Well, I fell off the face of the earth. Ok, not literally but my free time has all been sunk into my iPhone App project the past 2 months.
Am I running? Barely ever, as in never.
Am I riding? Nope.
What am I doing? Writing code, setting up a business to track expenses/earnings, setting up a web site, installing software to help me write software, reading about writing software, learning new software languages, and the list goes on.
I made the decision to put all my time into this App about 2 months ago when I figured it would be about 2 months. That time has come and gone and I have had to do a lot of things I never expected to move this project along. It has all been fun and a learning experience but it has taken a lot of energy and time.
I need to bring some balance back into my life and spend a little less time working on the App and a little more on everything else. I took a break tonight as you can probably tell and it has been good. I still read a ton but not thinking about the App has been good.
I call it the App (maybe it should be The App) since it is such a huge thing in my life right now. I miss running though and I want to get back. Running makes me push my physical limitations and writing this App is pushing my technical limitations. Some day soon though, the sneakers need some loving.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Commuting to Work as Cross Training
As runners, we look for other forms of exercise to fit into a hectic schedule which will help improve our performance. For me this takes the form of biking.
In the spring/summer/fall I bike outside (winter's in Ottawa are a little crazy so I stick to the indoor bike at the gym). To fit in my rides I commute to work so I can shave off some cross-training on the way to/from work.
As part of my commuting I need to carry my gear. Some days this can be, lunch, work outfit, and on days I am running or swimming I need those sport specific items and shower gear. Where to fit it all?
I have bike panniers but they are your usual bike specific panniers. How to stick out a little and have a little fun with the bags that transport all my gear each day? I just completed a recycling project to modify two old leather briefcases into bike panniers. They look cool and are very neat as they float behind me.
You can read more at RecycleMyiPod.com:Turn a Leather Briefcase into a Bike Pannier.
In the spring/summer/fall I bike outside (winter's in Ottawa are a little crazy so I stick to the indoor bike at the gym). To fit in my rides I commute to work so I can shave off some cross-training on the way to/from work.
As part of my commuting I need to carry my gear. Some days this can be, lunch, work outfit, and on days I am running or swimming I need those sport specific items and shower gear. Where to fit it all?
I have bike panniers but they are your usual bike specific panniers. How to stick out a little and have a little fun with the bags that transport all my gear each day? I just completed a recycling project to modify two old leather briefcases into bike panniers. They look cool and are very neat as they float behind me.
You can read more at RecycleMyiPod.com:Turn a Leather Briefcase into a Bike Pannier.
Monday, June 22, 2009
10 Km Race Training
I'm back on the wagon and running again. I've started training with a coworker who is trying to improve his 10km time. If I can keep up with him (4 runs so far and today was the closest I stayed which was only about 10 seconds behind him on the sprints) I/we will be aiming to achieve a 47 min 10km race time in early August.
After the August race the plan is to continue the hard training into the Fall to try for a 45 min 10km in late October. Both of those times would be Personal Bests (PB) for me so it should be a fun summer of slogging it out as we push ourselves.
As cross training I have my self setup pretty good. I ride about 35 mins each morning to work and take a shorter route in the evening which is about 21 mins. I am riding each day unless I have some errand to run which I will need the car for. So far 8 days back and I have ridden 6; 1 day I had a dentist appointment and the other I had to drop off my son to Pre-School late in the morning.
This week, June 25, the outdoor pool near work opens for noon hour lane swimming. So I will begin swimming later this week. Then next week I plan to continue running 3 days a week, commuting by bike 5 days a week, and swimming 3 days a week. By the end of the summer I should be in smashing shape and have a decent tan (hard to avoid when swimming laps for an hour).
Anyone want to join me? ;-)
After the August race the plan is to continue the hard training into the Fall to try for a 45 min 10km in late October. Both of those times would be Personal Bests (PB) for me so it should be a fun summer of slogging it out as we push ourselves.
