tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12991331803417668852024-03-07T08:05:37.045-06:00Make It a MasterpieceDon's Daily Running LogDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03923592545983795350noreply@blogger.comBlogger1191125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299133180341766885.post-66522515910397329722019-12-24T12:26:00.000-06:002019-12-24T12:34:51.275-06:00Just a Little FasterYesterday we visited our favorite indoor track, where I walked three miles as fast as I could, no running. I forgot to bring my watch, so I don't know how fast that was. No significant pain in my left knee.<br />
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Today I did bring my watch, and logged the best times for three miles in recent history, 14:33, 14:17, 14:09, total 42:59. I'm plenty happy with the times, especially with the increase in speed as the miles went by. Again no significant knee pain. It's a good head start on 2020.<br />
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Don't you like that year - 2020? 2019 always seemed awkward, but twenty twenty just sort of trips off the tongue, or the keyboard.<br />
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Have a wonderful Christmas season and a safe and happy 2020.<br />
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DonDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03923592545983795350noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299133180341766885.post-57479563461701576622019-12-20T13:43:00.001-06:002019-12-20T13:43:26.402-06:00Mostly WalkingI have a new item on my bucket list - I'd like to run/walk the <a href="https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/26-mile-info/" target="_blank">Moose Mountain Marathon</a> near Lutsen, MN, for my 101st marathon. When people ask about my favorite marathon I say there are three: (1) The New York City Marathon (millions of cheering spectators); (2) the Avenue of the Giants Marathon (no spectators but the silent and stunning redwoods); and (3) the Moose Mountain Marathon, with its incredible array of north woods forests, hills, and vistas. I grew up near there and the Superior Hiking Trail engages my heart.<br />
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I've done the Moose Mountain Marathon twice, but others have discovered it now and it's so popular that registration has become a lottery. According to the web site, "the number of applications for the [marathon] has grown exponentially each year," so I'm not at all certain of being selected. One can only hope. I don't have a fallback plan.<br />
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After finishing 100 marathons in 2016 I switched to sprints, running in the State and National Senior Games at distances from 200m to 1500m. That was fun, I love to let it all out on the track, but it may have been a mistake because I injured the meniscus in my left knee during training. Now I believe that I will need some sort of surgery to be able to run very far again, and I'm not anxious for surgery. But I can still walk, pretty fast too, and I think that I can walk 26 miles. I'll find that out as I build the training for a marathon.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mall of America Indoor Theme Park</td></tr>
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For right now we three are running and walking at indoor tracks and walking at local stores and malls. We do something almost every day. Yesterday we visited the Mall of America for a couple of hours, exploring the complete loop on each of the three levels. We did a little shopping, too, it being Christmas season and all, but we certainly traversed enough distance to make the walking worthwhile.<br />
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The day before that we went to our favorite indoor track, where I go just as fast as I can walk. 9 laps make a mile, according to the signs, and I think that's pretty close, so the miles are easy to measure. My times for 3 miles were 14:56, 14:42, and 14:12. I got faster as the miles rolled by, and I like that. This was the fastest three miles I've done on that track so far this winter - next I'll probably extend the distance while trying to maintain the speed.<br />
<br />Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03923592545983795350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299133180341766885.post-23758125489341349832019-07-31T12:52:00.003-05:002019-08-06T19:39:53.305-05:00St Croix Crossing 5K<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12.87px;">We three all ran in the St Croix Crossing 5k in Stillwater, MN, last Saturday. No big hurry - I'm still nursing a bum left knee, so I just kept up with Ardis and Sarah, mostly walking. I did coast out ahead in the last mile, finishing in 50:12, nothing to brag about but the knee felt good all the way. I'm still running and still happy.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the St Croix Crossing Bridge at Bayport, MN</td></tr>
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Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03923592545983795350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299133180341766885.post-42335500938703069382018-04-16T21:06:00.000-05:002018-04-16T21:12:00.401-05:00Running AgainAnother run at the local high school indoor track. We have been running there all winter, not using either of the YMCA tracks that are 15 miles away, since this one is just a mile. I like the air in here, and I like everything else about it, including the atmosphere, students and teachers mixing with us ordinary citizens. Best of all, it’s free with Silver Sneakers.<br />
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I caught a nasty cold about six weeks ago and didn’t run much for several weeks, but we’ve gone to this track almost very day this month and I’m coming back from that time off. Today I went three miles, running three laps of the first mile, all of the second mile, and three laps of the third. The middle mile took 9:25 and I was speeding up in the last laps, so I could have gone faster. Best finish since the USATF race on March 4. I might be getting back to the running strength that I had before that last cold.<br />
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The goal remains the National Senior Games in Albuquerque, in 2019. My preference is to run the 200m dash, but I was injured doing that, and the injured right hamstring tendon just doesn’t seem to heal. Now I have another appointment with the sports doctor, after 9 months, to find out if there is any remedy available besides physical therapy, which just hasn’t worked.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Springtime in Minnesota<br />
The Ides of April Blizzard</td></tr>
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In the meantime, or if there is no remedy, I can still run the mile. It’s only about 2/3 as fast (8 times as far) and because of that it doesn’t seem to re-injure me. I run at least a mile every other day, mostly walking on the alternate days, and that doesn’t hurt. I don’t actually LIKE the 1-mile race - it seems very intense. But it’s over in 9 minutes, hopefully less. I can qualify for the Senior Games 1500 meter distance if I can run a mile in 8:20, and I came pretty close at the USATF race.<br />
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When we are able to run outdoors, I will increase the distance on some days. In fact there is a popular 10k next weekend, no better way to train than to race. If the streets are open.<br />
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Splits: 13:16, 9:25, 12:53, total 35:33 plus a couple of extra laps that I didn’t time.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03923592545983795350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299133180341766885.post-75741351964239289502018-02-17T20:39:00.000-06:002018-02-17T20:39:53.835-06:00Faster Mile<div style="text-align: justify;">
