Is it October yet?!?!?! This persistent heat is mentally and physically draining. I'm waving the white flag... I surrender!!!
As I said in yesterdays post, work was busy and it carried over into the night. It seemed that the theme of the day was; "Police". One of the first calls was for a police cadet that shot himself in the leg at the shooting range (not an Humble cop). Then we went to the City jail for a man in custody who was trying to use EMS to get out of jail. To the patients surprise, the cop escorted us to the hospital and they were both back safely at the jail within a few hours. HA! Then at 2 am this morning a cop was sitting at a light and was struck from the rear by a car traveling over 100 mph. By looking at the damage to the cars, I don't know how either driver survived, but neither occupant had any serious injuries.
There were other calls in the mix, but that was the "police" aspect of our day and one of the reasons I'm currently so tired. Only slept 3-4 hours last night.
Biked home this morning. I hung around the station talking to a few friends, resulting in a later and HOTTER ride.
Trail Bike:
6.11 miles
30:51
11.9 mph
It's been overcast all day, so I went ahead and started my cardio around noon. The humidity was awful... so bad I found it hard to breathe. Ran through a few small rain showers, which only made matters worse inside the greenbelts.
Started the session running and finished the 5-mile loop with a brisk walk. Ran out of water at the mid-way point and started crumbling. I was wishful one of the home owners alone the greenbelt would be outside, so I could ask to refill my water bottle. No such luck. One mile from the end I walked inside the Methodist church and refilled my water bottle and started feeling better immediately. Before then I was in a bad way.
Run:
2.5 miles
30:00
12:00 pace
Walk:
2.72 miles
48:03
17:40 pace
More than nine hours of cardio in the last five days. Naturally, my legs are sore. I "treated" my lower body to a cold bath. Twenty minute cold bath soak makes my legs feel so much better. Afterwards I had lunch and took a needed nap. I still had a mere 12-minutes of cardio left for the day, so we (Andrea and Taylor) went for a leisure bike ride.
Trail Bike:
2.48 miles
15:02
9.92 Pace
Last, but not least, I hit the gym for an upper-body workout and stretches. I feel good and oh-so-ready for tomorrows recovery day.
Weight Training:
Upper Body + Stretches
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
What Started Bad, Ended Good
Rode my bike to work this morning and my legs wanted NOTHING to do with the motion. I'd like to know what my heart rate was during the ride, because the workload felt almost overwhelming. Townsen Bridge always kicks my ass, so I took a shortcut through a large shopping center alleyway to avoid climbing up the bridge.
Trail Bike:
5.93 miles
37:29
9.5 mph
Busy day at work and the time went by fast. Luckily, no calls during my walk on the treadmill. Normally I dislike the treadmill, but today I found a groove where I was working hard and felt good for a solid hour and twenty-five minutes. Finished the day with a lower body workout and stretches.
Walk:
4.61 miles
1:25:00
18:26 pace
Weight Training:
Lower Body + Stretches
It was a good day.
Trail Bike:
5.93 miles
37:29
9.5 mph
Busy day at work and the time went by fast. Luckily, no calls during my walk on the treadmill. Normally I dislike the treadmill, but today I found a groove where I was working hard and felt good for a solid hour and twenty-five minutes. Finished the day with a lower body workout and stretches.
Walk:
4.61 miles
1:25:00
18:26 pace
Weight Training:
Lower Body + Stretches
It was a good day.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
5-mile Walk
Not much to talk about today. Walked a bunch before and after my run through the greenbelts. Taylor rode her bike along side of me and acted as my personal water support crew.
Walk:
5.01 miles
1:27:52
17:32 pace
Run:
2.7 miles
34:05
12:37 pace
Waited till 8pm to hit the gym. Makes me laugh how I'm able to walk out the door for 2-hours of cardio, yet the entire day I dreaded the lil ole' 20-minutes worth of weight training.
Weight Training:
Mid-body + Stretches
Walk:
5.01 miles
1:27:52
17:32 pace
Run:
2.7 miles
34:05
12:37 pace
Waited till 8pm to hit the gym. Makes me laugh how I'm able to walk out the door for 2-hours of cardio, yet the entire day I dreaded the lil ole' 20-minutes worth of weight training.
Weight Training:
Mid-body + Stretches
Monday, July 27, 2009
Day Zero
I have completed my self-prescribed knee surgery recovery and am now shifting into "serious" training effective TODAY. The next 30-days of my periodization schedule looks tough. Hopefully this is the swift kick in the ass I need to get back on track.
I'm starting with a great quote I found earlier this week:
Gluttony is the source of all our infirmities and the fountain of all our diseases.
Certainly a statement worthy of thought, right?
Spent most of the day on the bike, or at least it felt that way. Biked home from work this morning.
Trail Bike:
6.15 miles
32:46
11.26 mph
At noon Steve and I rode our road bikes through Eisenhower Park. There's two little hills in the area and he wanted to work on his climbing abilities. We parked at West Lake Houston Parkway and rode 4 miles to the park, then rode three loops which included the hills, and came back to our truck for a total of 13 miles. My endurance felt fine, but it seemed to take a long time to recover after climbing those hills.
Road Bike:
13.03 miles
53:33
14.6 mph
I was short on my pledge for 2 hours of cardio, so I jumped on my trail bike for the balance of my daily cardio fix. Made one stop in the middle due to a small grass fire. A couple kids lit some debris on fire along the greenbelt. I could smell the fire for a couple miles away, so I was looking for it. When I found the fire, it was down in a dry creek bed and I saw the kids flea the scene. I climbed down to the creek and extinguished the fire. One of the kids was silly enough to leave his cell phone behind, so I looked in the saved numbers list and called his father. No one answered, so I left a message of the whereabouts and wrong doing of his kid. And to make matters more interesting, I dropped the phone off at the police station with an explanation of how I obtained the phone. Now they have to retrieve the phone from HPD. Although, I'm not sure they will, knowing they "could" get in more trouble.
