I had my first over 20 minute run today, 21:27 for 1.87 miles. I was really sucking it up towards the end, however, I pulled it off. It's the little things, I guess
I am pleased to report that my new Brooks Glycerin 15s are great. Nice cushioning, good support, and the fit is outstanding. Granted, I have only used them on the treadmill, but they seem to be doing the trick. For what it's worth, I also wore the Louise Belcher running socks that I got for Christmas today, they were also very comfortable.
I am probably going to get into this a little deeper in a future post, but did anyone see the current issue of Runner's World? There were quite a few changes. I can not say right now that I am a big fan, but I think I will let another issue come in before posting a complete report.
Sunday, June 24, 2018
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Hey, where have you been?
It's been a while since my last blog post. I have been trying to get back to a running system, but unfortunately, my training has not been met with any success. It has ranged from sporadic walking (smart, but with no real plan), a run\walk combo (smart, but with no real plan), running 3k at the gym after lifting (kind of dumb, but able to adjust the speed to a quick walk), running 5k at the gym (dumb, but most of the time it reverted back to a run/walk thing), and attempting to go out to the bikepath and running 5k, on the assumption that I have does this before (incredibly dumb, but again, it turned into a run/walk session).
Last week I was at Barnes & Noble and came across a book entitled "The Born Again Runner" by Pete Magill. It is basically a guide for either new or returning runners. Two things caught my eye right away. The first point he made was that if you try to go out for a run without building up to it first you will fail so miserably that after about five or six minutes you will be doubled over sucking wind. Yep, I had this experience. Well, almost; I only lasted about two minutes. The second point was that you can build up to the fitness you were formerly at with a training plan that includes a steady buildup of work. It seems so simple to figure out.
Magill stresses to go at your own pace since everyone has different goals and starting levels. The training schedules are broken down into several grids, such as new runners, returning runners, level of fitness or activity, competitiveness, and so on. I decided to try the schedule for returning competitive runners, and start off on week 3, which is a walk/run, alternating a one minute walk with a one minute run.
The training session, much to my surprise, was a complete success. After 30 minutes of alternating walks with running, I managed to cover about 2.2 miles at average pace of 13:45 (you probably figured that out). My average heart rate was about 130 bpm, right about where I wanted it. But most importantly, at the end of the run/walk, I felt very good physically, and I also felt like I accomplished something for the first time in many, many months.
My next training today will consist of a distance run, 2 x 10 minutes with a three-minute walk in-between. I would have done it yesterday, but I did not want to push anything to set me back. So far, so good. And yes, I would definitely recommend this book, I have only had it for a week and it seems to have all the answers I have been looking for. Thanks Pete!
Last week I was at Barnes & Noble and came across a book entitled "The Born Again Runner" by Pete Magill. It is basically a guide for either new or returning runners. Two things caught my eye right away. The first point he made was that if you try to go out for a run without building up to it first you will fail so miserably that after about five or six minutes you will be doubled over sucking wind. Yep, I had this experience. Well, almost; I only lasted about two minutes. The second point was that you can build up to the fitness you were formerly at with a training plan that includes a steady buildup of work. It seems so simple to figure out.
Magill stresses to go at your own pace since everyone has different goals and starting levels. The training schedules are broken down into several grids, such as new runners, returning runners, level of fitness or activity, competitiveness, and so on. I decided to try the schedule for returning competitive runners, and start off on week 3, which is a walk/run, alternating a one minute walk with a one minute run.
The training session, much to my surprise, was a complete success. After 30 minutes of alternating walks with running, I managed to cover about 2.2 miles at average pace of 13:45 (you probably figured that out). My average heart rate was about 130 bpm, right about where I wanted it. But most importantly, at the end of the run/walk, I felt very good physically, and I also felt like I accomplished something for the first time in many, many months.
My next training today will consist of a distance run, 2 x 10 minutes with a three-minute walk in-between. I would have done it yesterday, but I did not want to push anything to set me back. So far, so good. And yes, I would definitely recommend this book, I have only had it for a week and it seems to have all the answers I have been looking for. Thanks Pete!
A Big Thank You to my Salesman at Marathon Sports in Shrewsbury
Saturday was a big day, it was time to go get new running shoes. Now I know what you're thinking; "hey, you're not running at all, and you think you can retire a pair of shoes?" Well, yes and no. It's true, I have not done any running in a long time. My Garmin Connect Brooks Ghost 9 meter still reads 86%. So, yes, I still have about 14% of life (that is about 55 miles), and yes, that 14% is not going to come off in a week's worth of runs once I do get back.
My wife and I were going to visit my daughter at UMass Medical School in Worcester, so I decided it would be a good time to cash in my birthday gift card at Marathon Sports in Shrewsbury, which is about a 15 minute run from her house. I walked in about an hour before closing to find two other shoppers testing various running shoes and opining on said equipment. I figured I was in for a wait so, eyes fixed on the running shoe display wall, I dug in and mustered some patience when I was greeted by a smile and a "can I help you?" I pointed to the other clientele, demonstrating that I was the last in line when Mr. Salesman quickly surmised that everyone is well taken care of and I was "in the blocks."
