Sweating like a pig [07/29/2010]

Got back from Dover at ~5:30pm. Madhura was not home yet. So I chalk out the route on Google maps and take off. It had rained quite a bit so I was expecting it to be humid. Gulped a banana down before taking off at about 6:30pm
Quite hilly and the humidity did not help. The training schedule said I had to do 4. But I didnt want to risk dehydrating. So cut it short to 3. Had a weird cramp just before taking off. The top of the foot right at the base of the fingers. A little stretching helped. Not sure what it was.
Date: 07/29/2010 6:30 PM
Type: Run (Training run)
Distance: 2.79 miles
Time: 0 hr 27 min 56 secs
Average pace: 10:01 min/miles
Route: 2.8M @ Mnmt Rndm Hls Fairfax
Route link: http://www.logyourrun.com/showroute/K8fyxFbd32Pn7y
Shoes: Vibram FiveFingers
Route:





Need to tune the LYR app to get the correct distance measurement.
Also decided to use previously charted routes to get a comparison reading on the LYR site. Instead of mapping every run.
Tried some sort of an ice bath. Vijay had mentioned it earlier this week. Not that it made much of a difference...maybe because the water was not cold enough. Sissy! LOL.
Meals:
Cereal + soy milk for breakfast, chicken salad sandwich for lunch, banana for a snack, chicken biryani for dinner.
Note: I need to start eating more sensible food henceforth.

Training runs [07/27/2010 & 07/28/2010]

I was too tired yesterday to put yesterday's log in. And it was a crazy day at work too. So well...
Had to do 4M yesterday. But after Madhura warned me not to stress out too much, I decided to cut it short. Went around Leipsic but took a short cut on 2nd street. 3.3M in 32min. Not bad. Not tired in the least bit. Picked up pace in the last few minutes.
Today was a 5M. Took the same route as last week. Very comfortable. Have been trying to work on posture and trying to get this rolling motion. That seems to set in after 3M. Madhura again warned me not to take it too hard. I really don't think I am. 5M in 50min. Good! Feel awesome!
These shorts that I got from Target are great! They don't ride up and no rashes in the inner thighs. Got to get another pair.
Read up on ice baths. Vijay Ramasamy mentioned to me that they could be very helpful, especially for reducing soreness and quicker recovery. Lets see if I try that out this weekend.

Long run...after a long time..and miscalculated! Ouch! [07/25/2010]

I wake up early in the morning to find Madhura wasn't there. She had tried to wake my ass up but couldn't get it to move, I guess. So she took off. Which bummed me. So I decide I am going to do this on my own. Got ready, made up the Gatorade mix in my fanny pack and another extra bottle. 9M after a LLOONNGG time. My feet were going to kill me!
I get to the Vienna point of the W&OD trail. What I decide was I go out 2.25M east and 2.25M back. Then take a water break. And then do the same thing west. Good idea!
I do the first half correct. The pedometer on the LYR app on the phone says 4.5M. Good! I had to add 2.25 to 4.5 and my battered brain calculates 7.75 instead of 6.75. So that means I have gone out one extra mile which means I have to run another extra mile back. So my feet had to tolerate me for 11 miles. I was out of water. And the left shin was screaming like a banshee. Thank God that the trail was shaded. I walked back the last mile. So ended up doing 10M. 1hr42min. Not bad!
So I get back, gulp the blueberry smoothie and ice the feet. Surprisingly, the afternoon nap was pretty refreshing and I felt good!
Route:




I must say that LYR app is working like a charm. Now as I am writing this blog, my phone seems to have conked out. Hope its just a discharged battery.
Meals: Cliff bar for breakfast + blueberry smoothie, cauliflower भाजी + पोल्या for lunch,छोले भठूरे for dinner at Sarvana Palace.
Good day I must admit.

Too hot for comfort [07/24/2010]

We planned on a movie tonight with friends. So the run (3M) had to be done earlier than that. There's a heat wave around here. So I had to get my ass out of bed early enough. And that 'early' turned out to be 9am.
One of the hottest days I have run in. And now I know what they mean when they say that its too hot to run. I was sweating buckets. After 1.5miles, if felt as if we were running for 3. Good thing Madhura got some water.
I thought it would be better to cut the route short. So cut through the woods and got back home. Gosh! We drank like camels.
Got to remember to carry water, the cap and sunglasses the next time.
Wonder how we plan to do the planned 9M tomorrow. Am too tired to even think or plan.
Route:




Pain: The achilles tendons are quite sore. And I think I figured out why that would be. That 4miler day before yesterday. I remember I tried to land on the balls of my feet the last 1 mile. Just to figure out if that helps any. I guess that must the culprit.
The LYR app seems to be working now. I had to re-install it.