Trail Bike:
6.32 miles
33:39
11.28 mph
To wrap up the day I hit the gym. It was sinfully hot in my garage gym. I must of drank a gallon of water, but I managed to finish an upper body workout. Also threw in 15 minutes of static stretching. I felt soooo much better after a few light stretches. This was truly a wake up call to remind myself how important stretching is to any program.
Weight Training:
Upper Body + Stretches
I'm starting with a great quote I found earlier this week:
Gluttony is the source of all our infirmities and the fountain of all our diseases.
Certainly a statement worthy of thought, right?
Spent most of the day on the bike, or at least it felt that way. Biked home from work this morning.
Trail Bike:
6.15 miles
32:46
11.26 mph
At noon Steve and I rode our road bikes through Eisenhower Park. There's two little hills in the area and he wanted to work on his climbing abilities. We parked at West Lake Houston Parkway and rode 4 miles to the park, then rode three loops which included the hills, and came back to our truck for a total of 13 miles. My endurance felt fine, but it seemed to take a long time to recover after climbing those hills.
Road Bike:
13.03 miles
53:33
14.6 mph
I was short on my pledge for 2 hours of cardio, so I jumped on my trail bike for the balance of my daily cardio fix. Made one stop in the middle due to a small grass fire. A couple kids lit some debris on fire along the greenbelt. I could smell the fire for a couple miles away, so I was looking for it. When I found the fire, it was down in a dry creek bed and I saw the kids flea the scene. I climbed down to the creek and extinguished the fire. One of the kids was silly enough to leave his cell phone behind, so I looked in the saved numbers list and called his father. No one answered, so I left a message of the whereabouts and wrong doing of his kid. And to make matters more interesting, I dropped the phone off at the police station with an explanation of how I obtained the phone. Now they have to retrieve the phone from HPD. Although, I'm not sure they will, knowing they "could" get in more trouble.
Trail Bike:
6.32 miles
33:39
11.28 mph
To wrap up the day I hit the gym. It was sinfully hot in my garage gym. I must of drank a gallon of water, but I managed to finish an upper body workout. Also threw in 15 minutes of static stretching. I felt soooo much better after a few light stretches. This was truly a wake up call to remind myself how important stretching is to any program.
Weight Training:
Upper Body + Stretches
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Enjoy the Pace
Biked to work. Todays ride was nice and slow by design. Since it was Sunday (less traffic), I decided to enjoy the cruise to work.
Trail Bike:
6.4 miles
39:50
9.64 mph
Fifteen minutes on the treadmill. Easy and uneventful run. The treadmill is inside an air-conditioned gym at the fire station, yet I was drenched in sweat. 10-minute warm-up, 15-minute run, and 10-minute cool-down. Not knowing the exact pace is mentally hard. My effort was solid, but I don't have "accurate" numbers to back up the workout.
Walk:
0.97 mile
20:00
20:37 pace
Run:
0.95 mile
15:00
15:47 pace
Nice long talk with my buddy, Vic. We recalled some great moments we had under the coaching leadership of Steeve Shepard. No one in Houston knows more about running than Coach Steeve and I miss training under his supervision.
Trail Bike:
6.4 miles
39:50
9.64 mph
Fifteen minutes on the treadmill. Easy and uneventful run. The treadmill is inside an air-conditioned gym at the fire station, yet I was drenched in sweat. 10-minute warm-up, 15-minute run, and 10-minute cool-down. Not knowing the exact pace is mentally hard. My effort was solid, but I don't have "accurate" numbers to back up the workout.
Walk:
0.97 mile
20:00
20:37 pace
Run:
0.95 mile
15:00
15:47 pace
Nice long talk with my buddy, Vic. We recalled some great moments we had under the coaching leadership of Steeve Shepard. No one in Houston knows more about running than Coach Steeve and I miss training under his supervision.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
2-miler
Two miles with Kingwood Fit this morning. For the most part I ran continuously. First stop was near the water station and the only reason I stopped was to determine what the group was going to do. The second stop was at the final turn. At that turn I was solo and I wanted to wait for a few more runners to finish with. Both walk breaks were less than 1-minute together.
Stopped my garmin at the exact 2 mile mark. Small warm-up and cool down, which I didn't record on my garmin.
Run:
2.0 miles
24:00
12:00 pace
Watched that last stage of the Tour de France up the face of Mt. Ventoux. Actually, there is another stage tomorrow as they ride into Paris, but its a formality and the final (GC) positions will not change. Very exciting to watch the Schleck brothers try to UNSUCCESSFULLY drop Contador and Armstrong.
Stopped my garmin at the exact 2 mile mark. Small warm-up and cool down, which I didn't record on my garmin.
Run:
2.0 miles
24:00
12:00 pace
Watched that last stage of the Tour de France up the face of Mt. Ventoux. Actually, there is another stage tomorrow as they ride into Paris, but its a formality and the final (GC) positions will not change. Very exciting to watch the Schleck brothers try to UNSUCCESSFULLY drop Contador and Armstrong.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Interesting Run
Biked home from work this morning. Fastest ride so far, but there again, I was on my road bike.
Road Bike:
6.04 miles
25:10
14.42 mph
I forgot my running shorts at work yesterday, so my run was moved to today. I dreaded the run all day long. My head just wasn't in the game for some reason. Around noon the temp was only 84 degrees due to localized rain showers. I should have run then, but I kept pushing the run later and later. Finally at 5pm, I walked out the door. Weather.com reported the temp at 91 degrees. I suppose that's my punishment for needless delays.
The humidity was awful. Like Coach Steeve use to say, it was like running in pea soup. Somewhere along the way a seed was planted in my head that I wouldn't finish. In an attempt to make the best of the workout I elected to NOT look at the pace on my garmin 310xt AND add an extra 30-seconds to my walk break. I know its a bit pathetic, but it's what I felt needed to be done. I'm also proud to say, it worked! The run, albeit slow, felt pleasant. Alison was on her bicycle and I pushed Preston in the jogging stroller. With each walk break my heart rate had a chance to return to normal levels and left me ready for the next interval. Of course I won't allow this to be a staple of my training, but for the time I'm being creative with my running regimen.
