In the Pursuit of Wonder

Miles: 1.91 Time: 24:30 HR: Avg: 155, 83% of max, HR Range: 148-163, In Zone: 19.54, peak HR: 166, min HR: 82, cal: 921 based on 232 lbs. Pace: 12:50. Shoes: Brooks Adreniline(43.41). Time: 8:15 PM.  Right ham and calve a bit tight during run.  Stretched a lot today, both during the day,  before the run and after.

Nice weather.  Tried to do some yoga from a video, but I can only handle so much talk about breathing.  Need to find a manly yoga video, although I'm not sure one exists.

Miles: 1.91 Time: 24:39 Pace: 12:56 HR: Avg: 155, 83% of max, HR Range: 148-163, In Zone:??.??, peak HR: 173, min HR: ??, cal: 288 based on 240 lbs. . Shoes: Brooks Addiction(126.4). Time: 11:40 PM.  Right calf a bit tight during run, right knee twinged a bit near the end.  Didn't do very good stretching today.

1st .5 Miles 6:04.73 min - 12:09 pace - 149 bpm - 84 calories - best pace 9:46

2nd .5 Miles 6:33.10 min - 13:06 pace - 155 bpm - 74 calories - best pace 9:15

3rd .5 Miles 6:40.59 min - 13:21 pace - 156 bpm - 71 calories - best pace 9:07

Last .41 Miles 5:22.70 - 13:14 pace - 161 bpm - 59 calories - best pace 9:52

Got the Garmin 305 in the mail today.  Really easy to use.  It's ugly, but I think more functional than the 405.  My wife said "it is kind of hideous." The mileage from the garmin matched exactly to mapmyrun.com for my typical run.  The HR seemed to track very closely to what my timex said it was on my previous runs, so I think HR monitors are fairly accurate.  I've never had any issues with the HR monitor spiking like some claim happens.  The only time I had an issue was one run a long time ago where the monitor wasn't tight enough.  Will have to install the software tomorrow and see if I can get some of the other data I am used to like time in zone.  The calories used is much more accurate than timex's shot in the dark which didn't know the distance.  288 still seems a bit high for less than a two mile run.  I wonder if it subtracts base calorie usage had I been sitting in front of the tv.  Seeing my pace made me tend to walk a lot faster which I think is why this run was a smidge slower in that I kept my HR in the zone just by walking fast.

Miles: 1.90 Time: 24:16 Pace: 12:56 HR: Avg: 155, 83% of max, HR Range: 148-163, In Zone:??.??, peak HR: 175, min HR: ??, cal: 308 based on 240 lbs. . Shoes: Brooks Addiction(128.3). Time: 10:31 PM.  Right calf and ham got a bit tight.  Did an ok job stretching today.

1st .5 Miles 6:00.06 min - 12:00 pace - 150 bpm - 91 calories - best pace 9:33

2nd .5 Miles 6:21.17 min - 12:42 pace - 155 bpm - 79 calories - best pace 10:09

3rd .5 Miles 6:37.95 min - 13:16 pace - 157 bpm - 78 calories - best pace 9:42

Last .40 Miles 5:17.23 - 13:09 pace - 159 bpm - 60 calories - best pace 10:04

Compared to last run, avg pace rose on each lap, best pace fell on each lap.  More of an even keel run.  Uneventful.

Miles: 2.91 Time: 39:47 Pace: 13:41 HR: Avg: 157, 85% of max, HR Range: 148-163, In Zone: 32.16, peak HR: 168, min HR: 90, cal: 413 based on 240 lbs. . Shoes: Brooks Addiction(131.23). Time: 8:34 PM.  Stretched good today.  Right leg bugg'n early on, but got better second half.  Hands swelled, right toes went numb.

1st .5 Miles 6:01.67 min - 12:03 pace - 148 bpm - 87 calories - best pace 10:07

2nd .5 Miles 6:24.94 mini - 12:49 pace - 157 bpm - 86 calories - best pace 10:13

3rd .5 Miles 6:54.20 min - 13:48 pace - 156 bpm - 78 calories - best pace 10:32

4th .5 Miles 7:14.01 min - 14:28 pace - 154 bpm - 70 calories - best pace 10:04

5th .5 Miles 7:15:41 min - 14:30 pace - 162 bpm - 61 calories - best pace 11:58

Last .41 Miles 5:57.02 min- 13:40 pace - 163 bpm - 49 calories - best pace 11:30

Miles: 1.90 Time: 25:00.77 Pace: 13:08 HR: Avg: 156, 83% of max, HR Range: 148-163, In Zone: 17.53, peak HR: 176, min HR: 85, cal: 308 based on 240 lbs. . Shoes: Brooks Addiction(133.13). Time: 11:00 PM.  Did a mediocre job stretching today.