A drudging 4 miler [July 22 2010]

The achilles tendon was a little sore. So I thought I would cut a mile short from the scheduled 4 miler.
The usual gear. I am liking the topless run, I must admit. I have to work a couple of Fridays here at Dover. So I can make the Thursday runs.
At the bend where I would have turned for the 3 miler, I decide...well...if this is all about discipline, let me stick to the 4 mile run. So I go ahead to run around Leipsic. Good decision!
I had decided not the strain the tendon too much. So I had taken off really slow. Surprisingly I got to a pace of 9m/hr! Not bad at all! During the run I was contemplating if I should revise my 4hr target time to 4:15. But now am feeling better about the 4:00. Lets see.
It was a hot day again. And I sweat a lot too. Good thing I gulped down the 32oz bottle of water just before getting off work.
That reminds me...got to get the Gatorade mix asap.
The fuckin LYR app did not work today! Was so bummed out. I am sure I did a negative split. Well...
4 miles in 36min! Yay! Amazing result. I don't know how I got to that number.
Map:





Meals: Cereal + soy milk for breakfast, Jake's hamburger + iced tea for lunch, Heat-n-eat Daal makhani + 3 rotis + pizza slice for (heavy) dinner.
Tomorrow's a rest day. Will be icing my feet after I get home.

Quite a long run [July 21 2010]

The schedule said 5 miles. So I 'buckled' up, sprayed some bug spray and took off... topless. This time I decide to take the route that I had taken way long ago when I almost lost my way back. Turned on the LogYourRun iPhone app. Now I am pretty impressed by this app. Doesn't need a lock on your location to start counting miles. All it needs is your height and there you go. Some kind of calculation based on the iPhone accelerometer and its as accurate as Google maps! Lets you measure your heart rate too, if the need be. Got to play with that some time soon. It helps measure your pace in real time too. What else does one need?
Felt pretty good. Did some ab strengthening before taking off too.
I tried not to focus too much on the road...rather on the beautiful scenery out there. Helped take my mind of unnecessary thoughts too. It was a HOT day. Sweat buckets.
This was an interval run. 1M run at an easy pace (though I must admit I tried to maintain a pace of 10m/hr) - 2 min walk. And that worked excellent.
Map:




The other one thing I did was I stopped 0.5 mile short and walked it out. Read some place that recovery is better when you cool down properly.

Meals: Cereal + soy milk for breakfast, 6" spicy italian sub + coke for lunch, beer + heat-n-eat Daal + paratha for dinner. And LOTS of water.

Marine Corp marathon 15 week training program

Here's a program I charted out on LogYourRun.

It's basically a derivative of another 15 week program I found on the same site. All I got to do is stick to the schedule now.

Target time: 4:00:00.

Week	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
1	Rest	4 mi	5 mi	4 mi	Rest	3 mi	9 mi	25 mi
2	Rest	4 mi	5 mi	4 mi	Rest	4 mi	10 mi	27 mi
3	Rest	4 mi	5 mi	4 mi	Rest	3 mi	7 mi	23 mi
4	Rest	5 mi	6 mi	5 mi	Rest	4 mi	12 mi	32 mi
5	Rest	5 mi	6 mi	5 mi	Rest	3 mi	13 mi	32 mi
6	Rest	5 mi	6 mi	5 mi	Rest	4 mi	10 mi	30 mi
7	Rest	5 mi	7 mi	5 mi	Rest	3 mi	15 mi	35 mi
8	Rest	5 mi	8 mi	5 mi	Rest	4 mi	16 mi	38 mi
9	Rest	5 mi	7 mi	5 mi	Rest	3 mi	12 mi	32 mi
10	Rest	5 mi	9 mi	5 mi	Rest	4 mi	18 mi	41 mi
11	Rest	5 mi	7 mi	5 mi	Rest	3 mi	14 mi	34 mi
12	Rest	5 mi	10 mi	5 mi	Rest	4 mi	20 mi	44 mi
13	Rest	4 mi	6 mi	5 mi	Rest	3 mi	12 mi	30 mi
14	Rest	3 mi	5 mi	4 mi	Rest	4 mi	8 mi	24 mi
15	Rest	3 mi	4 mi	3 mi	Rest	Rest	26.2 mi	36.2 mi

So here we go. Obsession with days and miles for the next 15 weeks. 

Picking back up [07/20/2010]

I don't even know where to begin now. Its been so long that I have to relearn running. Not a good thing.
And then I realized I have just about 3-1/2 months for the Marine Corp marathon which I registered for. Damn!
So its upon me to get this thing done. And I am determined not to do this half-heartedly.
So I have to chalk out this calendar and stick to it!
I did not do that this weekend. So I ran round the block.


   
   


Meals: A breakfast burrito from the dollar menu on the way in from home + coffee for breakfast, chapatis and black eyed peas भाजी for lunch, an italian sausage (which Marquis grilled on our backyard grill...yummmm!) and blacked chicken alfredo pasta (from Schwan's) for dinner.
Will chalk out a schedule for the next few weeks to plan for the Marine Corps.