For those interested the workout looked like this; warm-up walk, 15 cycles of run 2:000/walk 1:30, followed by a cool-down walk.
Tomorrow is my second session at Kingwood FIT as assistant half-marathon coach. I'll be running two continuous miles with the troops. I do well with other runners, so there will certainly be a shared relationship.
Walk:
1.8 miles
31:03
17:15 pace
Run:
2.32 miles
30:00
12:56 pace
Also performed the YMCA 3-minute step test on myself. Disappointed with the results, but it's just more fuel for my fire.
...t-minus 60-hours till big changes.
Road Bike:
6.04 miles
25:10
14.42 mph
I forgot my running shorts at work yesterday, so my run was moved to today. I dreaded the run all day long. My head just wasn't in the game for some reason. Around noon the temp was only 84 degrees due to localized rain showers. I should have run then, but I kept pushing the run later and later. Finally at 5pm, I walked out the door. Weather.com reported the temp at 91 degrees. I suppose that's my punishment for needless delays.
The humidity was awful. Like Coach Steeve use to say, it was like running in pea soup. Somewhere along the way a seed was planted in my head that I wouldn't finish. In an attempt to make the best of the workout I elected to NOT look at the pace on my garmin 310xt AND add an extra 30-seconds to my walk break. I know its a bit pathetic, but it's what I felt needed to be done. I'm also proud to say, it worked! The run, albeit slow, felt pleasant. Alison was on her bicycle and I pushed Preston in the jogging stroller. With each walk break my heart rate had a chance to return to normal levels and left me ready for the next interval. Of course I won't allow this to be a staple of my training, but for the time I'm being creative with my running regimen.
For those interested the workout looked like this; warm-up walk, 15 cycles of run 2:000/walk 1:30, followed by a cool-down walk.
Tomorrow is my second session at Kingwood FIT as assistant half-marathon coach. I'll be running two continuous miles with the troops. I do well with other runners, so there will certainly be a shared relationship.
Walk:
1.8 miles
31:03
17:15 pace
Run:
2.32 miles
30:00
12:56 pace
Also performed the YMCA 3-minute step test on myself. Disappointed with the results, but it's just more fuel for my fire.
...t-minus 60-hours till big changes.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Where's my shorts?
Biked to work today. Not sure why, but I decided to take the road bike. Took a little longer to get out the door, because I had to get; bike shoes, helmet, gloves, bike shorts, etc.
Naturally, the route was a lot easier. I need to stop bringing the backpack. Cycling with 20+ pounds on my back is starting to get to me.
Busy day at work. As I got ready for my 30-minute run, I realized I forgot my running shorts. All I have is the bike shorts I rode to work in. I MIGHT try and run in the bike shorts before heading home in the morning... I'll have to see how sleepy I am.
Road Bike:
6.31 miles
28:23
13.34 mph
Naturally, the route was a lot easier. I need to stop bringing the backpack. Cycling with 20+ pounds on my back is starting to get to me.
Busy day at work. As I got ready for my 30-minute run, I realized I forgot my running shorts. All I have is the bike shorts I rode to work in. I MIGHT try and run in the bike shorts before heading home in the morning... I'll have to see how sleepy I am.
Road Bike:
6.31 miles
28:23
13.34 mph
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
BRUTAL Wind
Biked home from work this morning. I was in a hurry to get home and go road cycling with a small Kingwood cycling group I was introduced to earlier this year. Broke 12 mph average on the way home.
Trail Bike:
6.11 miles
30:17
12.11 mph
Becky was the only other rider to meet me in Dayton.
This was a BRUTAL bike ride. The wind was ferocious and hit us in the face 80% of the time. It was disheartening to ride a loop course, where the wind shifted back in front of us. Good thing a "tough day" on the bike is still a "good day" on the bike. I'm trying to stay motivated, but today was more evidence that my cardiofitness level is in the gutters.
I have grand plans to make some HUGE improvements in a short time. Send some good vibes my way that my knees behave and I stay injury free.
Road Bike:
19.27 miles
1:21:05
14.26 mph
Then there was the run...
For the second time today I got my ass handed to me, this time on the bayou. Chose the softer dirt surface and waited till 8pm, when the sun was nearly down, but it wasn't enough. Completed 14 cycles of run 2-minutes, walk 1-minute, followed by a cool-down walk. Maximum heart rate 186 bpm, need I say any more?
Walk:
0.91 mile
15:50
17:24 pace
Run:
2.31 miles
28:00
12:07 pace
Trail Bike:
6.11 miles
30:17
12.11 mph
Becky was the only other rider to meet me in Dayton.
This was a BRUTAL bike ride. The wind was ferocious and hit us in the face 80% of the time. It was disheartening to ride a loop course, where the wind shifted back in front of us. Good thing a "tough day" on the bike is still a "good day" on the bike. I'm trying to stay motivated, but today was more evidence that my cardiofitness level is in the gutters.
I have grand plans to make some HUGE improvements in a short time. Send some good vibes my way that my knees behave and I stay injury free.
Road Bike:
19.27 miles
1:21:05
14.26 mph
Then there was the run...
For the second time today I got my ass handed to me, this time on the bayou. Chose the softer dirt surface and waited till 8pm, when the sun was nearly down, but it wasn't enough. Completed 14 cycles of run 2-minutes, walk 1-minute, followed by a cool-down walk. Maximum heart rate 186 bpm, need I say any more?
Walk:
0.91 mile
15:50
17:24 pace
Run:
2.31 miles
28:00
12:07 pace
Monday, July 20, 2009
Heavy backpack
Biked to work this morning. Nothing eventful.
The ride "seems" shorter now that I'm riding it all the time. Parts of me wishes the route was a bit longer. I suppose I could always add mileage to the route, unfortunately, that involves less sleep!