A couple of weeks ago I had a good one-mile run at the track, felt fine, but the next day had a serious case of bursitis in the right hip. I couldn’t do much more than walk for most of the next week, but it’s fully recovered now. That mile was 10:27, and I ran another four laps before walking. 54 right turns, maybe the cause of the bursitis.</div>
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Last Wednesday, Feb 14 (Valentines Day), I decided to run a bit faster. The track is 9 laps per mile (or so they say), rectangular, around and above four basketball courts. The long sides are maybe twice as long as the short sides, and the corners are pretty sharp and not at all banked. The best way for me to run faster but limit the risk of injury is to speed up on the long sides and maybe a little on the short sides, but slow down for the corners. I did finish in 9:20, which was just fine for Valentines Day, the fastest mile I’ve done on this track. (The track opened last October).</div>
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Today I didn’t feel especially strong, but I followed that same procedure, though not pushing too hard, and was a little surprised to finish the first lap in about 61 seconds. Note: 60 seconds per lap is a 9-minute mile. As usual, during the first few laps I tried to think of some excuse to stop and walk, but nothing hurt and I didn’t need to go to the bathroom, so I had to keep going. It gets easier when I’m more than half done and can start counting the laps down instead of up. When there are only three left I look forward to the last two. In the next-to-last lap I see if I can pick up the pace just a little, and that lap seems to go by fairly quickly, and then I feel that I can push to the limit in the last lap, because there is nothing to conserve any more. That’s actually kind of fun.</div>
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I must have moved faster in those last two laps because I know that I was slightly behind the 60-second pace somewhere in the middle, but finished the whole mile in 8:57. That’s another new record for me on this track. I really want to run the 200m event, not the 1500, but that is how I got injured. Since I don’t know how to heal the injury, I might as well train for longer instead of faster. A mile is actually 1609 meters, so it’s a good distance for training to run the 1500m track event.</div>
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Just a very slight complaint from my right hamstring injury after today’s run. Bend over once to stretch it a little, and it goes away. I’m not sure how to deal with that, actually, but my instinct is to go ahead and bend over, stretch it just that little, so that it will heal correctly.</div>
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Mile splits: 13:10, 8:57, ... I failed to record the time of the third mile. Oh well.</div>
Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03923592545983795350noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299133180341766885.post-65642610793881686202018-01-27T21:13:00.000-06:002018-01-27T21:33:22.695-06:00Mile and a Half<div style="text-align: justify;">
The first lap running on the rectangular track feels very nice, but then somewhere around two laps I’m asking myself “Do I really have to run all nine laps of this mile?" At three it’s getting better, and I’m thinking “good, I’m one third done." At 4 ½ laps it’s “hey, half done.” Then the laps click off more easily and I’m counting them down rather than up, just over a minute apiece. Four laps left, three, two, and I’m wondering if I can just keep going after the ninth lap.</div>
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Golly gee, I feel OK at nine laps and keep right on going. Now looking for excuses to stop short of two miles. Do I need to go to the bathroom? Nope - no excuse there. How about pains - does anything hurt? No such luck, still no excuse. Am I at risk of hurting myself? Probably not, but maybe I should only do a mile and a half today just to be safe, and try two miles in a few days. </div>
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So I stopped running at a mile and four laps, walking the remaining five laps to finish off the mile. Good run, no pains.</div>
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These days I’m walking and running most days that I can. Sunshine and I have been busy with eye surgeries, which are incompatible with running for at least a week afterward, and we have had our share of colds, so I’ve only gotten to the track 14 days so far this month. On the advice of my therapist I don’t run two days in a row, but walking is OK and I walk pretty fast.</div>
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I’m still nursing the hamstring tendon injury that first appeared last May, but running the mile doesn’t hurt, at least not at the speed I’m doing now. The plan is to increase distance and speed very gradually, paying close attention to that injury, and travel to several states’ Senior Games track meets over this year, hoping to qualify for the National Senior Games in Albuquerque in 2019. I can already run the 1500m (just short of a mile), and will get faster at that distance. I hope also to be able to run shorter (thus faster) distances, starting with the 800m, and maybe (hopefully) even the 200m, my favorite distance. We’ll see - the key is to avoid re-injury. </div>
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Meanwhile, the myeloma is under control right now and life is very sweet.</div>
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Mile splits: 11:57 (walk/run), 10:27 (run), 12:57 (walk/run), 35:21 total.</div>
Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03923592545983795350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299133180341766885.post-31684495986336399832017-12-05T11:40:00.000-06:002017-12-05T11:56:05.369-06:00One Last Run Before WInterWell, technically it's already winter season in Minnesota I guess, but you wouldn't have thought so last Saturday. 45 degrees, no wind, brilliant sun.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks greener in the summer :-)</td></tr>
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On December 2 in the Twin Cities the average high temperature is 30 degrees, and in some years there is a foot of snow on the ground. Not last Saturday! The girls and I went to our beloved county park to run on the hilly grass and dirt trails, through meadows and deep woods.<br />
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I had a wonderful run, 6.24 miles in an hour and 22 minutes, for an average pace of about 13:28, running and walking. This weekend may have been the last chance to run in the park until spring, and plenty of other people were out there enjoying it too. I did aggravate the hamstring injury, sorry to say, but I had such a great time.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiOG7SHQXW0KmSCXxvs93zLy9Fm2Gq8Oo4i6yER7iffH6V2MjWnxNjOcwTFZeROfLdmtEpXB6gVE8cEnOAMRj_Ts54wwN3_bih7RwV1w8b94ZRpVQ66ykh56zBwG2gOO9jAdurx2kz-BZ/s1600/Don-2017-12-04-09h27m25s340.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiOG7SHQXW0KmSCXxvs93zLy9Fm2Gq8Oo4i6yER7iffH6V2MjWnxNjOcwTFZeROfLdmtEpXB6gVE8cEnOAMRj_Ts54wwN3_bih7RwV1w8b94ZRpVQ66ykh56zBwG2gOO9jAdurx2kz-BZ/s200/Don-2017-12-04-09h27m25s340.png" width="200" /></a><br />
I took the selfie on a ridge that overlooks a huge native-plant meadow in the park, a favorite place to take a breather and enjoy the view for a moment. Sweet Pea took the second photo as I ran through the woods.<br />
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Today, Tuesday, the temperature is 17 degrees and the roads are icy. The drive from home to Mayo Clinic, usually about 100 minutes, took an extra hour. Alas, winter did get here.</div>
Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03923592545983795350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299133180341766885.post-35108394024463063392017-11-22T21:03:00.000-06:002017-11-22T21:03:04.468-06:00Not Blogging but Still RunningLast June I competed in a USATF track meet. Apparently I pushed too hard, and pulled the right “proximal hamstring tendon.” I have seen my sports doctor at least twice and an excellent therapist many times, and mostly have followed their advice, but the injury persists. In fact the radiologist examining a PET scan in September found no significant myeloma lesions, but did report the hamstring injury as an “incidental finding.” <br />
