewalk clear, I slowed to a walk and, where possible, walked around the ice that had formed.  No problem.

Today the run portion of each of the six intervals was 2.5 minutes.  I'll probably do that once more, and then step it up to 3 minutes.  This was a very enjoyable run, so much more interesting than 52 laps around the track at a YMCA or 21 laps in the soccer dome.

Two-mile splits: 28:22, 26:17, total 4 miles in 54:40, pace 13:40.  Gear: Two shirts & a wind jacket, running pants, ear cover, & gloves.  Just right.

Weight Loss:

One element of my training regimen is weight loss, with a preliminary goal of about 20 pounds.  Maybe 25.  I started at 170.8 on Monday morning Jan 16, then down to 167.0 last Wednesday Jan 25.  That was a monthly infusion day though, the infusion including 50 mg of IV prednisone, and I weighed 171 Thursday morning, a 4-pound gain.  Uff-da.  Still, I've been down a little every day since, and today I weighed 167.5.

Well, that's pretty close to 2 pounds per week, which is actually good enough.  History reminds me that I'm likely to get sick if I lose too fast, and I feel great right now.  Two pounds per week would be just fine if I keep it up.

Seven Training Sessions

Each session is about an hour, comprising six walk/run intervals of 5 to 10 minutes, with the run portion increasing by 1/2 minute every three or four sessions.

Thursday, Jan 26, 2017, Soccer Dome

Run portion 2.5 minutes
Mile splits: 13:53, 13:58, 12:33, 13:49, 5:24 (0.4 mi), total 59:36, 4.4 miles, pace 13:33.

Monday, Jan 23, YMCA M

Run portion 2.5 minutes
Mile splits: 12:49, 13:00, 13:36, 12:54, total 52:19, 4 miles, pace 13:05.  Not sure about the miles.

Friday, Jan 20, Soccer Dome

Run portion 2.0 minutes
Mile splits: 13:19, 13:44, 12:22, 13:44, 2:07 (.2 mi), total 55:16, distance 4.2, pace 13:10.

Wednesday, Jan 18, Soccer Dome

Run portion 2.0 minutes
Mile splits: 12:49, 13:04, 13:00, 13:18, 4:29 (0.37 mi), total 56:41, pace 12:58.

Sunday, Jan 15, YMCA W

Run portion 2.0 minutes
Splits: 12:35,12:37, 11:21, 11:32, 8:41, total 4 10/13 mi in 56:47

Friday, Jan 13, YMCA W

Run portion 2.0 minutes
Splits: 12:52, 12:40, 12:41, 12:06, 5:57 (½ mi), total 56:18, avg pace 12:31

Wednesday, Jan 11, Soccer Dome

Run portion 1.5 minutes
Splits: 12:52, 26:05 (2 mi), 13:24, 6:39 (½ mi), total 59:00 for about 4.5 miles, pace about 13:07.

The Whole Training Program

As it stands now.  Here Is the outline:

1. Sessions of walk/run, each session comprising 6 walk/run intervals of 5 to 10 minutes, with the run portion increasing by one half minute every three or four sessions.  I'm at 2 minutes of running per interval now.  Sessions are separated by a rest day, and by two rest days after  every three sessions. Start each session with stretches and walking.

2. Regular core exercises and stretches, three or four times per week.  So far, my therapist Katie has prescribed these exercises:
a. Single leg bridge, 30 - 50 reps, each leg.
b. Double leg bridge, 30 - 50 reps.
c. Hip abduction (clam shell) 30 - 50 reps, each side.
d. Stand on one foot for 60 seconds, other foot not touching, 2 reps, each foot.
e. Calf stretch for 60 seconds, 2 reps, each calf.

3. Regular upper-body exercises:
a. Bicep curls.
b. Tricep extension.
c. Low rows.
d. Lateral pulldown.

4. Weight loss.  I'm a 14-year Weight Watchers lifetime member, so that is the system that I will use.  It works if I stick to it.  In addition, I'm temporarily skipping my daily bottle of beer at dinner.  Started at 170.8 pounds on Monday.

The walk/run sessions are easiest for me - I love to walk and run, and have been doing those regularly since December 31.  Core exercises are not so much fun - I've done them a few times, but I'm still looking for a way to fit them comfortably into my life.