This morning I thought I was going to get caught in the rain. The ideal of rain doesn't bother me, but I wear my backpack with all the crap I take to work. Inside my backpack is my laptop, which I do NOT want to get wet. Luckily, it only drizzled for a few minutes, yet left me with tons-o-humidity for the remainder of the ride. BTW: I weighed my backpack the other day and it weighed 22 pounds!
Busy day at work. We only made three calls, but on Mondays we check out and inspect all the units & equipment. Later that evening we had ladder training in full bunker gear, including air pack and hand tools. Good training class, but I was hot and tired by the time we finished.
That is it for today... one more day closer to retirement.
Trail Bike:
6.39 miles
36:46
10:43 mph
The ride "seems" shorter now that I'm riding it all the time. Parts of me wishes the route was a bit longer. I suppose I could always add mileage to the route, unfortunately, that involves less sleep!
This morning I thought I was going to get caught in the rain. The ideal of rain doesn't bother me, but I wear my backpack with all the crap I take to work. Inside my backpack is my laptop, which I do NOT want to get wet. Luckily, it only drizzled for a few minutes, yet left me with tons-o-humidity for the remainder of the ride. BTW: I weighed my backpack the other day and it weighed 22 pounds!
Busy day at work. We only made three calls, but on Mondays we check out and inspect all the units & equipment. Later that evening we had ladder training in full bunker gear, including air pack and hand tools. Good training class, but I was hot and tired by the time we finished.
That is it for today... one more day closer to retirement.
Trail Bike:
6.39 miles
36:46
10:43 mph
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Pre-class long run
Class didn't start till 9:45 this morning, so Andrea and I took advantage for a pre-class run. She took off down the trial for a seven mile run, while I continue to ease back into running. My schedule called for 14 cycles of run 2-minutes, walk 1-minute. I also threw in a short 3-5 minute warm up and cool down.
Ran on the Campion trails. It was a lot nicer this morning without the sun beaming down on us. My run went well. My maximum hart rate reached 172, so my effort was more than that of just a leisure jog.
Andrea continues to amaze me. Everyday she ask what her schedule is and she does it. I'm starting to wonder if she's part robot. She is a MACHINE and I'm SUPER proud of her.
Last day of class today. I can't believe how much great information I received. ACSM is by far the gold standard and I'm glad I shifted away from ACE. In our class we had a retired NFL strength and conditioning coach, who worked with the redskins. Another gentleman works for the wellness program at NASA and is an ex-NFL player for the Miami Dolphins. Lots of other distinguished people in the class, but those two guys know the business of personal trainer and fitness!
Walk:
0.88 mile
18:04
20:32 pace (yuck)
Run:
2.97 miles
35:53
12:05 pace
Ran on the Campion trails. It was a lot nicer this morning without the sun beaming down on us. My run went well. My maximum hart rate reached 172, so my effort was more than that of just a leisure jog.
Andrea continues to amaze me. Everyday she ask what her schedule is and she does it. I'm starting to wonder if she's part robot. She is a MACHINE and I'm SUPER proud of her.
Last day of class today. I can't believe how much great information I received. ACSM is by far the gold standard and I'm glad I shifted away from ACE. In our class we had a retired NFL strength and conditioning coach, who worked with the redskins. Another gentleman works for the wellness program at NASA and is an ex-NFL player for the Miami Dolphins. Lots of other distinguished people in the class, but those two guys know the business of personal trainer and fitness!
Walk:
0.88 mile
18:04
20:32 pace (yuck)
Run:
2.97 miles
35:53
12:05 pace
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Las Colina's Trail
I CANNOT believe the Houston Half-marathon sold out in 24 hours. That is CRAZY. This is going to complicate the running schedule with Kingwood FIT and I'm curious how we will mitigate the issue. Andrea and I had a knee jerk reaction and decided to sign her up for the full marathon. We were going to do it anyways, but we didn't have plans to pay this soon. I want to sign up too, but I'm not sure I will be ready.
Long, yet informative day two at ACSM certified Personal Training class.
Took the advice of the instructor and ran the Las Colina's trail. Nice, wide, and scenic trial. The sun was still high in the sky and there isn't a lot of shade, so it was a hot run. The truck temperature gauge read 97 degrees.
Andrea ran with me. Snail crawl for her, but I'm always glad to have her company. Six cycles of run 3-minutes, walk 1-minute. Small warm up walk and extended cool-down walk.
Walk:
1.18 miles
21:12
18:01 pace
Run:
1.49 mile
18:00
12:05 pace
Long, yet informative day two at ACSM certified Personal Training class.
Took the advice of the instructor and ran the Las Colina's trail. Nice, wide, and scenic trial. The sun was still high in the sky and there isn't a lot of shade, so it was a hot run. The truck temperature gauge read 97 degrees.
Andrea ran with me. Snail crawl for her, but I'm always glad to have her company. Six cycles of run 3-minutes, walk 1-minute. Small warm up walk and extended cool-down walk.
Walk:
1.18 miles
21:12
18:01 pace
Run:
1.49 mile
18:00
12:05 pace
Thursday, July 16, 2009
First Run with Garmin 310xt
Logged my first run with the Garmin Forerunner 310xt. It's simply awesome. The other models I owned were nice, but this one is above and beyond my expectations. Seriously, I love it!
I set up an interval workout because my fitness level is shitty and I'm struggling in this heat. Who knew sitting on the couch for half a year would be bad for you!?!?! ...just kidding. The workout went like this; 4 minute warm up walk, 12 cycles of run 2 minutes - recovery walk 1 minute, then 4 minute cool down walk. For the numbers below I extracted the recovery walks and threw them in with the warm-up/cool-down stats.
I wore the heart rate monitor and now I see why I'm struggling... my heart rate was recorded at 178 bpm near the end. That is not good, when I'm only running a 12 minute pace. You can click the picture for a bigger view.
Walk:
1.03 mile
18:53
18:20 pace
Run:
1.94 mile
24:00
12:22 pace
I set up an interval workout because my fitness level is shitty and I'm struggling in this heat. Who knew sitting on the couch for half a year would be bad for you!?!?! ...just kidding. The workout went like this; 4 minute warm up walk, 12 cycles of run 2 minutes - recovery walk 1 minute, then 4 minute cool down walk. For the numbers below I extracted the recovery walks and threw them in with the warm-up/cool-down stats.