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For now I’m walking and jogging, several times per week, trying not to cause pain in that injury. I had hoped that it would go away within a few weeks, as muscle injuries do, but it’s a tendon injury and it’s taking a LOT longer. I have no choice but to cool it until the injury is fully healed, and then to ramp up more carefully than I did in June.<br />
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We have a new place to do that. The local high school has recently opened a brand-new indoor walking/running track, priced quite reasonably. Nine laps per mile (very nice track!). We three have been there several times now, and lately I have been walking one lap and jogging the next, for a total of three miles, 27 laps. Next I could increase the distance to 4 or 5 miles, or increase the jogging to two laps, then three, until I can jog the whole three miles. Maybe I’ll do some of both. No hurry. We plan to be there several times a week, more as winter sends us indoors. <br />
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According to my therapist I should not run two days in a row, but I can walk all I want. In fact, we do walk from home to the co-op grocery and back every week, a hilly trek of six to ten miles, depending on the chosen route. We really enjoy those hikes, climbing back up the hills with groceries in our backpacks. We did one last Monday. It may have been our last for this year because we won’t walk those hills when the trails become icy, but I hope that we get a few more.<br />
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Today’s indoor track mile splits: 12:34, 11:58, 12:20, total 36:52, pace 12:17.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03923592545983795350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299133180341766885.post-70769475380412058062017-08-30T19:48:00.000-05:002017-08-30T20:06:01.580-05:00If It Hurts, Stop Doing It!That's pretty much the bottom line from my sports doctor today. For more than two months I've been dealing with an injury of the right proximal hamstring conjoined tendon, at the point of attachment to the ischial tuberosity (i.e. where the hamstrings connect to the butt bones). <br />
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It seemed to be getting better and I had been running a little faster, without pain, taking 200m sprints at up to maybe 70-80% effort. Then suddenly about two weeks ago some part of the tendon connection failed during a sprint like that. Big ouch. Since then I haven't been able to run without pain at any speed, even though walking is pain-free. Instead, my girls and I have walked almost every day, about 25-30 miles per week.<br />
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I have not been able to find the injury by poking around in the area with my fingers, so my therapist (Katie) and I thought maybe it was the sciatic nerve, rather than the hamstring tendon. However, the doc said that the sudden mid-stride reinjury was not typical of an irritated nerve. More important, he did an ultrasound which seemed to show a dark region where the tendon should have been connected to the pelvis.<br />
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In the doctor's written report: "Diagnostic ultrasound imaging reveals a partial tear of the right hamstring conjoined tendon at the ischial tuberosity. Don should avoid sprinting for the fall months as I think this would put too much stress on the conjoint tendon. He is cleared for continued walking and jogging, as long as there is no significant increase in pain." <br />
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Since the normal condition is no pain at all, I understood this to mean that if it hurts I should stop, period. I plan to walk nearly every day, and test every time to see if it hurts if I jog. When it doesn't, perhaps I'll start doing a walk/run every day.<br />
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We three have a race next Monday, Labor day, called the MDRA Victory 10k, named after the neighborhood in which the race is run and after the beautiful Victory Memorial Parkway in Minneapolis. We have done this race many times, and it's a very nice, flat, out-and-back route. Further, it's one of the 13 Grand Prix events. I don't know how much of it I can run, if any, but I'm pretty sure that I can finish in the 90-minute time limit even if I have to walk the whole way.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03923592545983795350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299133180341766885.post-5528268982195642562017-08-11T08:38:00.000-05:002017-08-11T08:38:02.635-05:00Uh Oh Achilles<b>Thursday, August 10, 2017:</b><br />
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I ran with some of the SCV Runners today at the Middle School track. That’s fun - we run together or individually or whatever feels good. I ran an easy warmup mile with other people, then started on my own regimen of sprints, eventually doing 200m in 49 seconds, maybe 80% of full effort and the fastest 200m since Katie gave me the green light to ramp up the speed a little.<br />
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Unfortunately, though, I started right out with some tightness and a little pain in my left Achilles tendon. I stopped between sprints to try to massage it out, and again to stretch it out, to no avail. No problem with the right hamstring tendon today, though I doubt that issue is gone completely. But at the end I was going to do one more 400m lap, and quit instead because of pain. The Achilles tendon is nothing to mess with.<br />
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Watch: 1:59 (400m), 0:54, 0:53, 0:58, 0:51, 0:49, all 200m except the first.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03923592545983795350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299133180341766885.post-29614734892890828362017-08-09T21:11:00.000-05:002017-08-10T09:21:32.454-05:00Long Time No BlogI do keep the log, just haven't taken the time to put it on the internet. Still running!<br />
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<b>Monday, August 7, 2017:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Wayne and I are fairly well matched right now. He has been doing less running than I, but he’s younger and he’ll be faster than me if he keeps at it. At the middle school track today we warmed up for a couple of laps and then ran 200m sprints together, for a couple of miles total. Run 200m, then walk the next 200m, making it a full lap, and repeat for a total of 7 sprints. Then I ran one full 400m lap.<br />
<br />
I could still feel the pulled hamstring tendon, if that’s what it is, but not too painfully. I ran about 50 - 60% of maximum effort, as advised by Katie, my therapist. I’m sure that the injury will be more painful as I try to increase the level of effort toward 100%<br />
<br />
The pulled hamstring tendon has been an issue now since June 9. About two months. That’s too long, and I’m less and less convinced that we have really figured out what the problem is. Sometimes it feels like it’s a very small injury, painful enough, but not large enough to be the hamstring tendon. Further, the pain sometimes radiates down the hamstring when I sit for too long, as in a car ride. In addition, I’m not able to palpate the injury - can’t find it with my fingers. <br />
<br />
Time for another talk with the Doc.<br />
<br />
Watch, 200m sprints: 1:03, 1:02, 1:01, 0:55, 0:54, 0:55, 0:55, 1:53 (400m)<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday, Aug 5:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Saint Croix Valley Runners. Wayne and I ran 4 miles, walking only a little. I think we went about 10 min/mi. A nice time.<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday, Aug 3:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Middle School track. With rain threatening, Rod and I were the only ones to show up. We got in a warmup run and then I did six 200m runs at about 70% effort. <br />