1st .5 Miles 6:14.85 min - 12:29 pace - 149 bpm - 86 calories - best pace 10:13

2nd .5 Miles 6:39.58 min - 13:19 pace - 156 bpm - 75 calories - best pace 10:34

3rd .5 Miles 6:51.99 min - 13:43 pace - 156 bpm - 70 calories - best pace 10:48

Last .40 Miles 5:14.35 - 13:00 pace - 163 bpm - 63 calories - best pace 10:37

Felt good, made it all the way to the corner before walking.  Ran more, walked less, worse time.

Miles: 1.91 Time: 24:31.49 Pace: 12:51 HR: Avg: 156, 83% of max, HR Range: 148-163, In Zone: 17.04, peak HR: 175, min HR: 109, cal: 310 based on 240 lbs. . Shoes: Brooks Addiction(135.04). Time: 8:52 PM.  Did a mediocre job stretching today.

1st .5 Miles 6:05.73 min - 12:11 pace - 151 bpm - 92 calories - best pace 10:18

2nd .5 Miles 619.22 min - 12:38 pace - 157 bpm - 84 calories - best pace 9:51

3rd .5 Miles 6:51.73 min - 13:43 pace - 156 bpm - 73 calories - best pace 10:08

Last .40 Miles 5:14.81 - 12:52 pace - 161 bpm - 61 calories - best pace 8:56

Miles: 1.91 Time: 24:08.77 Pace: 12:37 HR: Avg: 155, 83% of max, HR Range: 148-163, In Zone: 18.36, peak HR: 171, min HR: 81, cal: 314 based on 240 lbs.  Shoes: Brooks Addiction(136.95). Time: 8:47 PM.  Did a mediocre job stretching today.  Ate very sensibly today.

1st .5 Miles 5:50.79 min - 11:41 pace - 149 bpm - 94 calories - best pace 9:53

2nd .5 Miles 6:24.83 min - 12:49 pace - 156 bpm - 82 calories - best pace 10:31

3rd .5 Miles 6:37.69 min - 13:15 pace - 155 bpm - 75 calories - best pace 9:56

Last .40 Miles 5:15.46 min- 12:44 pace - 159 bpm - 63 calories - best pace 10:13

Miles: 1.90 Time: 23:28.39 Pace: 12:20 HR: Avg: 154, 82% of max, HR Range: 148-163, In Zone: 17.08, peak HR: 169, min HR: 79, cal: 323 based on 240 lbs.  Shoes: Brooks Addiction(138.85). Time: 9:25 PM.  Did a mediocre job stretching today.  Ate very unsensibly today.

1st .5 Miles 5:47.15 min - 11:34 pace - 147 bpm - 93 calories - best pace 10:18

2nd .5 Miles 6:18.13 min - 12:36 pace - 155 bpm - 83 calories - best pace 10:06

3rd .5 Miles 6:22.21 min - 12:44 pace - 156 bpm - 84 calories - best pace 9:52

Last .40 Miles 5:00.73 min- 12:26 pace - 158 bpm - 63 calories - best pace 9:48

yesterday's run was my best time to that point.  This run beat it by 40 seconds.  Hope this level of improvement keeps going.  Tried to spot a shooting star, but didn't see one.  This caused me to walk slower which counterintuitively helps improve the time as my HR recovers quicker allowing me to run a bigger percent of the distance. This resulted in 7.5 walks compared to 6 yesterday.  Lots of people don't like Galloway, but he's got some things figured out for those without a solid base.  Sometimes walking more gives you a better time.

Before my run I took a big bite of cake and took a drink of water to help wash it down.  Then I sneezed.  Usually you can tell you are about to sneeze, not this time.  So I shot a chocolate cake water mixture out my nose.  One of the most disgusting things I have ever done.

Miles: 2.89 Time: 38:46 Pace: 13:25 HR Avg: 153, Shoes: Brooks Addiction(141.74).

With the watch I am going to be recording less data on the blog as that was for a record for myself which is now stored elsewhere.

This run was kind of a mixed bag.  I ran .8 miles before walking.  Last run was .5 miles before walking.  This run started off slower, but I was trying to conserve for the longer run.  Still, I think that was a solid improvement.  I ran the same run a week ago in 39:47, so this represented over a minute improvement with worse tactics.

At about the 1.5 mile mark my right shin got really tight.  I even stopped once to try and shake it out.  Even while walking I was limping badly.  I pushed through and the tightness stayed in my shin, but expanded to my ham and calf.  By the end of the run, the tightness had worked itself out and I was running pretty good with no limp.  I also had swollen hands and my right toes went numb.  I have bought into Sasha's argument about running more often under the rational that the more often you run the quicker you will improve and the lower mileage per day will reduce the chance of injury.  After a rest day yesterday and today's performance I belive that, at least for me right now, a complete rest day actually does harm as it allows my muscles to tighten back up and un-does the stretching that occured in the previous days run.