I wore the heart rate monitor and now I see why I'm struggling... my heart rate was recorded at 178 bpm near the end. That is not good, when I'm only running a 12 minute pace. You can click the picture for a bigger view.
Walk:
1.03 mile
18:53
18:20 pace
Run:
1.94 mile
24:00
12:22 pace
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Garmin 310xt and Alligator
Lots to blog about, so I'll TRY to keep it short.
Biked home from work this morning.
Biked to the bank.
Biked to the post office.
Biked to the barber.
Biked to get lunch.
Biked beside Andrea while she ran.
Now for the finer details. The bike ride home was a little faster than all the prior rides... about 12 mph. Surprising to me, considering I ran 10-hours prior.
Started the day with a GREAT picture of Preston. Erin sent the picture to me via text and I still find it nearly impossible to look at it without smiling ear-to-ear.
On my bike ride to the bank, I rode the greenbelts by my house near the lakes, across from the Country Club. A few months ago I noticed a couple signs that read "Alligator in Lake". I always "look" for a gator, but never see anything. I assumed there wasn't one at all or it was a baby.
In the 30 foot median of grass between the greenbelt and the lake I saw what I thought was a huge log. As I got closer the alligator slide into the lake, re-surfaced, and slowly swam away. That gator was huge! My guess is 8-10 feet and is the largest wild alligator I have ever seen. I tried my best to capture a picture, but it was impossible with my phone camera.
The best news of the day came by way of UPS. My new garmin 310xt arrived today. This thing is so freaking awesome. Garmin is truly fine tuning their unit to the needs of runners and it shows. One of the biggest perks I found, which isn't advertised is the vib-alert. When you push a button or anything changes there is a small vibration. This is handy because I seldom hear the chime when running. Also, the band is a lot more comfortable than prior models. The remote sync is the same and always nice. I've only had the unit a day, but I noticed the time needed to locate satellites was mere seconds and a zillion times faster than the other models. I wore the 310xt while biking (Andrea running) and the watch versus the bike computer were both dead-on... for the most part.
As I listed above, lots of biking today. My truck hasn't moved in 2 days and probably won't tomorrow either. My knee feels good and I'm ready to run 24 minutes tomorrow. I combined all the bike mileage and times. I was going really slow on the last ride because I was following Andrea while she ran. Before the last ride my pace was in the low-mid 11 mph
Trial Bike:
17.83 miles
1:51:42
9.58 mph
Biked home from work this morning.
Biked to the bank.
Biked to the post office.
Biked to the barber.
Biked to get lunch.
Biked beside Andrea while she ran.
Now for the finer details. The bike ride home was a little faster than all the prior rides... about 12 mph. Surprising to me, considering I ran 10-hours prior.
Started the day with a GREAT picture of Preston. Erin sent the picture to me via text and I still find it nearly impossible to look at it without smiling ear-to-ear.
On my bike ride to the bank, I rode the greenbelts by my house near the lakes, across from the Country Club. A few months ago I noticed a couple signs that read "Alligator in Lake". I always "look" for a gator, but never see anything. I assumed there wasn't one at all or it was a baby.
In the 30 foot median of grass between the greenbelt and the lake I saw what I thought was a huge log. As I got closer the alligator slide into the lake, re-surfaced, and slowly swam away. That gator was huge! My guess is 8-10 feet and is the largest wild alligator I have ever seen. I tried my best to capture a picture, but it was impossible with my phone camera.
The best news of the day came by way of UPS. My new garmin 310xt arrived today. This thing is so freaking awesome. Garmin is truly fine tuning their unit to the needs of runners and it shows. One of the biggest perks I found, which isn't advertised is the vib-alert. When you push a button or anything changes there is a small vibration. This is handy because I seldom hear the chime when running. Also, the band is a lot more comfortable than prior models. The remote sync is the same and always nice. I've only had the unit a day, but I noticed the time needed to locate satellites was mere seconds and a zillion times faster than the other models. I wore the 310xt while biking (Andrea running) and the watch versus the bike computer were both dead-on... for the most part.
As I listed above, lots of biking today. My truck hasn't moved in 2 days and probably won't tomorrow either. My knee feels good and I'm ready to run 24 minutes tomorrow. I combined all the bike mileage and times. I was going really slow on the last ride because I was following Andrea while she ran. Before the last ride my pace was in the low-mid 11 mph
Trial Bike:
17.83 miles
1:51:42
9.58 mph
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Late year 100 miles
Biked to work this morning. The Townsen Bridge should be getting easier to climb, but it isn't. Bridge or no bridge, I really like riding to work.
Ran on the fire station treadmill. Twice during the day I felt something odd in my right knee. The treadmill has a forgiving surface, so I proceeded with the schedule to run 22-minutes. The run went great. The weirdness in my knee surfaced a few times, but nothing significant. Ran a pace that made my shins hurt. The read-out showed a 15:43 pace, but like I've said before, I'm positive it's not calibrated correctly.
Trail Bike:
6.43 miles
37:24
10.32 mph
Walk:
0.37 mile
8:00
21:37 pace (no way this is correct)
Run:
1.4 mile
22:00
15:43 pace
Finally hit the 100 mile run mark for the year. Only 100 miles and it's already July... very depressing. I suppose 100 miles isn't bad for having TWO knee surgeries.
For those interested, here's my stats so far:
100.64 miles ran
547.16 miles biked
101.58 miles walked
Ran on the fire station treadmill. Twice during the day I felt something odd in my right knee. The treadmill has a forgiving surface, so I proceeded with the schedule to run 22-minutes. The run went great. The weirdness in my knee surfaced a few times, but nothing significant. Ran a pace that made my shins hurt. The read-out showed a 15:43 pace, but like I've said before, I'm positive it's not calibrated correctly.