As cross training I have my self setup pretty good. I ride about 35 mins each morning to work and take a shorter route in the evening which is about 21 mins. I am riding each day unless I have some errand to run which I will need the car for. So far 8 days back and I have ridden 6; 1 day I had a dentist appointment and the other I had to drop off my son to Pre-School late in the morning.
This week, June 25, the outdoor pool near work opens for noon hour lane swimming. So I will begin swimming later this week. Then next week I plan to continue running 3 days a week, commuting by bike 5 days a week, and swimming 3 days a week. By the end of the summer I should be in smashing shape and have a decent tan (hard to avoid when swimming laps for an hour).
Anyone want to join me? ;-)
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Don't Banana and Ride
I hit the road this past weekend at the Montreal Tour De I'Ile. The bike ride was a 52 km ride through the streets of Montreal with a lot of the ride in the 'burbs.
The night before we were picking up some supplies. The guys mostly beer but also something to eat for breakfast. I ended up with bananas and pop-tarts...the breakfast of champions.
Come Sunday morning, it was a healthy diet of 2 pop tarts and a banana. We arrived on time just before 9 at the start. Then proceeded to wait about 1.5 hours as we slowly rolled our bikes up the hill to the start line. With a tour size of 33,000, it took a while.
So around 9:30 I had another banana. Then put the last 3 on the back of the bike.
Once the bike tour began for real (as in riding) I learned I did not secure those bananas well enough. About 4 km into the ride, lots of bumps and I hear a kinda wet thump behind me after some commotion around my back tire (as the bananas went free).
Needless to say I heard lots of laughing behind me as the bananas attempted to land gracefully after jettisoning themselves from my rear bike rack. Oh well, easy come easy go.
The replacement coffee + croissant at Starbucks I had tied me over until the rest stops (rest stop equals food stop). The ice cream at around 40 km did not hurt either ;-)
The night before we were picking up some supplies. The guys mostly beer but also something to eat for breakfast. I ended up with bananas and pop-tarts...the breakfast of champions.
Come Sunday morning, it was a healthy diet of 2 pop tarts and a banana. We arrived on time just before 9 at the start. Then proceeded to wait about 1.5 hours as we slowly rolled our bikes up the hill to the start line. With a tour size of 33,000, it took a while.
So around 9:30 I had another banana. Then put the last 3 on the back of the bike.Once the bike tour began for real (as in riding) I learned I did not secure those bananas well enough. About 4 km into the ride, lots of bumps and I hear a kinda wet thump behind me after some commotion around my back tire (as the bananas went free).
Needless to say I heard lots of laughing behind me as the bananas attempted to land gracefully after jettisoning themselves from my rear bike rack. Oh well, easy come easy go.The replacement coffee + croissant at Starbucks I had tied me over until the rest stops (rest stop equals food stop). The ice cream at around 40 km did not hurt either ;-)
Friday, June 5, 2009
Not Much Running But A Little Biking
Not much running these days.
Not much motivation (need to set a goal).
Not much time (busy enjoying my last few weeks on Parental Leave with my family).
Only real exercise (besides carrying a 10 month old around) has been some biking (dropping son off at Pre-School in the morning via bike/chariot, biking with my wife and our 10 month old, a little mountain biking, and this weekend the Montreal Tour D'Isle).
I expect running to pick up once I am back to work and need something as a break at lunch times. I plan to ride most days but may alternate that with some days where I run to/from work. At 8km that will only take me about 40 mins going easy.
Not much motivation (need to set a goal).
Not much time (busy enjoying my last few weeks on Parental Leave with my family).
Only real exercise (besides carrying a 10 month old around) has been some biking (dropping son off at Pre-School in the morning via bike/chariot, biking with my wife and our 10 month old, a little mountain biking, and this weekend the Montreal Tour D'Isle).