<br />
Watch: 55.98, 57:67, 57:33, 55:02, 51:48, 55:15.<br />
<br />
<b>Monday, July 31:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
High School Track, running at maybe 50% effort.<br />
<br />
200m sprints: 1:02, 1:01, 1:00, 56, 55, 59, 1:00, 400m 2:01<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday, July 29:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
SCV runners usual Saturday run. I finished 3 miles again, mostly by myself.<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday, July 27:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Middle School track. I didn't bring my watch, but I did run sprints for most of an hour.<br />
<br />
<b>Monday, July 24:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Today the air conditioning was out, so I had reason to stay close to home in case the repairman called. I found a 1.6-mile loop starting and ending at our house, with a lovely hill, perfect for some hill training. I ran three of those loops and got the call during the last of them. Happily, the A/C repair was a simple one and we're back in business.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqoy8fV2i1o1VqmM5CyCyEQhWUz5oclCHL_WJYDh33RdFZ8uvo0amdajOhpvnIDwt7wV8ANjR125rnMWbdEVxFAAy1LExRxRpAUD7UkqHvE2T6D1RdhGeZP99SMStWlfv-Bzg2T1s2lxsl/s1600/a%2526s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqoy8fV2i1o1VqmM5CyCyEQhWUz5oclCHL_WJYDh33RdFZ8uvo0amdajOhpvnIDwt7wV8ANjR125rnMWbdEVxFAAy1LExRxRpAUD7UkqHvE2T6D1RdhGeZP99SMStWlfv-Bzg2T1s2lxsl/s320/a%2526s.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sweeties crossing the finish line</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Saturday, July 22:</b><br />
<br />
Challenge Cancer 5k Another 3 miles! Katie, my running therapist, said that I shouldn’t sprint until I can run three miles without walking. I did that last Saturday and again today.<br />
<br />
This 5k is one race in an annual series of races hosted by Charities Challenge, an organization dedicated to helping others achieve improved health through exercise. This particular race was held in a wonderful county park in Andover, MN, less than an hour from our home.<br />
<br />
I ran without walking for the first three miles, then walked for a few seconds up a small hill, and finally pushed the last 100 meters at a higher pace. Looking good at the finish line :-) I feel great, no pain. First in my age group. Also last - I was the only one in M75-79.<br />
<br />
Since I got to the finish before they did, I got a photo of my girls finishing their 5k.<br />
<br />
Watch: 10:35, 10:23, 10:30, 1:24 (0.1 mile), total 32:50. I can do better.<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday, July 20:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Good attendance this morning at the Middle School track, eight of us, running a 2-mile warmup and then a few 800-meter intervals. Some of us are faster than others, but on a track we're still sort of together, as we can meet up whenever we want. I ran with the girls for a while and with the guys for a while, though the guys were faster.<br />
<br />
<br />
I didn't feel much like running today but I did anyway, going about 4 miles before we headed home.<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesday, July 18:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
USATF Summer Meet # 4: Minnesota USATF held the fourth of their five Summer Meets, this one at a high school in Woodbury. I love the atmosphere at those events! Runners from age 4 to 76 (me), doing every distance offered and every field event as well. People are happy and excited just to participate. I admire the parents who bring their children, introducing them to a wholesome life of healthy exercise. In just one event, the 400-meter dash, there were 13 heats, most of them with a runner in each of the 9 lanes.<br />
<br />
The fee is $5.00, payment for as many events as anyone can run - even to run the same distance more than once. Because of my hamstring-tendon injury I decided to run only one event, the 400-meter dash, the slowest (longest) dash on the menu. I meant to run at 75% of full speed, but the injury felt OK and I finished in 1:46, a bit faster than I had intended and about as fast as I've run any timed 400-meter so far this year. This would be a 7:10 mile if I could run four of those in a row. Not yet, but working on it. Maybe someday.<br />
<br />
<b>Monday, July 17:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
For some reason I didn’t feel like running today, especially outdoors where the temp was 90 by the time we got home from a trip to Duluth. <br />
<br />
The girls didn’t either, so we trekked off to the YMCA, where I ran two miles without walking and then felt like going home. They did too, so we headed off to Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.<br />
<br />
Miles: 10:00, 9:35Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03923592545983795350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299133180341766885.post-25867636364581658272017-07-15T15:39:00.000-05:002017-07-15T15:44:33.818-05:00Three Miles!Katie, my therapist, has told me that I may not sprint until I can run three miles without walking. I did it today, three miles at a pace of 10:37 per mile. <br />
<br />
During the regular Saturday morning run of the St Croix Valley Runners I ran the first two miles with Dave and Candy, who were running just a little slower than I usually do. Perhaps that helped - they paced me correctly. The pace did feel good, although I saw that both Candy and Dave could talk more easily than I, suggesting that I have a bit farther to go before I can comfortably run with them over a longer distance. I was working harder than they.<br />
<br />
The three miles ended just before the only hill on this route - a trail bridge over a major road. So I didn’t stop at the 3-mile marker, but kept going for another minute and a half to the top of the bridge, then finally walked a bit. I was very happy to stop and walk, but glad that I still had that much gas left after the three miles. And hey, the miles were measured according to trail mileposts, which are not necessarily dead nuts accurate, so I wanted to be very sure that I actually did the three miles. I did it Katie!<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYkmVukhgw40M3uU7N4SHvQCKoYTkHD6B8GmAhBspNDwWrUrNFMFayRWMohBfS8G9twM52SOWI7JLkmylAX98fvMmOhMsohyKL0CH425eKQlZQZbeQrx6Ibr9JPiHGCYwiIb_auY_AM2w/s1600/IMG_3615b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYkmVukhgw40M3uU7N4SHvQCKoYTkHD6B8GmAhBspNDwWrUrNFMFayRWMohBfS8G9twM52SOWI7JLkmylAX98fvMmOhMsohyKL0CH425eKQlZQZbeQrx6Ibr9JPiHGCYwiIb_auY_AM2w/s320/IMG_3615b.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yours truly top center w green visor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
That’s two nice runs in a row: the Park Point 5 Miler race in Duluth last Thursday, and the three-mile run today, both with energy to spare at the end. I feel new strength and endurance in my legs, a quantum improvement this week.<br />
<br />
The right hamstring tendon injury is still there, however. Katie didn’t tell me to wait for that to heal completely before trying to sprint again, but she would say it if I asked. I know I should wait. And even then I will have to go slow, take it easy, and not jump out of a crouch until it seems thoroughly healed.<br />
<br />
I saw Katie yesterday, and was embarrassed to admit to her that I hadn’t done ANY of the special leg exercises and stretches that she had prescribed at our last appointment three weeks ago. She soberly informed me that if I don’t do those exercises, I will get injured again for sure. “For SURE,” she re-emphasized, in case I hadn’t heard her the first time.<br />
<br />
I have no problem doing my runs, I like to run, but don’t seem to find the spare half hour for the exercises. So we agreed that I will not allow myself to run unless I have done my exercises at least once since the last run. Oof. OK. Let’s see how that works.<br />