Trail Bike:
6.43 miles
37:24
10.32 mph
Walk:
0.37 mile
8:00
21:37 pace (no way this is correct)
Run:
1.4 mile
22:00
15:43 pace
Finally hit the 100 mile run mark for the year. Only 100 miles and it's already July... very depressing. I suppose 100 miles isn't bad for having TWO knee surgeries.
For those interested, here's my stats so far:
100.64 miles ran
547.16 miles biked
101.58 miles walked
Monday, July 13, 2009
Good or Bad Run?
I'm not exactly sure how to interpret todays run. The schedule called for 5 minute warm up, 20 minute run, and 5 minute cool down. I started the day tired, because I got off duty from my part-time job at 6am. By the time I got home, picked-up Taylor, and got back to the house it was 9am. It's July in Houston, so naturally, the temperature was already in the 90's.
The 5-minute warm-up felt good. I even felt fine as I started running, but at the 6 minute point I blew up! I was too hot to continue. I checked my pulse rate and it was in the 160's. I rested for a couple minutes, then set my watch for 7 cycles of; run 2-minutes, walk 1-minute.
I felt fine from that point on. The total running time was 20 minutes. I still logged the entire 7 cycles as a run, because the pace was under 14:00/mile. That has always been my mark... anything less than 14:00/mile is a run (because I can't walk that fast) and everything above 18:00/mile isn't even logged was exercise. These numbers will differ for every person, but these are the parameters I'm using.
While I'm glad I finished the run, I'm disappointed I didn't run continuous for 20 minutes. I'll try again tomorrow on the treadmill.
Drove all the way to Clear Lake to retrieve my wallet at Sun and Ski. That sure was a long drive. On the way home I stopped by Performance Bikes and had them make sure everything looked good, since I've rode ~750 miles since I bought the bike. I typically do all the maintenance myself, so I was happy when the mechanic said the bike checked out really good. All he did was tighten the brake cables a little.
Good luck to those bad asses running the Badwater 135. I read online that the temperature was in the 120's in Stovepipe.
Walk:
0.71 mile
12:06
17.03 pace
Run:
1.99 mile
27:00
13:34 pace
Also bought a cool new shirt today..... "Cranky Old Guys Rule"
The 5-minute warm-up felt good. I even felt fine as I started running, but at the 6 minute point I blew up! I was too hot to continue. I checked my pulse rate and it was in the 160's. I rested for a couple minutes, then set my watch for 7 cycles of; run 2-minutes, walk 1-minute.
I felt fine from that point on. The total running time was 20 minutes. I still logged the entire 7 cycles as a run, because the pace was under 14:00/mile. That has always been my mark... anything less than 14:00/mile is a run (because I can't walk that fast) and everything above 18:00/mile isn't even logged was exercise. These numbers will differ for every person, but these are the parameters I'm using.
While I'm glad I finished the run, I'm disappointed I didn't run continuous for 20 minutes. I'll try again tomorrow on the treadmill.
Drove all the way to Clear Lake to retrieve my wallet at Sun and Ski. That sure was a long drive. On the way home I stopped by Performance Bikes and had them make sure everything looked good, since I've rode ~750 miles since I bought the bike. I typically do all the maintenance myself, so I was happy when the mechanic said the bike checked out really good. All he did was tighten the brake cables a little.
Good luck to those bad asses running the Badwater 135. I read online that the temperature was in the 120's in Stovepipe.
Walk:
0.71 mile
12:06
17.03 pace
Run:
1.99 mile
27:00
13:34 pace
Also bought a cool new shirt today..... "Cranky Old Guys Rule"
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Galveston Bike Ride
Crazy. Busy. Day.
Biked home from work. I took the shortest route possible, but it didn't make much of a difference. I rode on the entire feeder road bridge, and I cut across the bayou close to my house. Nearly the same time and only half mile shorter.
The moment I got home I loaded the bikes and we took off to Galveston. We parked at 69th street and rode our bikes along the seawall, to the ferry road, through the strand and back to the car. It was only 13 miles. We would have rode more, but I have to work the second job tonight.
On the way home we stopped in at Sun and Ski to look at camping gear. Our last stop was at Performance Bikes in Houston where I realized I lost my wallet. After a small bit of panicking, we called Sun and Ski and they found it on the counter. I didn't have enough time to get it tonight, so I will have to make a special trip tomorrow. Also postponing todays run to tomorrow morning.
Losing my wallet put a negative spin on an otherwise great day with my sweetheart.
Trail Bike:
19.55 miles
1:52:13
10.45 mph
Biked home from work. I took the shortest route possible, but it didn't make much of a difference. I rode on the entire feeder road bridge, and I cut across the bayou close to my house. Nearly the same time and only half mile shorter.
The moment I got home I loaded the bikes and we took off to Galveston. We parked at 69th street and rode our bikes along the seawall, to the ferry road, through the strand and back to the car. It was only 13 miles. We would have rode more, but I have to work the second job tonight.
On the way home we stopped in at Sun and Ski to look at camping gear. Our last stop was at Performance Bikes in Houston where I realized I lost my wallet. After a small bit of panicking, we called Sun and Ski and they found it on the counter. I didn't have enough time to get it tonight, so I will have to make a special trip tomorrow. Also postponing todays run to tomorrow morning.
Losing my wallet put a negative spin on an otherwise great day with my sweetheart.
Trail Bike:
19.55 miles
1:52:13
10.45 mph
Saturday, July 11, 2009
KFIT, day 1
Started the morning with Kingwood Fit at 5:30 am. This is the first time I've been a coach with the USA FIT program, so I assume it went as they expected?!?!
I'm scheduled to be at work today, so Coach Bonnie allowed me to leave early. I was left with enough time to bicycle to work. I need to find a new route to station two because the mileage was 6.66 miles. I know it's silly, but that number seems superstitious. The bike ride went well. It was hot and the Townsen bridge over the railroad tracks completely wiped me out.
This afternoon I ran on the treadmill. The foul calibration of the treadmill is frustrating, but like I said before... I'm running for time, not mileage. Ten minute warm-up walk, 10-minute run, and 10-minute cool-down walk.