I expect running to pick up once I am back to work and need something as a break at lunch times. I plan to ride most days but may alternate that with some days where I run to/from work. At 8km that will only take me about 40 mins going easy.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
2009 Paris Marathon Detailed Update
Well, it has been too long in getting to this but here I am. Shamed into it, I must admit that I have been not touching my computer much since we got back from France. I have been doing some Faces updating in the new iLife 09 iPhoto, I've been playing a lot of iPhone games, and I have been doing a whole heck of a lot of gardening, playing with the boys, and general chores around the house.
So, first off, if you are not hooked in with me on Facebook I have shared the race photos in my Paris Marathon Photos Album. Check them out for some cool photos of the beginning when you can see almost the entire 31,000(ish) racers.
How was the race I get asked. Well, it was awesome. It was a ton of fun, I set PB (Personal Best) of 4:14:30 which is 14 minutes faster than my first (an only other Marathon) last year. You can get detailed stats from here if you are really that interested in times and such. If that does not work search the Paris Marathon site results page, my bib was 22002.
Here were some highlights from the race.
First, I was standing at the start and wondering why all these guys were lined up in a star (4 lineups converging) formation. I figured they were getting some freebie since there were lots of stuff being given out. Nope, they were standing in line for the open air (as in no doors) mens urinals. Open air urinals became a theme throughout France on the trip.
Filed under the Pay Attention Department. While running the streets of an unfamiliar city (well at least Paris) you need to keep you wits about you and your eyes scanning ahead of you for racers veering around obstacles. I watched one guy do a head of heels (literally) and face plant (a technical biking term for using you face as a brake) as he ran into a mid-thigh high traffic pillar, meant to direct traffic around a mid-road traffic light. Can you say ouch? He actually got up and continued running. Man, that's guts, determination, or stupidity if you ever saw it.
Again, from the Pay Attention Department, there are cat-eyes on the road in France. What are they? They are little reflective caps about a half inch high in the middle of the road which are along the white dividing line. They are there to help drivers in the night time to see the dividing line (in rain these must be a godsend, I wonder when we will ever see this type of thing here in Canada) and they also act to jolt you into realizing that you started to wander across the lane into oncoming traffic (again we could use that). OK, so this guy is running along by the Louvre about 10 feet in front of me and to the left of me. Admittedly everyone is rubber necking all over the place checking out the sites this early, maybe 3 km, into the race. All of a sudden, he hits one of the cat-eyes and one, then the second of his sneakers just launch off his foot, heading in our general direction. He is tripped by this and does a remarkable slow motion attempt to catch himself, but nope, flippety flip he goes. I passed him, as did the crowd of cattle we were, while he was grabbing his recovering and grabbing his shoes. To continue? Hell who knows, but this is why the numbers I saw showed about 37,000 starting and only about 31,000 finishing.
Under the, "Did you read the small print, hell the large print even" Department, yes, I heard someone saying to their friend, "I ran a couple 10 km runs, this should be no problem right?" Ya, sure a Marathon is only 42.195 km, that is only like 4 times my 10km practices. No problem? I think she may have joined the other 6000 that DNF (Did Not Finish).
This just in from the Unpleasant Spaces Organization, when in a city where a Marathon is being run, avoid the sub-way and public transit for a couple hours around the end of the Marathon. Trust me, a sub-way car full of runners is a high "like gym-bag stinky" zone. Move along by foot please, nothing you want to smell here.
While running a Marathon there are many decisions that might weigh on your mind and these will be tougher than the physical aspect of the event. That is until the physical and mental start to work in tandem, like when you feel your pulse racing, your heart feels like it is ready to pound out of your chest, and you take a quick pulse + watch check. Only to go, "Holy Heart Attack waiting to happen, Batman! SLOW THE HELL DOWN!" That was about the 32km mark. I slowed it down a bit since I was thinking, finish and be happy I ran this, or blow up and drop dead? I will take happy I finished. Beating my PB (Personal Best) was a bonus.
