It's over, man. Let her go.

August 2012

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Location:

Bliss,ID,USA

Member Since:

Jan 04, 2010

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Recover From Injury

Running Accomplishments:

In late 2008 I decided I needed to get in better shape and started running again.  I ran my first formal road race ever, a half marathon, in late 2009.

(unofficial) Track 1 Mile - 7:32 (4/24/2010)  6:56 (9/27/2010)

5k - 27:31 - Riverview Run on 06/11/2010
22:39 - Gatorade Steelers 5k on 09/04/2010

10k - 50:43 - Riverside Run on 04/10/2010

Half - 2:02:58 - Just a Short Run on 03/27/2010
1:51:47 - IKEA Montour Trail Half on 09/11/2010

Short-Term Running Goals:

2011 Races:

Sept 25 - The Great Race 10k (59:15)
Nov 5 - Dirt Monster 5mi (52:59)

2012 Races:

June 8 - Riverside 5k  (27:49)
Sept 2 - Gatorade Steelers 5k (route) with Steve!  (27:39)
Sept 30 - The Great Race 10k (route)  (53:48)
Nov 3 - The Dirt Monster 5mi (52:55)

2013 Races:

May - Pittsburgh Marathon (started, but DNF about the half way point)
June - Riverview 5k  - Bummed I missed signing up for this one. It's one of my favorites!
Sept - Gatorade/Steelers 5k. (Signed up!)
Sept - IKEA Montour Trail Half  (prob not, but leaving it on here)
Sept - The Great Race 10k (My Running 101 goal race)
Nov - Dirt Monster 5mi (Gotta do it again no matter what!)

Long-Term Running Goals:

Finish recovering from my injuries and build mileage.  That is all.

Personal:

My name is Wes, I'm married with two wonderful children. The nickname BaldNSpicy came from the fact that I have been balding for a (long) while now and spicy for my love of very spicy foods (Thai and extremely hot wings are my favorites).  If eating doesn't bring me near tears and leave me sweating, it's not worth eating.  :-)

Oh, and I'm also known for my doorags.

Favorite Quotes:

"Running without hills is like motorcycling without corners." - rAtTLeTrAp

"Excellence is not a singular act, but a habit.  You are what you do repeatedly." - Shaquille O'Neal

"A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else."  - John Burroughs

Favorite Blogs:

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
NB 758s #2 Lifetime Miles: 596.90
Brooks Cascadia 7 Lifetime Miles: 165.17
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
35.650.0035.65
NB 758s #2 Miles: 35.65
Weight: 174.50
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
3.410.003.41

2.05mi with the Running 101 group.  Probably about 1.25mi was running vs. walking.  Did some 1/4mi jogs with 200m walks between.  Finished off with a couple of 100m "speed" runs on the grass.  Took it pretty easy the whole time, just staying with the leaders of the group.

Time was tight tonight so I just hopped on the TM for about 1.35mi @ 2% and about a 9:00-9:15 pace.  Felt pretty good, a little popping in the left knee still, but less than it's been so I think I'm OK.

NB 758s #2 Miles: 3.41
Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
0.000.000.00

Well, "life" (aka WORK) got the best of me this weekend and I didn't get a run in on Friday or Saturday like I had planned.  I did do some biking and got the lawn mowed (in the dark) on Saturday.  Other than working 10+ hour days this weekend and doing all the normal chores, I did very little except sleep.

Today, I will admit I was just lazy.  I stared at the running clothes in the drawer and just couldn't bring myself to take out an outfit for a mid-day run.  Tomorrow, I'll be up super early and will get a run in.  No excuses... 

Weight: 0.00
Comments(4)
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
2.750.002.75

Tired, but got out with the Running 101 class. Then did about .3mi on the TM before I had to leave. Feeling pretty good, just need to run more.

NB 758s #2 Miles: 2.75
Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
0.000.000.00

No running today,  but I did hop on the stationary bike for 32:00.  Went 8.9mi, burned 282 cals and sweated up a storm.  I almost didn't do any exercise today, but couldn't let myself get away with another day of laziness.

Getting there...slowly. 

Weight: 173.00
Comments(2)
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
4.890.004.89

Went out with the intention of just getting some miles in.  I was feeling pretty good so I thought I'd see what I could comfortably do a 5k in without getting the HR into the 170s.  I did pretty well, but I only went 2.75mi in 25:35 (9:22) before walking for a couple mins.  I had reached my turn around point and was a little tired, but enjoying the run.