Trail Bike:
6.66 miles
34:58
11.43 mph
Walk:
1.04 mile
20:00
19:18 pace
Run:
0.64 mile
10:00
15:38 pace
I'm scheduled to be at work today, so Coach Bonnie allowed me to leave early. I was left with enough time to bicycle to work. I need to find a new route to station two because the mileage was 6.66 miles. I know it's silly, but that number seems superstitious. The bike ride went well. It was hot and the Townsen bridge over the railroad tracks completely wiped me out.
This afternoon I ran on the treadmill. The foul calibration of the treadmill is frustrating, but like I said before... I'm running for time, not mileage. Ten minute warm-up walk, 10-minute run, and 10-minute cool-down walk.
Trail Bike:
6.66 miles
34:58
11.43 mph
Walk:
1.04 mile
20:00
19:18 pace
Run:
0.64 mile
10:00
15:38 pace
Friday, July 10, 2009
New Toys
Received a good email awhile ago. My pre-ordered Garmin 310xt is now en route to me!
I wasn't a big fan of my Garmin Forerunner 405, so I sold it a few weeks ago, before the value dropped with the introduction of the Garmin Forerunner 310xt. Only a few have been released here and there. Last week I talked with Garmin on the phone and they told me the first company expected to receive the 310xt would be Heart Rate Monitors USA. After talking to that company, I learned they were the only ones (outside the San Diego marathon release) to have any. Garmin pushed back the release date several times due to software bugs. It seems everything is worked out and I will have mine early next week. YAY!!!
Thankfully today is an off day. My legs are dead tired.
Installed two new items on the road bikes... one is the Profile Design E-pack. Neat little bag that attaches to the top tube and stem. Perfect for nutrition and tools you need within reach. The second item is the newest and brightest tail light. Actually, its the best one I could find under $25. As I get older, my safety becomes a bigger concern.
As promised, here is another insert from "1 world, 2 wheels":
For Our Future
-In 1964, 50% of kids rode their bike to school and the obesity rate was 12%.... in 2004, 3% rode to school and the obesity rate was 45%.
-Between 1960 and today the average weight of a 6-11 year old has increased 11 pounds.
I wasn't a big fan of my Garmin Forerunner 405, so I sold it a few weeks ago, before the value dropped with the introduction of the Garmin Forerunner 310xt. Only a few have been released here and there. Last week I talked with Garmin on the phone and they told me the first company expected to receive the 310xt would be Heart Rate Monitors USA. After talking to that company, I learned they were the only ones (outside the San Diego marathon release) to have any. Garmin pushed back the release date several times due to software bugs. It seems everything is worked out and I will have mine early next week. YAY!!!
Thankfully today is an off day. My legs are dead tired.
Installed two new items on the road bikes... one is the Profile Design E-pack. Neat little bag that attaches to the top tube and stem. Perfect for nutrition and tools you need within reach. The second item is the newest and brightest tail light. Actually, its the best one I could find under $25. As I get older, my safety becomes a bigger concern.
As promised, here is another insert from "1 world, 2 wheels":
For Our Future
-In 1964, 50% of kids rode their bike to school and the obesity rate was 12%.... in 2004, 3% rode to school and the obesity rate was 45%.
-Between 1960 and today the average weight of a 6-11 year old has increased 11 pounds.
Running Partner
My legs are dead after a couple cardio bouts.
The bike ride back home (from work) was tougher than the prior days ride. A late EMS call resulted in a 9am ride.... in the sun.
For the first time in a really long time I had a running partner today. Andrea joined me as part of her 4 mile run. My workout was much shorter and slower, but it was nice to see someone beside me. Between the morning bike ride and the afternoon heat, I felt there was a fair chance I would not have ran 18 consecutive minutes without the support. We didn't talk much, yet I appreciated the company. Seven minute warm-up walk, 18-minute run, and eight minute cool down walk.
Last year I picked up a small booklet at the Lions Club bike race. It's titled "Change the World; 1-world, 2-wheels". It's a great little read and it appears to be a campaign by Trek to get people healthier, reduce pollution, and combat childhood obesity. Anyways, I wanted to quote one of the pages I thought was interesting:
FOR YOUR HEALTH
-The average person loses 13 lbs their first year of commuting by bike
-Just three hours of bicycling per week can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke by 50%.
-A 140-pound cyclist burns 508 calories while pedaling 14 miles in an hour.
Cool, fun facts. Maybe I will quote a page each day...
Trail Bike:
7.77 miles
39:09
11.91 mph
Walk:
0.76 miles
13:41
18:00 pace
Run:
1.46 miles
18:02
12:21 pace
The bike ride back home (from work) was tougher than the prior days ride. A late EMS call resulted in a 9am ride.... in the sun.
For the first time in a really long time I had a running partner today. Andrea joined me as part of her 4 mile run. My workout was much shorter and slower, but it was nice to see someone beside me. Between the morning bike ride and the afternoon heat, I felt there was a fair chance I would not have ran 18 consecutive minutes without the support. We didn't talk much, yet I appreciated the company. Seven minute warm-up walk, 18-minute run, and eight minute cool down walk.
Last year I picked up a small booklet at the Lions Club bike race. It's titled "Change the World; 1-world, 2-wheels". It's a great little read and it appears to be a campaign by Trek to get people healthier, reduce pollution, and combat childhood obesity. Anyways, I wanted to quote one of the pages I thought was interesting:
FOR YOUR HEALTH
-The average person loses 13 lbs their first year of commuting by bike
-Just three hours of bicycling per week can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke by 50%.
-A 140-pound cyclist burns 508 calories while pedaling 14 miles in an hour.
Cool, fun facts. Maybe I will quote a page each day...
Trail Bike:
7.77 miles
39:09
11.91 mph
Walk:
0.76 miles
13:41
18:00 pace
Run:
1.46 miles
18:02
12:21 pace
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Bike @ Work
Pleasant bike ride to work this morning. A little hair-raising while contra-flowing half a mile on HWY 59 feeder road. The ride was otherwise uneventful. For safety I added a blinking light to the front of the bike. The new light compliments the pre-existing rear blinking light for optimal visibility.