When traveling with family, be realistic. You are going to be touring, you are going to be walking, and you are going to be carrying kids around. I decided to have fun, not be a strain on my family by leaving them to sit on the couch and relax before the big day (thereby driving them nuts, mostly my loving wife who would have had to wander around Paris with a 3yr and a 9 month old). Instead I prepped before I left by trying to get in a couple days of touring/walking at home with our youngest in the child carrier and backpack. This way I would at least be used to that before I left. I also said the hell with style and just brought my current 2 pairs of running runners. I used though alternating so that I spent the day on the best platform for my feet while we toured Paris.
Would I run Paris again? Yes, but not for like 30 years. There are so many other places to run, Paris was an awesome experience, the sights were amazing, the atmosphere was electric, and there were lots of little things that make it stand out in my mind. But, we are on this Earth such a short time, I want to see new places and as such I got the idea from someone to run a Marathon in a city for each letter of the alphabet. So far I have completed O(ttawa) and P(aris). So, I have not committed to this yet, but it is an idea I will be revisiting. Heck, come to think of it M(ontreal) and T(oronto) are so close ;-)
So, first off, if you are not hooked in with me on Facebook I have shared the race photos in my Paris Marathon Photos Album. Check them out for some cool photos of the beginning when you can see almost the entire 31,000(ish) racers.
How was the race I get asked. Well, it was awesome. It was a ton of fun, I set PB (Personal Best) of 4:14:30 which is 14 minutes faster than my first (an only other Marathon) last year. You can get detailed stats from here if you are really that interested in times and such. If that does not work search the Paris Marathon site results page, my bib was 22002.
Here were some highlights from the race.
First, I was standing at the start and wondering why all these guys were lined up in a star (4 lineups converging) formation. I figured they were getting some freebie since there were lots of stuff being given out. Nope, they were standing in line for the open air (as in no doors) mens urinals. Open air urinals became a theme throughout France on the trip.
Filed under the Pay Attention Department. While running the streets of an unfamiliar city (well at least Paris) you need to keep you wits about you and your eyes scanning ahead of you for racers veering around obstacles. I watched one guy do a head of heels (literally) and face plant (a technical biking term for using you face as a brake) as he ran into a mid-thigh high traffic pillar, meant to direct traffic around a mid-road traffic light. Can you say ouch? He actually got up and continued running. Man, that's guts, determination, or stupidity if you ever saw it.
Again, from the Pay Attention Department, there are cat-eyes on the road in France. What are they? They are little reflective caps about a half inch high in the middle of the road which are along the white dividing line. They are there to help drivers in the night time to see the dividing line (in rain these must be a godsend, I wonder when we will ever see this type of thing here in Canada) and they also act to jolt you into realizing that you started to wander across the lane into oncoming traffic (again we could use that). OK, so this guy is running along by the Louvre about 10 feet in front of me and to the left of me. Admittedly everyone is rubber necking all over the place checking out the sites this early, maybe 3 km, into the race. All of a sudden, he hits one of the cat-eyes and one, then the second of his sneakers just launch off his foot, heading in our general direction. He is tripped by this and does a remarkable slow motion attempt to catch himself, but nope, flippety flip he goes. I passed him, as did the crowd of cattle we were, while he was grabbing his recovering and grabbing his shoes. To continue? Hell who knows, but this is why the numbers I saw showed about 37,000 starting and only about 31,000 finishing.
Under the, "Did you read the small print, hell the large print even" Department, yes, I heard someone saying to their friend, "I ran a couple 10 km runs, this should be no problem right?" Ya, sure a Marathon is only 42.195 km, that is only like 4 times my 10km practices. No problem? I think she may have joined the other 6000 that DNF (Did Not Finish).
This just in from the Unpleasant Spaces Organization, when in a city where a Marathon is being run, avoid the sub-way and public transit for a couple hours around the end of the Marathon. Trust me, a sub-way car full of runners is a high "like gym-bag stinky" zone. Move along by foot please, nothing you want to smell here.
