Friday Haiku, Volume XVII

Football and baseball,
Running, not so much this week.
I choked like Boston.


It's been a busy, rainy week and I didn't do a good job getting the miles in. That's on me and I've got to do a better job...ok, that's enough of channeling my inner Andy Reid. At least I had a better week than the Boston Red Sox, who choked away their season at the hand of my beloved but bumbling Orioles.

I've got 18 miles scheduled for tomorrow, it's supposed to be cool (yay!) and rainy (boo!). If it's really bad out there, I could do 10 tomorrow and 8 on Sunday, but I would really like to get this one in and beat or tie my second-longest run ever.

Friday Haiku, Volume XVI

Big change in weather
Fifty degrees out today.
Too cold for haiku



I went out for another middle-of-the-night run last night, and the temperature was in the low 50s or the high 40s. Bliss. For other stuff, I like weather in the 60s and 70s best, but if I had my choice I'd run every run in temperatures of 30-50F.

That said, it was a shock to the system, being my first cool weather run (by my probably skewed definitions) since, I suspect, April. For the first two miles, I found myself wishing I'd worn my light gloves or long sleeves so I could tuck my hands in. I ran 8 miles and it was nice to actually be able to enjoy the run and think about nothing, rather than be distracted by how disgustingly sweaty and gross I felt.

My approach to last night's run was a mixed bag. I must have left my Garmin turned on because the battery was dead. Though Chris offered her identical one, I took it as a sign that I should just go out and enjoy myself and not worry about pace. I did time myself with my watch, and I ran one of my most familiar courses so I know approximately where each mile "mark" is, but it prevented me from obsessively watching my pace.

But, despite my resolve to just go out and not worry about pace, once I got out in the chilly night air, it felt like I was pushing myself pretty hard. Though I'd contemplated 10 miles, my quads were aching pretty bad, and it was the middle of the night, so I decided I'd stop at 8 rather than taking the 2ish mile loop down into Mount Wolf. My fast pace turned out to be an illusion, though. My 8 miles was was at a pretty average (for me) pace of 9:54. I enjoyed the run, but I'm curious as to why it felt like I was going so much faster than I actually was. A couple theories:

1. Though I love running in the cold, it seems like I'm a little older and creakier in cold weather. Knees felt stiffer than usual and quads were much sorer than they should have been at this pace and distance. I do my IT band stretches before every run, but I have to remember to stretch the quads out more in the cold.

2. On the other hand, this could have been some leftover soreness from Tuesday's four miles at quite a bit faster than usual pace.

3. The neighborhood where I run is a pretty quiet one, but between it being 10:00 at night and not being distracted by how warm and humid I was, I was much more aware of the sound of my own footfalls than usual (which was kind of neat).

4. It really did seem like I just turned my brain off for a good portion of this run, which was nice, so I suspect that somewhere between mile two and mile five I slowed down w/o realizing it.

Whatever. It was a nice run.

It's been a good week of running. My 15, under pretty gross conditions last Saturday, gave me my confidence back and for different reasons Tuesday night's 4 miles and last night's 8 were two of my most enjoyable runs all summer. I don't think we're quite done with the heat and humidity here in Central PA, but this was a nice preview of the Fall.

I ignored Hal Higdon again this week, but my heart was in the right place (in the middle of my chest, slightly to the left side). Four miles on Tuesday was what he recommended, and that's what I did. I skipped Wednesday's 8-miles because of the rain, but then made it up yesterday, instead of the scheduled 4. Except it turned out that I misread the plan and it was supposed to be 7 miles. Oops.

While not officially a step-back week, this weekend is a step-back. It says "half marathon" on Sunday instead of a Saturday long run. I think that means I'm supposed to either be in a race or simulate race pace. But, since I treat the marathon as a long, slow, distance run, I'll probably just treat this as a regular long run, even though I've "raced" two half marathons previously.

Friday Haiku, Volume XV

The water rises
And my confidence declines
Time for a comeback

This is has been a tough week for running. I crashed at 10 on my alleged 14-miler last Saturday. This week, I got my Higdon-proscribed 4 in on the treadmill. I tried for 8, which my plan called for, on Wednesday between rainstorms, and just didn't feel well at all (stopped at 6.3). I skipped yesterday's 4-miler because I figured I should shovel as much of my driveway back into place as I could.