I'm looking forward to my new means of transportation to work.
Trail Bike:
7.82 miles
41:44
11.25 mph
I'm looking forward to my new means of transportation to work.
Trail Bike:
7.82 miles
41:44
11.25 mph
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Ahhh, rain!
Thank goodness it is raining! My lawn is all but dead. We've been in a serious drought and the Houston area have seen a record number of triple digit temperatures.
I ran in a slow, refreshing drizzle. It didn't help my cardio-fitness level, but it allowed me to execute the run at noon. Seven minute warm-up walk, 16-minute run, followed by an eight minute cool-down.
I don't feel comfortable running. It's hard to explain. I'm the furthest thing imaginable from smooth and efficient. Almost feels like I'm running with prosthetic legs... and I'm just throwing them forward for the next step. I hope this goes away soon. No knee pain, so that is always good news.
I've been telling everyone at work that I'm officially going GREEN starting tomorrow.... kind of. The plan is to start riding my bike to work everyday. The mere 7-mile ride is a no brainer, except crossing the San Jacinto River bridge, where I will have to jockey for position on HWY 59. They have an advantage traveling 70+ mph, with four wheels! I've cycled to work twice on the weekends without any serious issues. I'd prefer to ride my rode bike, but I think it is smarter to ride my trail bike just in case I need to ride in the grass, if need be.
Walk:
0.85 mile
15:01
17:40 pace
Run:
1.26 mile
16:00
12:42 pace
I ran in a slow, refreshing drizzle. It didn't help my cardio-fitness level, but it allowed me to execute the run at noon. Seven minute warm-up walk, 16-minute run, followed by an eight minute cool-down.
I don't feel comfortable running. It's hard to explain. I'm the furthest thing imaginable from smooth and efficient. Almost feels like I'm running with prosthetic legs... and I'm just throwing them forward for the next step. I hope this goes away soon. No knee pain, so that is always good news.
I've been telling everyone at work that I'm officially going GREEN starting tomorrow.... kind of. The plan is to start riding my bike to work everyday. The mere 7-mile ride is a no brainer, except crossing the San Jacinto River bridge, where I will have to jockey for position on HWY 59. They have an advantage traveling 70+ mph, with four wheels! I've cycled to work twice on the weekends without any serious issues. I'd prefer to ride my rode bike, but I think it is smarter to ride my trail bike just in case I need to ride in the grass, if need be.
Walk:
0.85 mile
15:01
17:40 pace
Run:
1.26 mile
16:00
12:42 pace
Sunday, July 05, 2009
One Mile
At work today.
Two consecutive days without knee pain. Time to get back on schedule. I decided to run on the treadmill after considering the acute slant of the road and amount of turns around the station. My knee felt good, so hopefully last Thursday's aches were only phantom pains.
Eight minute warm-up, 14 minute run, and eight minute cool down.
First full mile since April 8, 2009. The walk pace was 20:15... now I'm positive the treadmill needs to be calibrated. It doesn't effect me much, because I'm running for time, not mileage.
Walk:
0.79
16:00
20:15 pace
Run:
1-mile
14:20
14:20 pace
Two consecutive days without knee pain. Time to get back on schedule. I decided to run on the treadmill after considering the acute slant of the road and amount of turns around the station. My knee felt good, so hopefully last Thursday's aches were only phantom pains.
Eight minute warm-up, 14 minute run, and eight minute cool down.
First full mile since April 8, 2009. The walk pace was 20:15... now I'm positive the treadmill needs to be calibrated. It doesn't effect me much, because I'm running for time, not mileage.
Walk:
0.79
16:00
20:15 pace
Run:
1-mile
14:20
14:20 pace
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Pain Es No Bueno
At work today.
Felt the same aches in my knee today that I experienced yesterday. I've decided to play it safe. I want a couple days without pain, before I continue running.
Wish me luck that this is only a minor set back. I've said it once and it's worth repeating. Any more serious knee issues and I will discontinue running and shift primarily to cycling.
Felt the same aches in my knee today that I experienced yesterday. I've decided to play it safe. I want a couple days without pain, before I continue running.
Wish me luck that this is only a minor set back. I've said it once and it's worth repeating. Any more serious knee issues and I will discontinue running and shift primarily to cycling.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
New Bike
Second run on the concrete, which might have been a bad decision. I felt a couple small aches in my knee. I finished the run, because I felt them in both knees, not just the medically repaired knee.
After the run, I walked Andrea through Boot Camp B. Shaina committed to join us, but she was a no-show. The new circuit introduces plyometric exercises.
Andrea and I bought Taylor a new bike today. She is really excited about her new bike and I couldn't be happier. With a little luck and patience, she should be able to join us on longer rides. Her new bike is a 24-inch Iron horse with Shimano components, aluminum frame, front shocks, etc... In other words, a nice bike.
As soon as we got home, she begged to go for a ride. We rode the five mile loop like it was a stroll around the block. This was a great investment for our family!
Bike:
5.49 miles
34:00
9.69 mph
Walk:
1.22 miles
19:59
16:23 pace
Run:
0.97 mile
11:01
11:21 pace
After the run, I walked Andrea through Boot Camp B. Shaina committed to join us, but she was a no-show. The new circuit introduces plyometric exercises.
Andrea and I bought Taylor a new bike today. She is really excited about her new bike and I couldn't be happier. With a little luck and patience, she should be able to join us on longer rides. Her new bike is a 24-inch Iron horse with Shimano components, aluminum frame, front shocks, etc... In other words, a nice bike.
As soon as we got home, she begged to go for a ride. We rode the five mile loop like it was a stroll around the block. This was a great investment for our family!
Bike:
5.49 miles
34:00
9.69 mph
Walk:
1.22 miles
19:59
16:23 pace
Run:
0.97 mile
11:01
11:21 pace
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