I don't think that Katie cares as much about the upper-body exercises - she may have listed those because I raised the subject, and I haven't started them yet.  I have purchased materials for a chinning bar, yet to be installed.

Katie hasn't said one word about weight loss, nor have I, but I was 20 pounds lighter when I did my best running, and that much loss might help my speed considerably and reduce the chance of injury.  Furthermore, running is only one of several excellent reasons to remove my front bumper.

Off and running!

Meet of the Miles

Monday, January 9, 2017:

This is a delightful 1-mile race on the 200-meter indoor track at the University of Minnesota Field House.  It attracts lots of college-age young people and quite a few oldsters as well.  It's also the first of the 13 races of the season-long Minnesota Grand Prix running competition.  I have done this race many times, and enjoy the atmosphere in the Field House, with runners who can do a mile in 4:20 or faster, and others of us who need almost three times as much time.  All are welcome.

Personally, I find the mile distance to be the most intense of any of the races I have ever run.  Nothing makes me (and others) breathe harder than running almost all-out for 8 minutes or so.  For that reason, in fact, and because the air is very dry in the Field House in January, the organizer of this race brings big bags of Halls cough drops.

This time, though, I didn't race.  I incorporated the 1-mile distance into my training program, and ran the first of the 8 laps, walked about three, ran another, walked again, and finished with a third running lap.  It's a poor way to win a race, but it fit the training schedule pretty well.  Time 10:58.  No pains, no problems.

Before the race I did my training regimen for a while, including three of the running portions, so the total was six, just as prescribed by the program.

Third Training Run

On the new training program.

I was at Mayo clinic for a day this week, then felt sick for a couple of days, so this is the first run since Monday.  No connection implied between the Mayo and the illness - doubtless just a coincidence.  In fact, the news at Mayo was good - the myeloma is still stable at a level that doesn't seem to be hurting me.

I still wasn't entirely up to par today, though, so I couldn't walk quite as fast as I had in some recent runs.  Nevertheless it was a good session.  For five intervals I walked 9 minutes, then ran 1, and for the final interval walked 3.5 minutes and ran 1.5, with a couple more walking laps to reach 4.5 miles.  No problems.  The next three or four sessions will employ runs of 1.5 minutes.

The very next session is a 1-mile race, which will be incorporated into the training regimen.  This will be fun.

Mile splits: 12:54, 12:49, 13:02, 12:51, 6:16 (½ mi), total 57:53 for 4.5 mi, overall pace 12:53.

First Two Training Runs

Monday, January 2, 2017:

As if I haven’t already run thousands of mile in training!  But this is a new deal.  I’ve accepted my therapist’s advice on training for more speed, and I’m doing it by the book.  So far so good.

Today I walked fast for 9 minutes and ran 1 minute, repeating that for five intervals, then ran 4 minutes and walked 1 for the sixth interval.  With a couple of extra walking laps at the end, that took me to 4 ½ miles in about 57 minutes.  The pace works out to 12:44, but I think the advertised 13 laps per mile for the YMCA track is at least a half lap short of a real mile, so I wasn't going quite 12:44.

Whatever, this was a more-energetic training run than usual, though I think that my breathing and heart rate stayed below the aerobic threshold (burning mostly fat, not much glucose) for the time.

No pains, no strains.  Now according to the therapist's rules I can't do another training run for two days.  That's OK - maybe tomorrow is my day to figure out the resistance part of the new regimen.

When I do run again, I'll do this same sequence of intervals.  After that third sequence, I'll increase the running portion of the intervals to 1.5 minutes, reducing the walking portion accordingly.

Splits: 12:54, 12:50, 12:50, 12:29, 6:14 (½ mi), total 57:17 for 4.5 mi, pace 12:44.

Saturday, December 31, 2016:

First Real Training Run.   The plan today was to walk at least 4 minutes, then run one minute, repeating that sequence six times.  I chose to walk 9 minutes and run 1, finishing the last interval with 4 minutes and 1 minute.  Total 4 ½ miles in 57:44, for a pace of 12:50.

No pains.

Splits: 12:47, 12:58, 12:59, 12:34, 6:26 (½ mi)