While running a Marathon there are many decisions that might weigh on your mind and these will be tougher than the physical aspect of the event. That is until the physical and mental start to work in tandem, like when you feel your pulse racing, your heart feels like it is ready to pound out of your chest, and you take a quick pulse + watch check. Only to go, "Holy Heart Attack waiting to happen, Batman! SLOW THE HELL DOWN!" That was about the 32km mark. I slowed it down a bit since I was thinking, finish and be happy I ran this, or blow up and drop dead? I will take happy I finished. Beating my PB (Personal Best) was a bonus.
When traveling with family, be realistic. You are going to be touring, you are going to be walking, and you are going to be carrying kids around. I decided to have fun, not be a strain on my family by leaving them to sit on the couch and relax before the big day (thereby driving them nuts, mostly my loving wife who would have had to wander around Paris with a 3yr and a 9 month old). Instead I prepped before I left by trying to get in a couple days of touring/walking at home with our youngest in the child carrier and backpack. This way I would at least be used to that before I left. I also said the hell with style and just brought my current 2 pairs of running runners. I used though alternating so that I spent the day on the best platform for my feet while we toured Paris.
Would I run Paris again? Yes, but not for like 30 years. There are so many other places to run, Paris was an awesome experience, the sights were amazing, the atmosphere was electric, and there were lots of little things that make it stand out in my mind. But, we are on this Earth such a short time, I want to see new places and as such I got the idea from someone to run a Marathon in a city for each letter of the alphabet. So far I have completed O(ttawa) and P(aris). So, I have not committed to this yet, but it is an idea I will be revisiting. Heck, come to think of it M(ontreal) and T(oronto) are so close ;-)
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Fwd: Paris Update
>>
>> Photo below is at about the 10k mark.
>>
>> Overall it was a good race though I really dropped off in speed
>> after 35k. I was happy with the race, the route was excellent and
>> I will post more details once I get to a real keyboard (the iPod is
>> a bit tough to type on).
>>
Monday, March 23, 2009
Running With Jogging Stroller
My wife is out of town helping out her Brother and our Sister-in-law with their first baby. Baby ETA is tonight or tomorrow. Exciting stuff to have another baby in the family.
So I am on drop-off and pick-up duty this week with our 3 year old (our 8 month is with Mom). Since I missed my long run yesterday I was determined to get it in today. I had hoped to do it in the morning by running my son to Pre-School in the Jogging Stroller (a Chariot) and then continuing to get my total run in of 21.1 km (just a Half Marathon long run this week). The morning got away from me though and that was not going to work.
Not swayed by that I left work early, got home, changed, setup the Chariot and started the first part of the run without my son. I picked him up at the 14 km mark and he joined me for the last 7.1 km.
I am used to only taking one of the boys in the Chariot for a total run and I find that this is ok, though hard on the long runs of 20+ km. Pushing the stroller also makes the shorter, but faster pace runs, a much harder workout. Today's combination of 14 km without any child in the jogging stroller and then 7.1 km with a fully loaded 3 year old really drove home the point that "Man, it is a lot of work pushing the kids."
I never realized how difficult it was until today but needless to say, it was a hard 7.1k. I can only think it must me good for me since it is like an endurance strength work-out. It is a good upper body workout as well as you tip/lift the stroller over crubs/dumps and maneuver around obstacles so I tend to be a little sore/stiff in the arms/upper back the next day (especially after pushing my 3 year old).
I let my 3 year old know today that I appreciate him coming on my runs because he keeps me company, helps me work harder during my workout meaning Daddy gets stronger, and who would not love a companion that sings/tells me stories. Today's story was The Three Little Pigs; of which he would was the wolf and I played the pigs. We were going back and forth telling the story (mostly "let me come in," "not by the hair on my chinny chin chin," "I blew your house down Daddy," and repeat). You might be able to guess that my part was done a little out of breath. He enjoyed it though and it made the last 2 km fly by.