<br />
Watch: 10:36, 10:45, 10:30 (average 10:37 for 3 mi), 13:06 (walk/run last mile).<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday, July 14:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Park Point 5 Miler. I loved this race! I'm still trying to recover from an injured hamstring tendon, and took it easy on this run, but did better than I expected anyway, finishing the five miles in 52:58. Second of two in my age group, but hey, the guy who finished ahead of me is a pretty classy runner and I'm happy for him. He's 76 as well, but I'll need to train for a while before I can finish a race alongside him. If ever.<br />
<br />
Throughout the race I ran 60 seconds, then walked 20-25 seconds or so, as fast as I could walk. Hopefully sometime soon I will be able to keep running, no walking, but until then this is working OK. I actually felt better and better as the race went on, and was able to finish the last mile faster than any of the others.<br />
<br />
The race was held on Park Point, a narrow spit of land (sand) that runs between Duluth MN and Superior WI, separating Lake superior from Superior Bay at the very western tip of the big lake. The course is on Minnesota Avenue, the only road to go the length of the point, entirely paved, and flat as pee on a plate. I swear there can be no flatter race on the planet. But today, the best part was the weather. This is an evening race, starting at 6;30 PM, which is normally near the high temp of the day, and it is usually a hot race. But today that high temp was in the 50's, perfect for a great race. I loved it.<br />
<br />
My sweetie got an age group award in the two-mile race!<br />
<br />
10:46, 10:40, 10:57, 10:38, 9:57, total 52:58, average pace 10:36.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03923592545983795350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299133180341766885.post-12130557948263765142017-06-29T21:21:00.002-05:002017-06-29T21:23:28.203-05:00Two Miles Running without any walking, the longest such run in years. Katie and the doctor both say that I can run (gently) despite the hamstring tendon injury.<br />
<br />
Several friends and I ran on the 8-lane Junior High track today, 400 meters per lap (inside lane), which is within 6 feet of a quarter mile per lap. First a lap of warmup and another of walking and dynamic stretches, then eight laps of easy running. Time 19:51, for 3200 meters, pace 9:59 min/mile.<br />
<br />
I probably could have run another lap, because I was able to run the last a little faster then the others. I'll try one or two more next time. Katie says that I can get back to a little sprinting when I can run 3 miles without walking. I'm working up to it.<br />
<br />
After the 2-mile run, I walked a lap and then did several laps of 200m walk (fast) and 200m run (not fast). I timed one of those 200 meter running jaunts at 62 seconds. Faster than the 2-mile pace, but slower than a sprint. I sure do enjoy the 200 meter distance.<br />
<br />
Watch: 2:32, 2:34, 2:33, 2:30, 2:29, 2:28, 2:25, 2:20 (3200m total 19:51), 1:02 (200m slow)<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesday, June 27:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
USATF Meet # 2, Woodbury. "Ran" some in warmup, and ran the 100m slowly.<br />
<br />
<b>Monday, June 26:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Ran to the HS, around the track a little, back home past CUB, brought home some groceries.<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday, June 24:</b><br />
<br />
I went to run with the SCV Runners, but didn't run because of pain. Saw the sports doctor<br />
last Thursday, who says that I have an injury of the proximal hamstring tendon. I saw my therapist Katie yesterday, and she agrees with the diagnosis. Both said it's OK to run, but today the pain said no.<br />
<b><br /></b>
Not yet.<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesday, June 20:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
USATF Meet # 1 St Louis Park. It hurts to run, but I did a little warmup running, no racing. I have an appointment with the sports doctor.<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday, June 15:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Track "training" at St. Paul Academy, a little running, but not without pain.<br />
<br />
<br />Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03923592545983795350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299133180341766885.post-79956704847339463882017-06-13T21:01:00.000-05:002017-06-13T21:01:44.029-05:00Odd Day at the Races<b>Sunday, June 11, 2017:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Just when the <a href="http://usatfmn.org/outdoor-championships-open--masters" target="_blank">USATF Outdoor Masters Championships</a> were scheduled to begin in St Paul this morning, a thunderstorm intervened. USATF doesn't run in lightning! They even have rules about when they have to stop and when they can start again. After several hours of lightning, the morning of races became an afternoon of races.<br />
<br />
I loved it though. I've never competed in an outdoor track & field meet before, and I'm intrigued by the assortment of events. Every running distance from 100m to 5km, plus long jump, high jump, triple jump, shot put, hammer throw (bring your own hammer), pole vault (bring your own pole!), and more. It seemed there were at least as many people competing in the field events as in the track events. I'm learning a lot and having fun.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiClN9IUixwJNkYIB2ihxMu40TeCxpf7XBoteh0YmqoW0YgRvI0oz-FUkfieM1UjvzeMV200Q6uiwDIHDx9PzdVfJsxNNxLajZDo6xtkPA0bz0Pr8qVrmZ7fjJGENmcMfJfMZfGo-5p1n-u/s1600/finish200m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="808" data-original-width="1189" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiClN9IUixwJNkYIB2ihxMu40TeCxpf7XBoteh0YmqoW0YgRvI0oz-FUkfieM1UjvzeMV200Q6uiwDIHDx9PzdVfJsxNNxLajZDo6xtkPA0bz0Pr8qVrmZ7fjJGENmcMfJfMZfGo-5p1n-u/s200/finish200m.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finishing the 200m Sprint</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I competed in three events: the 100, 200, and 400 meter sprint distances. I finished last in all three of my heats, but I don't feel bad about that because all of the runners were younger, many much younger, and I finished first of one in my 75-79 age group at each distance. In fact at age 76 I was the oldest competitor at the meet except for my friend Rick, 77, who competed only in the 1500 meter event and finished in a very good time.<br />
<br />
My finish times: 100m - 21.07 seconds; 200m - 45.82; and 400m - 1:44.90. These are OK times for an old marathoner just getting into sprinting, but I'd like to improve the 100m time by at least 5 seconds, 200m by 10, and 400m by 20. I have time to work on it, so we'll see.<br />
<br />
Here are some reasons to think that I might be able to improve:<br />
<ul>
<li>Any runner could do better running just one of the distances instead of three.</li>
<li>I stumbled a bit on at least two of the three starts. How can that happen? I don't know, but I can doubtless gain a second or two just by practicing the start. Remember, this is all new!</li>
<li>Another day I might feel better - I wasn't at my best today, a bit lightheaded. Hydration, food, something else? Anyway it will get figured out.</li>
<li>I was also running injured today - having pulled something in my right glutes or hamstrings or the connection between those during today's warmup. It hurts more now than it did during the races, but I might not have hammered quite as hard as I would have without the pain.</li>
</ul>
That injury has been lurking since I first did some crouching starts a few weeks ago, and I need to do whatever it takes to heal it. I have nine days now before the next outdoor track meet - those days will help.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03923592545983795350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299133180341766885.post-67652904256720964782017-06-05T17:39:00.001-05:002017-06-05T17:43:41.720-05:00Fun On The Track <b>Monday, June 5, 2017:</b><br />