The last few days I have been watching streaming running movies from the internet.  I have watched Saint Ralph, On the Edge, and Run for your Life.  The first two had a little to much taking the lords name in vain for my taste, but they were fun to watch.  Saint Ralph was about a 14 year old boy training to run Boston while at a catholic school while his mom was ill.  On the Edge was about a guy training and running in a trail race as a bandit because they wouldn't let him compete legitimately because of old infractions.  Run for Your Life was about the history of the New York Marathon and sort of a bio of the guy who started the thing.  All three educational and motivational.

Miles: 1.91 Time: 23:35 Pace: 12:20 Avg HR: 155, Shoes: Brooks Addiction(143.65).

Good run, R hip bug'n a tinge, but nothing bad.  I have stretched a lot the last two days.  I had a dream that I was really flexible.  If my subconscious believes it maybe reality will get there.

Miles: 1.90 Time: 22:51 Pace: 12:02 Avg HR: 153, Shoes: Brooks Adreniline(45.31).

Stepped out the door and heard Couch's Spadefoot Toads calling.  It had poured rain earlier.  I got a few sprinkles on my run and got to see two toads on the road.  First one was quite big, second one medium sized.  Solid improvement over yesterday's run.  Ran .89 before HR monitor told me to walk.

Miles: 1.90 Time: 24:10 Pace: 12:41 Avg HR: 155, Shoes: Brooks Addiction(145.55).

The last couple of days I have been really busy and haven't run for two days in a row.  I caught a cold yesterday, but didn't want to go three days without a run.  My wife ran to the store because we were out of milk and we need some for the kiddo and I was going to run as soon as she got back.  The door opens on their return and there is a downpour outside.  They were completely soaked and had just ran from the car to the front door.  So I waited for the rain to ease and got caught up in a movie.  Finally I get ready to walk out the door, the rain is now just a light drizzle and then the power on the entire block goes out.  We light a candle and find some flashlights.  I have the big flashlight out anyhow, so I go and check out the spadefoot toads at the retention area.  I really is pretty cool to watch them call.  I also saw a big spider trying to swim to safety.  It might have been a brown recluse, will have to look at some photos tomorrow.  I find a little flashlight to take with me and my wife asks me if I really am going to run without any streelights and I tell her I am and she tells me to be safe.

 Off I go.  There was a thin layer of cloud cover that reflected the city glow and it really was fairly bright.  It got a little darker the second half as the clouds cleared away.  My performance was pretty poor.  I ran against a stiff wind for 1/3 of the run, it was humid, I am currently a snot factory, and I think I probably lost some fitness in the last two days.  Despite all that, it was a nice different atypical fun run.  Gives me a eensy weensie bit more respect for the ultra runners.  Can't imagine trying to find turns on trails and the wierd thoughts that must go through their heads in the middle of the night after all that excertion.  Scared a couple of whirring doves out of trees which is always startling and had to watch my step a bit closer to make sure I didn't twist my ankle on a rock or something.

I get back and pace circles around the house as I let my HR get back to normal.  Finally I sit down exhausted and immediately all the lights in the house come back on.  Seems like a lot conspired to not let me get my run in.

My left knee is starting to concern me.  It is hurting when I am not running, but not when I am running.  I stretched my hams at least 10 times different times today.   I think that helps a lot.  I think the time for them to get tighter than the last stretch lengthened them is fairly short and not running for two days isn't helpful either.

Miles: 1.91 Time: 23:43 Pace: 12:25 Avg HR: 155, Shoes: Brooks Addiction(147.46).

Almost over the cold.  Legs feeling really good, especially left leg which has been hurting when not running.  Run seemed kinda tough.  Hopefully in the next two runs will be back to where I was a week ago with a 12:02 pace.

Miles: 1.91 Time: 23:34 Pace: 12:20 Avg HR: 154, Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline (47.23)

Run felt good.  No tightness.  Watched the movie Gracie about a girl who played men's Varsity Soccer in the early days of Title IX.

Miles: 1.91 Time: 22:34 Pace: 11:50 Avg HR: 154, Shoes: Brooks Addiction(149.37)

Legs felt good, solid improvement.

Miles: 2.89 Time: 36:23 Pace: 12:35 Avg HR: 154, Shoes: Brooks Addiction (152.26)

Ran the same route 2 weeks ago in 38:46 and 13:25 pace for an improvement of 2:23 on the route.  At .69 miles saw a DOR yearling Gopher Snake.  Had a lightening show to watch during my run.  Felt a little light-headed early in the run.  Legs feeling pretty good.

 Earlier today went to the Sea Life Aquarium at Arizona Mills Mall.  That was a lot of fun.  Both my kids enjoyed it.

Miles: 1.90 Time: 22:12 Pace: 11:39 Avg HR: 154, Shoes: Brooks Addiction (154.16)

Run felt good.  Beat last run by 22 seconds or 11 seconds per mile faster.