So I am on drop-off and pick-up duty this week with our 3 year old (our 8 month is with Mom). Since I missed my long run yesterday I was determined to get it in today. I had hoped to do it in the morning by running my son to Pre-School in the Jogging Stroller (a Chariot) and then continuing to get my total run in of 21.1 km (just a Half Marathon long run this week). The morning got away from me though and that was not going to work.
Not swayed by that I left work early, got home, changed, setup the Chariot and started the first part of the run without my son. I picked him up at the 14 km mark and he joined me for the last 7.1 km.
I am used to only taking one of the boys in the Chariot for a total run and I find that this is ok, though hard on the long runs of 20+ km. Pushing the stroller also makes the shorter, but faster pace runs, a much harder workout. Today's combination of 14 km without any child in the jogging stroller and then 7.1 km with a fully loaded 3 year old really drove home the point that "Man, it is a lot of work pushing the kids."
I never realized how difficult it was until today but needless to say, it was a hard 7.1k. I can only think it must me good for me since it is like an endurance strength work-out. It is a good upper body workout as well as you tip/lift the stroller over crubs/dumps and maneuver around obstacles so I tend to be a little sore/stiff in the arms/upper back the next day (especially after pushing my 3 year old).
I let my 3 year old know today that I appreciate him coming on my runs because he keeps me company, helps me work harder during my workout meaning Daddy gets stronger, and who would not love a companion that sings/tells me stories. Today's story was The Three Little Pigs; of which he would was the wolf and I played the pigs. We were going back and forth telling the story (mostly "let me come in," "not by the hair on my chinny chin chin," "I blew your house down Daddy," and repeat). You might be able to guess that my part was done a little out of breath. He enjoyed it though and it made the last 2 km fly by.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Nike iPod+ Application Locked Up
My last long run on Sunday was my longest run so far this season at 32 km. As those that read this often probably know, I use the Nike + iPod system to track my mileage and to help with training. I also use the results which are uploaded to the Nike+ site to track my progress and create neat graphs of my distance completed. I find that this tool is a great motivator, which we all need sometimes.
Well, I was pretty disappointed last Sunday when the Nike+ software locked up when I hit the End Workout button. I waited and it did not respond, it just sat there. Now, to complete the workout and have it save to the Touch's memory you have to hit a Done button after you review the workout. I never got a chance to hit the Done button. The Touch just froze.
I gave it 20 mins while I changed and drove to meet my running partner for a post run meal. But nothing, it was just hung there doing nothing. So a hard reset later and my workout data was lost. Bummer, since that workout is now lost and means my totals for March are impressive but not as a impressive with the missing 32 km.
This is the first time this has happened to me after a run such that I lost my workout. I have seen the app lock up before but not during a run. Applications locking up seem to be a problem occasionally on the iPhone/Touch (I have a Touch) due to memory leaks I am assuming. I have heard some antidocial reports to reboot your device every couple days or after a download of a large app. Some games (apps) use so much memory that it is suggested you reboot before playing them to make sure all resources are cleaned up.
Funny, how even the most user friendly devices still require a fair bit of know-how of what is going on inside the device to get the best user experience from it. I get this being a developer myself and into gadgets but I wonder how many people out there just find their gadgets an annoyance?
What ticks you off about technology?
Well, I was pretty disappointed last Sunday when the Nike+ software locked up when I hit the End Workout button. I waited and it did not respond, it just sat there. Now, to complete the workout and have it save to the Touch's memory you have to hit a Done button after you review the workout. I never got a chance to hit the Done button. The Touch just froze.
I gave it 20 mins while I changed and drove to meet my running partner for a post run meal. But nothing, it was just hung there doing nothing. So a hard reset later and my workout data was lost. Bummer, since that workout is now lost and means my totals for March are impressive but not as a impressive with the missing 32 km.