<br />
School is out, but the track is busy anyway. When I got there the girls' (women's?) basketball team was doing wind sprints and other exercises on the track, and then as they were leaving, the boys' football team was arriving to do the same. Two other youngsters were training to compete in the pole vault event at a meet later in the week.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6UDfEd_3gWW9O5DONlRaEl_NHDcHjC58dbXpNKsjhG85akrqutT8bM7SRsv3IxMvRpjQd-LzvqOFLnYiau_a4yzrIdRbX1yCLORr1uDgbmb80WRlJACMJjHbH0M7Rd-sht0BPskhQgel/s1600/HStrack.GIF" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="661" data-original-width="547" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6UDfEd_3gWW9O5DONlRaEl_NHDcHjC58dbXpNKsjhG85akrqutT8bM7SRsv3IxMvRpjQd-LzvqOFLnYiau_a4yzrIdRbX1yCLORr1uDgbmb80WRlJACMJjHbH0M7Rd-sht0BPskhQgel/s200/HStrack.GIF" width="165" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The track I use. Very nice.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Happily, the students were only using half of the 400m track, so I was able to do a little sprint training on the other half. I read an article yesterday about training for sprints:<br />
<ol>
<li><b>Jog for a lap or two. </b> I actually ran TO the track, running most of a mile without walking, mostly uphill, for plenty of warmup.</li>
<li><b>Do dynamic stretches. </b> I still have to figure out what these are and how to do them. There are several kinds. I did some things that I thought might help me loosen up, including very long strides.</li>
<li><b>Run the first sprint at 70% intensity. </b> I wonder how to know where 70% is?</li>
<li><b>Rest 2 - 5 minutes between sprints.</b> Easy - just walk or jog a lap, taking care not to interfere with the football team.</li>
<li><b>Keep the first session short. </b> Technically this was my second session, but I only ran three 200m sprints and one 100m sprint.</li>
</ol>
I ran the first 200m sprint at 70% (or 60 or 80 who knows) and didn't bother to time it. I don't recall if I used a crouching start. For the second 200m I did use a crouching start and ran at maybe 90%, pushing pretty hard. For the final 200m I used a crouching start and hammered as hard as I could for the whole distance.<br />
<br />
The times are pretty good news I think. Last week I ran the 200m in 52.90 (seconds), and today in 47.02 and then 42.75. If those numbers are real, it's ten seconds improvement in one week! Wow: (1) Maybe it pays to train a little for the sprint? I never did that before; (2) My 10-year-old PR, on an indoor track, was 34.6 seconds - can I eventually take off another 8 seconds to match that old PR? I'd love that; and (3) I'm not sure how my time in an actual race will compare with these fun little trials. I'll soon find out though.<br />
<br />
I did pull something today, left inner hamstrings, high near the adductors, caused by the crouching starts. It hurts just a little. This has happened before, including a couple of weeks ago at the YMCA. I'm sure that it will heal in a few days if I stay away from crouching starts for that time.<br />
<br />
200m times: (1) Unknown; (2) 47:02, (3) 42:75; 100m time: 20:92<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday, June 3, 2017:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Too Hot to Trot! By the time I got going this morning the temperature was 77, and by the time I got home an hour and a quarter later it was 82. Too hot for me to see how far I could run - I'm not acclimated to summer running yet.<br />
<br />
So I had some fun instead, exploring a trail that I hadn't seen in a year or more. I ran when I felt like it and walked when I felt plenty hot, finally ending up once again at the high school track. <br />
<br />
That's a great place to do sprint training. Unfortunately for me, though, the football field within the track was about to be used for a women's lacrosse tournament, so I only got one lap around the outer (9th) lane, but I did put the pedal down on the second straight side and enjoyed just that short sprint, less than 100 meters.<br />
<br />
I love that. What a joy, to just let it fly. I have to do more of that, training sessions specifically aimed at just sprinting faster but still safely. I'm starting to read up on it now. There is a "Masters Championship" coming up soon, where I'm sure that I will find out just how slow I am. Regardless, it will be fun.<br />
<br />
<b>Wednesday, May 31:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Very Good Day at the Track I ran to the new High School track, getting in 7 minutes of continuous running as well as some walking. Then, after a little rest (slow walking) I ran 7 laps (1.75 miles) on the 400m outdoor track, the farthest I have run without walking in years.<br />
<br />
After more easy walking I ran 200m as fast as I could, crossing the finish in 52.90 seconds. I'm sure that I can improve on that time. Fun - I love that distance.<br />
<br />
Lap times: (26:31), 2:29, 2:34, 2:33, 2:26, 2:29, 2:28, 2:23, (43:52) (17:21) pace 9:55, 200m 52:90Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03923592545983795350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299133180341766885.post-36900673871410098472017-06-04T19:16:00.000-05:002017-06-04T19:16:56.703-05:00Brian Kraft 5k <b>Monday, May 29, 2017:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I feel so good! It can happen after a race like this - the endorphins kick in and I feel wonderful, even before I have a beer.<br />
<br />
The Brian Kraft 5k is a longstanding, popular 5k that is part of Minnesota's Grand Prix of races and attracts the best of the best. For me, that cuts two ways. The negative: I finished 13th of 14 in my 70+ age group, ahead of just one 88-year-old guy.<br />
<br />
The positives: (1) I accomplished my training objective; (2) I've never done very well in this race, because of the stiff competition; (3) I ran this 5k in 31:54, a minute and 20 seconds faster than my next most recent 5k two weeks ago; (4) I did slow down a few times to chat with people, and once to take off my hearing aids (oops) before they got too sweaty; (5) Before and after the race I enjoyed chatting with people that I miss but haven't seen in years; and (6) During a couple of those conversations I learned quite a bit about outdoor track, in which I have a growing interest.<br />
<br />
Most of my running has been distance running, which is not the same as track. Starting at 1 mile, distances go up to the marathon and beyond. Running mostly happens on roads or trails. In contrast, outdoor track events start at 50 meters, then 100, 200, 400, 800, 1500, 3000, 5000, and 10,000 meters, These are Olympic events, all metric. They happen on oval tracks, usually around a football field at a college or high school, and the meet usually includes field events such as the hurdles, relays, long jump, high jump, discus, hammer throw, and the like. I'm interested in the running events.<br />
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I don't know much about track running though, outdoor or indoor. In 2008 I ran the 200m on an indoor track a few times - that's one lap on the inside lane. I absolutely loved that run - almost a full sprint, with my best time at 34.6 seconds. Back then. I'd like to see how long it takes me now, and check out some other distances too. I still like marathons, and every other distance, but this would be an interesting change and something of a challenge..Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03923592545983795350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299133180341766885.post-48749028918720261302017-06-04T18:52:00.001-05:002017-06-04T18:52:05.835-05:00One Mile On a Hot Track <div>
<b>Saturday, May 27, 2017:</b></div>
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I had planned to run 2 miles, but the weather was too warm and I was overheated after the one mile, so I stopped. After cooling a bit, I ran a 100-meter dash as fast as I could a couple of times, then went home.</div>