Splits:
2.75mi - 25:35 (9:22) sprinkle....sprinkle....thunderclap....sprinkle
0.16mi - 2:52 (walk) turn around, "hmm, those are nasty looking clouds"
0.93mi - 8:37 (9:14) sprinkle..thunder..rain..thunder..DOWNPOUR
0.12mi - 2:07 (walk) bridges weren't shelter long enough...still DOWNPOURING
0.92mi - 8:42 (9:27) puddles are muddy fun.  Oh, look, it's clearing up.  Walk into the gym as the rain stops and the sun breaks through, but I look like a muddy drowned rat!

30 mins either way would have saved me from being drenched today. I even checked weather.com before heading out.  I enjoy running in the (light) rain, but when it's that heavy, the tech shirt becomes 10 pounds, the shorts stick to the legs, and the sloshing in the shoes gets old real quick.

I think this is my excuse to get some super short shorts.  My kids have threatened to not acknowledge me at races if I wear anything shorter than 4" inseams, but today is proof I need booty shorts and no shirt so I can show off my awesome ab (yes, singular). Sorry kids...

NB 758s #2 Miles: 4.89
Weight: 176.00
Comments(4)
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
4.000.004.00

Had to get in to work super early again today so by 3pm I was ready to get outta the office and off my butt.  Finally headed down to the gym at 3:30pm and decided to get a little TM work in before class at 4pm.  Did 1.35mi in 15:00 on rolling hills program at a medium pace (11:06) so by 4pm, I was warmed up (but not worn out) for class.

Running 101 class.  About 1/2 the class was at a big meeting at our other location so there were only about 8 of us.  One of the instructors was at the meeting, so the other one and I were the only two guys.  Usually, there's one guy and two ladies that I usually just jog with at their pace (about 10:30 on the workouts).  Tonight, knowing the other runners in the class, I wouldn't have anyone to run with so I decided to make it a harder workout.  I figured I'd pick it up and shoot for about 85% or so on the workout portions.  Fast enough, but not too fast to risk injury.  I think I did alright, especially considering my workouts the previous two days.

Definitely the toughest class workout schedule yet.

  • 0.15mi warm-up walk to Point State Park (there's a 1/4mi oval-ish pathway there)
  • 75m pick-up with short recovery walk
  • 150m pick-up with short recovery walk
  • 5 mins jogging - did about 0.65mi (7:40 pace) - Definitely pushed this one and will have to verify on the Garmin at home, but I caught the slowest runners right at the end which was fun.
  • Walked a lap for about 5 mins
  • 5:30 jogging - took this one a little slower, 0.66mi (8:24 pace)
  • Walked about 2 mins
  • Then did the two pick-ups again.  This time I watched my pace at the end.  Both were right about 6:20 pace, which was pretty good for me.  I didn't feel like I was sprinting, just pushing the speed
  • Then jogged 0.35mi back to the gym pretty slow (10:30 pace)

After yesterday's and tonight's workout, I feel "addicted" to running again.  Haven't felt that way in quite a while - hence my lack of consistency.  I've enjoyed running when I've gone out, and although I still feel really slow right now, I'm looking forward to my next training run.  I'm going to be a little sore after today, so I'll take tomorrow off and run again Friday.  

I'm really glad things are starting to solidify for me, especially since the Steelers 5k is coming up real soon!  :-)

NB 758s #2 Miles: 4.00
Weight: 0.00
Comments(2)
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
3.310.003.31

Slow walking warm up & some pre-run stretching - hamstrings were a little sore.  Started at the point and ran a loop over the bridge, around PNC Park, across that bridge and back to the point.  Thought was I'd do two of those loops (guessing they were a mile) with a fairly quick 1/4mi pickup around the loop at the park in between and maybe at the end if I was feeling up to it.

Not a bad loop, didn't try to push it.  It ended up being 1.55mi, done in 14:28 (9:22 AP).  Went right into the 0.27mi loop, 2:03 (7:38 pace).  Rested for a minute then started on the loop again.  I didn't want to go crazy today, so I cut the loop short at the end.  Walked once, but was pretty consistent at 9:15 - 9:25 pace.  I suppose that's my new "comfortable" right now. 

NB 758s #2 Miles: 3.31
Weight: 0.00
Comments(1)
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
3.130.003.13

Pretty slow pace (9:52), but I'm tired today.

NB 758s #2 Miles: 3.13
Weight: 0.00
Comments(3)
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
3.500.003.50

Running 101 class tonight. 