This week's long run is 15 miles. I'm not sure I can do that right now, between they way I've felt this week and the rainy humid morning we're supposed to have, and my sort of sub-par training over the past two weeks. I can't get hung up on that, though. I just need to focus on doing the best I can to get back on program as much as possible. 13 miles -- I'll take it! 14 or 15, I'll be thrilled.

I also need to STOP WHINING! I've been very negative lately. About the weather, about running, about work, and probably other things that I can't think of right now. Some are in my control, and some are not. Running is one that is -- to a point. I've been at or above mileage and long run mileage every week all summer until the last two weeks. I can't let myself get too frustrated when there's still plenty of time to recover.

Friday Haiku, Volume XIV

In life and running
There's much that can be improved
By three-day weekends.



Schedule and the power outage (in my house, this time, not my legs. The inconvenience of having to offsite to shower) kept me off the roads this week. I got my step-back week 10 in on Saturday, 10 on Wednesday, and will go out for 14 tomorrow on what looks like it will be a pretty sweltering morning on the rail trail, with lows back in the 70s after cooler temperatures in the morning for much of this week. (66 degrees with 90 percent humidity -- ugh! -- is the current forecast.)

Monday has lows in the 50s, so I was tempted to go for my long run then, but it looks like that's the overnight low for Monday night into Tuesday.

So, I'll try the trail tomorrow, and it will be a pretty un-enjoyable 14 mile slog, just like last time I was there. I'll probably ignore Higdon one last (Ha!) time and run Monday, since it's a day off, Wednesday, and Thursday, rather than Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday-Rest-Long Run. I'm thinking 10, but we'll see what the weather is like and how beat-up I'm feeling from tomorrow.

Enjoy the long weekend!

Friday Haiku, Volume XIII and a Brief Word About Training

After a tough week,
With Irene now on her way
Step-back week is great.

It's been a tough first week back from vacation, and I've ignored the daylights out of poor Hal Higdon again this week. You see, Hal wants me to run on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, rest Fridays, long runs on Saturdays, cross-train on Sundays, and rest Mondays.

I ran my long run on Saturday and then rain prevented a bike ride on Sunday. However, since an off-site meeting would make a Tuesday run more trouble than it would be worth on this step-back week, I cut a run from Higdon's plan and ran 10 on Monday and 10 on Wednesday, which I went into more detail about in my previous post. My long run tomorrow, according to Higdon? 9 miles.

It was a step-back week, which I felt I'd needed because my long runs had been ahead of schedule, so I didn't feel bad about ignoring Higdon (again), but I should probably get on plan next week since my next two long runs are 14 and 15 miles. I've run 14 miles twice this summer, so the mileage doesn't scare me. If the weather's nice it won't be too bad, but if it's hot and humid those mornings...ouch. I probably won't be able to bike this week due to Irene's approach and my cat adoption room duties, but I can get on (and fall off of) the NordicTrack for the first time in years.

After that Higdon wants me to run a half marathon, but though that seems like a step-back I think I'm supposed to run the 13.1 like I'm in a race. After that, the distances get longer and the donuts become more rewarding.

Have a good weekend, and stay dry!

Friday Haiku, Volume XI

Burned-out, exhausted
Just one thing can save me now.
I need vacation.



It's been a good week of running and a great summer (both in general and for running). But after hundreds of miles through the hills of Manchester and Mt. Wolf and an exhausting summer schedule, I definitely need to shake things up a bit.

Friday Haiku, Volume X

I'll run tomorrow.
If I do not die, I mean.
Thanks, morbid church sign.



There's a church building in Goldsboro that's been converted to a house. The church marquee sign is still outside and the owners still use it. I ran by the house on my Pain Lies by the Riverside run on Tuesday to read, "If you wake up breathing, congratulations. You have another chance." I couldn't decide if it was motivational, morbid, or just kind of obvious.

Hey, if you're reading this blog post, you're not dead.

Happy Friday!

Friday Haiku Volume IX, The NFL Edition

Fleecing time is here.
I'll trade this verse to Cardinals.
For a high draft pick.



I'm very excited that the NFL players and owners finally came to an agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. I look forward to football all summer, and a strike-shortened season would be worth nothing to me. How could the championship of such a season be considered legitimate?