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2:27, 2:29, 2:29, 2:26, total for 1600m: 9:51, adjusted for a mile: 9:54.</div>
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<b>Thursday, May 25:</b></div>
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1.41 miles on the Jr Hi track, about 4.5 more miles getting there and back. I ran in Lane 8, the outermost lane, to avoid messing up the track team, who were training on the inner lanes. This is the farthest I've run without walking in several years. I tried a few crouching starts before going home.</div>
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Track times: 5:34 (2 laps), 2:46, 2:35, 2:33, total for 5 laps 13:28, distance 1.40 mi, pace 9:36.</div>
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<b>Wednesday, May 17:</b></div>
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1.5 Miles running with no walking. Wet weather today, thunder and lightning. We three don't run in lightning, so we drove to the YMCA and ran on their indoor track.</div>
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Last week (or was it the week before) I ran a mile and a quarter without walking, so today it was time to bump up the distance. The track is 13 laps per mile, so I decided to warm up for 15 minutes and then run 20 laps without walking, about a mile and a half. Toward the end I was tired and definitely counting down the remaining laps, but I think I could have done a few more, maybe even another six to make it 2 miles. Probably not 3 miles yet though. Maybe in a week or two.</div>
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When the "long" run was finished I did a half dozen or so crouching starts, as I might do for a 100-meter or 200-meter race. There is a USATF outdoor track competition in a few weeks - maybe I'll have some fun.</div>
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Next week 2 miles I hope.</div>
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Watch readings: 13:21 (first 13 laps?), 3:44 (walking), 10:55 (13 laps), 5:43 (7 laps). Either the track is less than 13 laps per mile, or I was running slower than I have been running recently. Could be - I'm on steroids today. No matter - it's still good training.</div>
Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03923592545983795350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299133180341766885.post-28168029691953841972017-05-14T21:06:00.000-05:002017-05-14T21:06:32.162-05:00Mothers Day 5k Review Our friend Gary Westlund runs several races over the summer, and we like them. Always low key, always allowing everyone to finish regardless how much time they need. One of these was today's Mothers Day 5k in Maple Grove, MN. This race was well organized, as always.<br />
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I haven't run a 5k race in a long time. My plan was to run 7 minutes, then walk 3, until the finish, according to my usual training method. However I quickly switched to 70 seconds and 30 seconds. Same ratio, but much easier for me somehow. I'll get back to the longer runs in training, but this works pretty well for races.<br />
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By my watch my finish time was 33:07. This was not a chip-timed race, so official results are not up yet. I imagine, though, that I will be first of one or second of two in my m75-79 age group. Doesn't matter - I'm happy enough with the time. If my watch was correct (it might be better than their clock) then my pace was 10:37. I can do better, and I will. Faster every week.<br />
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Weather was perfect. The loop around the little lake is very nearly 1 mile, so we ran it three times. In addition I ran one before the race, as a warmup, and another after my race with my girls, for a total of five miles.<br />
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There's another 5k in two weeks, flatter than this one in fact, and I'll try to get that pace below 10.<br />
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Watch: 10:47, 10:38, 10:31 (31:56), 1:11, total 33:07Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03923592545983795350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299133180341766885.post-73829615399300638392017-05-14T05:09:00.000-05:002017-05-14T05:09:44.470-05:00Medtronic TC 1 Mile Race<b>Thursday, May 11, 2017:</b><br />
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The race went very well. I ran the whole mile without walking and finished in 9:04, better than any of the mile runs that I've done in training recently. I'm more than happy with that. I was third of four in my 75-79 age group, and finished before 791 of 1969 other runners, including 165 of 1009 other men.<br /><br />After traveling to 100 marathons, this race became an
exploration of our own Twin Cities. We drove from our town to Union Station
in downtown St Paul, where Amtrak, light rail, and buses all connect. We
took the METRO Green Line train to the new US Bank Stadium in downtown
Minneapolis, 37 minutes in a clean, comfortable commuter train which we had
never had occasion to ride before. Thanks to the race committee, we had
free passes. Then a short walk to the race itself, where my race number and
shirt were waiting.<br /><br />I enjoyed meeting up with long-time running friends
that I had neglected during our drive to finish 100 marathons. The race
itself circled the Guthrie Theater of Minneapolis and lovely new parks. <br />
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A
1-mile race is very intense, and I did try to go as fast as I could, but it
was over in 9 minutes and I'm uninjured. All is well.<br /><br />We three had a
very nice evening of it.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03923592545983795350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299133180341766885.post-26756721057944754692017-05-08T20:15:00.001-05:002017-05-08T20:15:59.460-05:00Another MileI set out to run 1.5 miles (6 laps) without walking today, having run 1.25 miles (5 laps) last week. But two things happened: (1) I remembered that I have an actual 1-mile race later this week, and (2) I just didn't feel like running the extra two laps. So I stopped at four laps - what the heck, I have no one to please but myself. I did manage to shave a few seconds off my recent times for the mile.<br />
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Perhaps I'll do a little better still during the actual race. We'll see - I'll try. I'd like to do an 8-minute mile again someday, but not this week. First a 9-minute mile.<br />
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Watch readings: 2:32, 2:28, 2:25, 2:13 (400 M laps), total for the run 1:06:00. Time for 1600 meters: 9:38. Adjusted for a mile: 9:41 (a mile is 1609 meters.) Total distance 5.5 mi, average pace for the run 12:00.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03923592545983795350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299133180341766885.post-25630310042324520142017-05-06T21:04:00.000-05:002017-05-06T21:04:32.889-05:00Valley RunnersThis run/walk included another one-mile run with no walking. Total of about 4 miles, with plenty of walking in the other three. The one mile took just 9:35, very nice, but with two qualifications: (1) It's a little bit downhill, and (2) the mile markers are on a trail, and those markers are notoriously inaccurate. I'll try the same mile uphill someday. <br />
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I had a little hitch in the right foot at first, had to walk it off, but it cleared and bothered no more. After the run nothing hurts, all is well. I feel great. A very successful run. A little shorter than usual, but very nice. We'll compensate with a nice long walk among the flowering crab trees later today.<br />
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My friend Doug accompanied me on this trek - he's probably a better runner than I but was hurting a little today. Hope he gets past that - he has a pretty good doctor.<br />