50m jog, then walk up/down flight of stairs x 3 reps.  
Then jog .5mi, short walk to recover, jog/walk 2 flights stairs x 4 reps.  
Walk .25mi to ramp, jog up/down x 3 reps.
Option to walk or jog .5mi back to point - three of us jogged it (9:00 pace)
Walk back to gym

Only did about 2.5mi so I hopped on the TM for a mile @ 1%.  Started at 10:00 for first .5mi then periodically increased to end at 8:00 pace for last .2mi.

Good workout.  Definitely the hardest 101 class yet with the stairs/incline.  Committing to start taking the stairs all the time now at work.  Luckily, my cube is on the 7th floor...I'll have to carry a towel for the meetings next week on the 17th, 21st and 30th floors.  Yikes!

NB 758s #2 Miles: 3.50
Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
3.220.003.22

Not too bad this afternoon.  Meetings were light so I got out at 3pm and enjoyed the sun and mild weather.  Ran the river trail, running 1.5mi out; walking for a few mins; then running 1.5mi back.  HR stayed pretty low, but with so little sleep last night (insomnia), I wasn't expecting a stellar performance.  Something must be working though.  Could be some consistency and muscles getting stronger, but don't quote me.

1.0 - 8:56
0.52 - 4:32
0.2 - 3:17 (not including the 2mins spent helping an older couple fix one of their bikes that had a flat)
1.0 - 8:58
0.49 - 5:08 (walked a bit here)

I was really thinking of taking it slow and making this a 5-6mi run, but remembered that we've got the 5mi scout hike at 7am tomorrow.  I think I'll count the hike as my long "run" for the week.

NB 758s #2 Miles: 3.22
Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
3.940.003.94

Running 101 tonight.  Tried to push it a little harder than normal since I've been slacking too much.  Jogged .5mi on TM before class - 7% incline @ 5.2mph

Walked to the point (.23mi) for some workouts on the circle.

.25mi - walked a lap to warm up (4:20)
.25mi - jog, building to about 80% effort (2:07)
.15mi - recovery walk (2:43)
.53mi - jog, building to 80% (4:06)
.39mi - some recovery walk then jog across field, sprinting back (x2)
.13mi - recovery walk
.27mi - jog, building to 80%+ (1:55)
.74mi - recovery walk with jog across field, sprinting back (x2)
.27mi - jog, building to 80% (1.58)
.23mi - walk back

Feeling pretty good for where I'm at.  No major aches or pains, which is good.  Wish I was faster on my sprints (fastest was 5:43 pace), but my 1/4 and 1/2mi splits were decent.  Hopefully Sunday will go well!

NB 758s #2 Miles: 3.94
Weight: 0.00
Comments(2)
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
3.500.003.50

Why is running 3.5mi do darn hard?

I was feeling pretty good today, a little soreness in the right hip and in the ankles but I think it was mostly from the pickups on Wednesday night.  I'm starting to realize how far down the fitness and strength ladder I am, but I can also see some results of the workouts I have gotten in.

Decent run tonight, although it was hotter than I thought it was outside or I would have waited another hour or two.  But, started in the 'hood and had the immediate uphill, then pretty flat to the turn-around @ 2.0 mi.  Averaged about a 9:40 pace overall with the first 0.5mi @10:30, then the fastest was about a 8:00 pace which was primarily downhill taking the shorter route at the end.

Focus wasn't going fast, just getting some miles in.  Trying to take it slow felt like it took a lot more effort than if I had tried to push it more, which is the opposite of what I'd expect.  A positive, though is that I was jammin' to the Running Mixes of Pittsburgh's own (runner) DJ Bill Bara.  Not all of the mixes are as good as others, but I have enjoyed the recent 80's one recorded at The Rivers Casino here in Pittsburgh.  The 2012 Pittsburgh Marathon one isn't too bad either, although I have tired of hearing Black & Yellow and a few other "Pittsburgh" songs that were mixed in there.

Anyways, all things considered, I'm feeling pretty good going into the Gatorade/Steelers 5k on Sunday.  Can't wait to finally meet a fellow FRBer for the first time (Steve).  Should be a great time even if the weather forecast turned from partly sunny to probably rain.  Dang!

NB 758s #2 Miles: 3.50
Weight: 174.50
Comments(1)
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
35.650.0035.65
NB 758s #2 Miles: 35.65
Weight: 174.50
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