This is not a football blog, and for my own sanity's sake I dare not ever create one, but I couldn't resist poking a bit of fun at the Arizona Cardinals today. I think the Cardinals probably gave up too much for Kevin Kolb, a player who I do think will be an ok QB, but who doesn't have the track record to rate a pro-bowler and a 2nd round pick in trade.

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I'm also excited about the week of running that I had -- the extreme heat warning was lifted, and I got 10 miles in on Tuesday and 10 miles in on Thursday. I'm not sure yet when I'll start my training plan, but if the weather is nice on Saturday I may try for a longer run either here at home or on the rail trail.

Friday Haiku, Volume VIII

Summer, you have won.
All my resolve melts away.
This week I yielded.


I surrender.

We've had 100 degree temperatures over the past few days and predicted to continue through the weekend. It was 78 degrees at 5:00am yesterday morning. I kept a slow pace but cut my run short by 4 miles (6 mile run, down from a plan of 10). I've acclimated to the heat quite a bit compared to where I was a month ago, but I'll never get used to that that.

Last Friday, I ran 14 miles. I won't total that this whole week.

It's a setback, but not as bad as it sounds. I still had my great run last Friday, 10 on Sunday (which I count as part of last week), a one-mile PR (that I am very sore from) and six in some of the worst conditions I've ever run in. I'm anticipating another heat-shortened run tomorrow morning as PA continues to get pounded by an extreme heat advisory lasting through the weekend, I might even skip that.

There's a time for maximum effort, but this isn't it.

Friday Haiku, Volume VII: 9 Innings and 14 Miles

Unexpectedly,
Perfection can be achieved
On a Summer night.




Today the Friday Haiku has nothing to do with running. This week, I wanted to tip a cap (a gross white running visor in this case) to the local independent league baseball team, the York Revolution. Chris and I have been Revs partial season ticket plan holders since the team's inception. We enjoy and it plan to continue attending as long as we can.

It will never be mistaken for the major leagues. That's not an insult -- it just is what it is and going to a Revolution game is quite a bit more fun than going to an Orioles game these days. But, the gap between an Atlantic League game and a "big league" game seems greater the gap between my other favorite local minor league team, the AHL's Hershey Bears (farm team of the Washington Capitals), which I've always felt stacks up very well to an NHL game. (To be fair, though, the Bears are a higher "level" of minor league, have been around forever, are the most storied and successful team in their league and play in a stadium that seats over 10,000.)


But on Wednesday night, the defending Atlantic League Champion Revolution hit the big time, hosting an All-Star Game experience far beyond our expectations. From the first pitch by the Revs' own Corey Thurman to the time we walked out the gate it was perfect. The stadium packed with a record crowd; in-game entertainment by the ZOOperstars, hilarious and somewhat crude inflatable mascots (it's much funnier than it sounds -- "Bear Bonds" has huge inflated muscles and "Centi-Pete Rose" has $'s in his eyes), and the Washington Nationals' racing presidents; the quick, extremely well-played (albeit lopsided) game itself; and the amazing fireworks display afterward all contributed to an evening at the ballpark that in my opinion could not have gone any better.

The Revolution have come a long way since the inaugural season, when construction delayed the opening of Sovereign Bank Stadium by over a month and the Revs were forced to play the whole season in an unfinished ballpark. On Wednesday night, they arrived.

(See! It does have to do with running!
Photo by Christina Stetler Photography)

I've mentioned on here a few times that "some days I've got it and some days I don't", and that one of my favorite things in running is when a great one seems to come out of nowhere. While I was pleasantly surprised by the Revs' awesome All-Star game, today's run was in the works all week. With the heat index in the 100s earlier in the week and temps around 75 with 90% humidity at six in the morning, running was complete drudgery. I obsessively check weather.com, and when I saw lower heat and humidity (lows in the low-to-mid 60s and highs "only" around 90) later in the week, I knew it might be my best chance to get a longer run in. So, I had this morning's run circled on my calendar all week.

It was a gorgeous morning with lower-than-usual humidity and a cool breeze at times. The bright sunshine kicked my butt, but I got in 14 miles in 2:20:54, holding a 10-minute mile pace for 12 miles but fading just a little bit at the end. It's the longest I've run since March, so I'm pretty happy with it, especially in the middle of July when I hate running. In celebration, I leave you with Bonus Haiku:

Marathon, you say?
Fourteen miles is a good start.
Bring it on Philly.