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Watch readings: 10:37, 9:35, 1:07, turnaround, ... total about 45:00. The 9:35 is the one mile between mile markers 2 & 1.<br />
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<b>Thursday, May 4, 2017:</b><br />
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2K Meters w/o Walking. That's five laps of the 400 M outdoor track. A beautiful day and a nice run. I was actually able to pick up the pace a little in the last lap.<br />
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Splits: 28:34, 2:28, 2:30, 2:27, 2:26, 2:20. ...total for 5 laps = 12:11, pace 9:50/mile.for the five laps.<br />
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<b>Tuesday, May 2:</b><br />
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On Tuesdays we sometimes (often?) walk from our home to the downtown organic grocery & back, about 3 miles each way and at least a 300-foot elevation change. I don't usually include those walks in this blog, but last Tuesday I got hurt - "ITB syndrome" in the right thigh, thought to be overuse, after a tough enough run the day before. The ITB problem healed within three or four days.<br />
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No problem today, despite yesterday's fairly hard run. But I think that I should take a day off now, not run tomorrow.<br />
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<b>Monday, May 1:</b><br />
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One Mile at the YMCA. 11:00,, 11:01, 9:01, 3:04, 5:33, 9:24, 11:23, 49:27 tot, only the 9:01 makes any sense - supposedly 1 mile, 13 laps. I think it's probably short of a mile by at least a lap.<br />
<br />Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03923592545983795350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299133180341766885.post-5774921543745633102017-04-28T19:56:00.000-05:002017-04-28T19:56:08.738-05:00Iliotibial BandI was pretty sure that the injury on the outside of my right thigh was a bursa, because it was recovering so quickly. However Katie, my therapist, says there are no bursas in the area of my injury. After a quick internet search, I believe her.<br />
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Katie is convinced that the injury is simply an irritation of the Iliotibial band (ITB) as it passes by that area, about a third of the way down the thigh, on its trip from the pelvis to the tibia. Katie didn't call it "iliotibial band syndrome," but I think that might be a proper technical name.<br />
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This is an overuse injury. I worked pretty hard on Monday, running a full mile without walking, for the first time in years, plus four more miles of run/walk. Then on Tuesday the girls and I walked six miles with backpacks, including over 300 feet of elevation change, down to the river and back. The injury first made itself felt during the climb back up. Katie guessed that before I even told her. <br />
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One lesson: I'm 76 years old and I really do need to allow for an off day between two days of vigorous exercise, even if one of them is only walking. Lesson two: Uphill (and maybe downhill) walking may put as much stress on the legs as running on the flat.<br />
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Katie also gave me three more exercises to do, therapy which may help prevent this type of injury in the future.<br />
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What's next? Happily, the pain is almost gone already. Tomorrow I'll go for an easy walk. Maybe Sunday too. Katie said I could run a bit on Monday, distance and intensity guided by the pain (lack of). Sounds good to me - I'm anxious to get back on the trail. I'll ramp up carefully.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03923592545983795350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299133180341766885.post-87276586635506124962017-04-27T20:49:00.000-05:002017-04-27T20:51:23.454-05:00InjuredRats. Monday I ran a full mile without walking, as part of a five-mile route, mostly running. Tuesday my sweeties and I walked from our home down to the local co-op grocery and back, six miles and more than 300 feet elevation change, wearing backpacks.<br />
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On the way back I felt a little twinge in the upper outside of the right thigh, no problem. Wednesday morning, however, that twinge was far worse, severe enough that I took it to urgent care to check for a DVT. Happily the D-Dimer test was negative. The pain continued though, making walking difficult and stairs even more so, worse after sitting a while, better after walking a little. I assumed that it was as pulled muscle or tendon and made an appointment to see Katie, my therapist, on Friday.<br />
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Today, Thursday, the pain is much much better. As quickly as it appeared Tuesday night, it almost disappeared Wednesday night. I can jog up the stairs, and get out of a chair with only a minor ache. This recovery is too quick for a torn muscle or tendon, which may take three weeks for a full recovery. So what might it be?<br />
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Years ago I brought a severe hip pain to my favorite doctor, who poked around a bit and proclaimed it to be an irritated bursa. I said "Huh?" He said it would disappear by itself in two days, and it did.<br />
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Is that what this is? Is there even a bursa on the outside of the thigh about a third of the way down? Katie will know tomorrow.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03923592545983795350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299133180341766885.post-58470910489276455432017-04-24T17:57:00.000-05:002017-04-24T20:09:18.804-05:00One Mile No Walking Technically 1600 meters, which is 0.9944 miles, but who's counting. Me I guess. I didn't run it very fast, because I wanted to finish the mile - I haven't run a whole mile, without walking, for several years.<br />
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Katie, my therapist, wants me to set my next goal at three miles, and I could probably have kept going, but maybe not for another two miles. Rather than three miles, though, I would prefer to run one mile in less time. So maybe we can do a little of each. One day push the distance by 400 or 800 meters (1 or 2 laps), and another day go for 2:15 per lap (9:00 pace), or even 2:00 (8:00 pace), for at least one of the laps. Eventually I'd like to run 1600 M in less than 8 minutes and 800 M in less than 3:30. We'll see.<br />
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On the way to the track and back I had no trouble running up the hills that appeared during the 6 minute run portions of the 10 minute intervals. Chugged right up. I'll switch to 7 minute run portions soon.<br />
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Total time 1:11:54, including several stoplights. Distance probably about 5.5 miles. 400 M splits: 2:38, 2:36, 2:42, 2:24, total for 1600 M = 10:20.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03923592545983795350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299133180341766885.post-89458449647076446672017-04-24T17:53:00.001-05:002017-04-24T17:53:10.715-05:00Miles for Myeloma 5k in Philadelphia <b>Saturday, April 22, 2017:</b><br />
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The weather was gloomy but speeches were short and spirits were bright. Somewhere near 1100 runners gathered to run and walk through one of the most attractive parks in the city of Philadelphia. Fruit trees are in bloom, and lawns are just ready for their first mowing. <br />
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This time I chose to run with my sweeties, Ardis & Sarah. We finished together in 53:36, earning Ardis first place in her 60+ age group. We enjoyed this run/race very much. The race was hosted by the Philadelphia Myeloma Support Group and the International Myeloma Foundation.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03923592545983795350noreply@blogger.com0