I told Mr. Salesman that I currently have a pair of Ghost 9s and they were the most comfortable pair of shoes I have ever had and if he could recommend something similar for my next pair of shoes. "Well," he said, "let's start with the obvious. Why don't you try a pair of Brooks Ghost tens? What is your size?"
He brought out the Ghosts and I quickly tried them on. Mr. Salesman assessed the fit even before I started to walk around. "They look a little snug. Are your current pair 10.5's?" he asked. I told him yes, and that I have been wearing 10.5's since I started running. "Hmm," you know, the kind of "hmm" that signals some kind of concern. "I have another Brooks shoe that is similar to the Ghost. Let me get some in a size 11. I'll bring out a few other similar shoes you can try on" said Mr. Salesmen, and off to the abyss of the back room he went.
It gave me a little time to think. No other running shoe salesmen has ever said that the size of my shoes is too small. Heck, I haven't even realized that my shoes have been too small. I thought that that cramped feeling was the way it was supposed to be. Granted, some of my shoes have been more cramped than others, and I can not say that any injury or soreness was caused by shoe size. Anyway, I guess it couldn't hurt to try a size up and see what happens.
Mr. Salesmen comes back with a pair of Nikes, a pair of New Balance, and the Brooks that he was referring to, a pair of black Brooks Glycerin 15's. I tried them on, and, to my amazement, they felt just as good as my old pair of Ghosts, with one exception. They felt less cramped. Not too loose. Not too tight. My test run around the parking lot went smoothly, again with the shoes feeling fine. I told Mr. Salesmen how good they felt and he offered to have me try one more pair of shoes, a pair of Hoka One Ones. (If you are not familiar with running shoes, Hokas look like a cross between a balloon and astronaut boots) I had a test run, but still the Brooks felt much better. Sold.
Things started to get busy in store, it looked like a bunch of high school kids came in wanting gear at the last minute, so I really did not get a chance to thank Mr. Salesmen. And to be fair, I still have not actually had a run in these new shoes, so for all I know they could still be duds. But I think that Mr. Salesmen went above and beyond to help me out, knowing full well that I am no way any kind of elite runner. So let me thank you here. Mr. Salesmen at the Shrewsbury Marathon Sports store, thanks for your helpfulness, patients, kindness, and professional acumen. See you when I retire these shoes!
My wife and I were going to visit my daughter at UMass Medical School in Worcester, so I decided it would be a good time to cash in my birthday gift card at Marathon Sports in Shrewsbury, which is about a 15 minute run from her house. I walked in about an hour before closing to find two other shoppers testing various running shoes and opining on said equipment. I figured I was in for a wait so, eyes fixed on the running shoe display wall, I dug in and mustered some patience when I was greeted by a smile and a "can I help you?" I pointed to the other clientele, demonstrating that I was the last in line when Mr. Salesman quickly surmised that everyone is well taken care of and I was "in the blocks."
I told Mr. Salesman that I currently have a pair of Ghost 9s and they were the most comfortable pair of shoes I have ever had and if he could recommend something similar for my next pair of shoes. "Well," he said, "let's start with the obvious. Why don't you try a pair of Brooks Ghost tens? What is your size?"
He brought out the Ghosts and I quickly tried them on. Mr. Salesman assessed the fit even before I started to walk around. "They look a little snug. Are your current pair 10.5's?" he asked. I told him yes, and that I have been wearing 10.5's since I started running. "Hmm," you know, the kind of "hmm" that signals some kind of concern. "I have another Brooks shoe that is similar to the Ghost. Let me get some in a size 11. I'll bring out a few other similar shoes you can try on" said Mr. Salesmen, and off to the abyss of the back room he went.
It gave me a little time to think. No other running shoe salesmen has ever said that the size of my shoes is too small. Heck, I haven't even realized that my shoes have been too small. I thought that that cramped feeling was the way it was supposed to be. Granted, some of my shoes have been more cramped than others, and I can not say that any injury or soreness was caused by shoe size. Anyway, I guess it couldn't hurt to try a size up and see what happens.
Mr. Salesmen comes back with a pair of Nikes, a pair of New Balance, and the Brooks that he was referring to, a pair of black Brooks Glycerin 15's. I tried them on, and, to my amazement, they felt just as good as my old pair of Ghosts, with one exception. They felt less cramped. Not too loose. Not too tight. My test run around the parking lot went smoothly, again with the shoes feeling fine. I told Mr. Salesmen how good they felt and he offered to have me try one more pair of shoes, a pair of Hoka One Ones. (If you are not familiar with running shoes, Hokas look like a cross between a balloon and astronaut boots) I had a test run, but still the Brooks felt much better. Sold.
Things started to get busy in store, it looked like a bunch of high school kids came in wanting gear at the last minute, so I really did not get a chance to thank Mr. Salesmen. And to be fair, I still have not actually had a run in these new shoes, so for all I know they could still be duds. But I think that Mr. Salesmen went above and beyond to help me out, knowing full well that I am no way any kind of elite runner. So let me thank you here. Mr. Salesmen at the Shrewsbury Marathon Sports store, thanks for your helpfulness, patients, kindness, and professional acumen. See you when I retire these shoes!
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