Friday Haiku, Volume VI

Hot humid weather
Turns running into a chore
That pays off in Fall

At least I hope it pays off in the fall, especially on the morning of Sunday, November 20.

There was nothing at all fun about running on this muggy morning, but at least I got 10 miles in compared to 7 on Wednesday. And it's Friday (as Friday Haiku implies). That's awesome, too.

Have a nice weekend.

Friday Haiku, Volume V: The (Half) Year in Review in Haiku

Half the year is gone
And goals are only half met
Much more to be done


We're now halfway through 2011, and so I wanted to take a moment to look at progress against the running goals I set for myself at the beginning of the year:

1. Run five 5Ks -- Kelly Shamrock, Honor Bus, Preakness, Bob Potts, HACC Dash.

2. Sub 23-minute 5K -- Nope. 23:55 at HACC Dash is my best work so far this year. Best chance is probably in December at Jingle Bell 5K.

3. Sub 6-minute mile -- Harrisburg Mile is July 20. Haven't done any track work, but can probably at least beat my current 6:44 PR.

4. Run a marathon -- Well, I ran most of it. I got the medal, anyway. Plus, Philly in November.

Of course, running was part of my larger-scale initiative to "Kick Ass", and become a more assertive, confident person. Most of that's outside the scope of this blog, but there's still quite a lot of room for improvement.

Not only are we halfway through 2011, but this is also my 100th post of the year. Thanks again for reading and commenting. I hope you've had a few laughs and hopefully learned from some of my mistakes. This calls for bonus haiku!

One hundred posts now
Maybe one third are worthwhile
Please keep reading though!

Friday Haiku, Volume IV

Do not fear the hills.
The hills do not stop the wind.
Just be like the wind.


As you can see, after my pessimism earlier in the week, I'm trending a bit toward overconfidence now.

I've only run one 10K, so I don't feel like I have a good strategy for them. My plan for tomorrow's Dreaded Druid Hills 10K is to just keep a slow, steady pace, conserving energy for the hills and hopefully a final sprint. That's basically the approach I took to my only other 10K. I know this will be a tougher course, but at the time of the '09 MCVET 10K (great race, by the way!) that was the longest I'd ever run.

We've got a busy weekend ahead of us in the Earn Your Donuts household. In addition to the 10K, I'll simultaneously be running a virtual 5K, the "Sweat Your Thorns Off" (what does that even mean?) 5K, hosted by one of my favorite running blogs, www.theboringrunner.com. A couple of logistical questions: Even though they overlap, I get to count that as running 9.3 miles, right? Also, do virtual races count as PRs? (Or in this case, more likely to be a personal worst?) Back in the world of reality, my wife will return to familiar territory, her third Baltimore Women's Classic 5K. I'm sure the cats will also occasionally be running around the house as they do whatever it is that cats do.

Happy Friday. (Finish work if necessary and) Go earn donuts.

Friday Haiku, Volume III

You should run away.
This creepy little kitten
Is staring at you.
Since my legs are demanding a rest day today, I'll no doubt be murdered by this terrifying creature, which in an ancient Japanese legend (that I just made up) is a demon said to gobble up slothful runners who rest on Friday.

In reality, this is our huggable, cheerful little friend, Elizabeth the Kitten, who spends most of her time napping peaceably on people's laps or her favorite chair. She does stare in menacing fashion quite often, but she's likely as not to purring loudly while doing so, hoping for attention and/or kitten food.

She certainly wouldn't hurt anyone.


Right?

Friday Haiku, Part Deux!

Run slowly today
But fear not the Summer heat
It cannot stop you


It's Friday and I don't have any other post ideas, so here we go again. I wish there was a formula for converting the 10 hot, humid summer miles that I ran this morning into (hopefully) cool, dry Philadelphia Marathon miles. Get right on that, mathematicians. But I'd bet it equals at least 26.3.

Friday Haiku

Perfect June Friday
Go out and earn your donuts
It's time to kick ass


I never said it would be a good haiku. But it's Friday; it's National Donut Day (I wonder who invented that?); I can only hope the weather in your part of the world is as gorgeous as it is in mine today; and I needed a post idea that wouldn't take much time.