This is the first time this has happened to me after a run such that I lost my workout. I have seen the app lock up before but not during a run. Applications locking up seem to be a problem occasionally on the iPhone/Touch (I have a Touch) due to memory leaks I am assuming. I have heard some antidocial reports to reboot your device every couple days or after a download of a large app. Some games (apps) use so much memory that it is suggested you reboot before playing them to make sure all resources are cleaned up.
Funny, how even the most user friendly devices still require a fair bit of know-how of what is going on inside the device to get the best user experience from it. I get this being a developer myself and into gadgets but I wonder how many people out there just find their gadgets an annoyance?
What ticks you off about technology?
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Longest Run This Year
I had my longest training run of the year today, 32 km, and it went well. Just 1 second off my goal pace so that was pretty good.
Joining me for 1/3 of the run was Hiking Man which made that hour fly by. We talked about upcoming races and unless something intercedes we will be running the two 5 Peaks Trail races coming up in September and October. There are 5 races over the summer/fall in our region but only one is in the spring, the rest are late August, September and October. The two races we will do are near by (45 min drive at most), while the other 3 are 2-3 hours away which is more than I can work into a busy family schedule.
Today's run went well, but I did develop a pretty big blister (larger than a toonie) on my right foot behind the big toe. This was disappointing since it slowed down my last about 5 km. My big hope right now is that this blister will toughen up that section of my foot and be ready for the extra 10.2 km that race day will bring.
3 weeks to race day and I am getting excited.
I've probably said it here before but a Marathon has 2 halves, the first 32 km and the last 10.2 km. The first half (32 km) is really about training, your training gets you here and you know you can do it. The last half (10.2 km) is about the mental game, especially if you develop something like a blister on the first half.
So, with 3 weeks to go, I am now into taper mode. Which means lower distance running but with higher speed to simulate race day. Looking at the next 3 weeks I have a 13km, 8km, 21.1km, 13km, 10km, 16km, 10km, 5km, and Race Day (42.195 km). So another 96.2 km until race day with 390 completed so far this year.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
A Running Partner Helps A Long Run Fly By
I had great luck today, I had 2 running partners. First, my 3 year old asked to come on my run and since I was only running 24 km I said ok. (Next week I will have to pass since I have a 32 km run coming up.) So, we went to his swimming lesson, arrived home at noon, had a bit to eat and then packed the car with our gear (running gear, water, toys, food for both of us, and the chariot).
Since I was taking my son in the running stroller I figured the best route for least water, bumps, and maximum side walk space would be along the canal. So we headed down to Dow's Lake and parked. We began the run, my son quickly breaking out his food supplies since he mostly skipped lunch, and started from Dow's Lake towards Laurier.
At about the 4 km mark, I ran into Steve Mahood who ran on the 2007 CBC Ottawa Gotta Run team with me. He had about 16 km to go and was running near my pace so we joined up for our run. My son had passed out at about the 2 km mark and stayed sleeping until about kilometre 16.
Steve and I caught up, ran a little too fast, slowed down often to keep from blowing out but kept up a steady chat for most of the run. Things got a little quiet around the 18 km mark when we were both pushing it. It was good to catch up with an past running friend and it made the kilometres just slip by.
Makes me think I should run with someone more often, it was a good time and I still achieved my goal (while pushing the running stroller no less).
Since I was taking my son in the running stroller I figured the best route for least water, bumps, and maximum side walk space would be along the canal. So we headed down to Dow's Lake and parked. We began the run, my son quickly breaking out his food supplies since he mostly skipped lunch, and started from Dow's Lake towards Laurier.
At about the 4 km mark, I ran into Steve Mahood who ran on the 2007 CBC Ottawa Gotta Run team with me. He had about 16 km to go and was running near my pace so we joined up for our run. My son had passed out at about the 2 km mark and stayed sleeping until about kilometre 16.
Steve and I caught up, ran a little too fast, slowed down often to keep from blowing out but kept up a steady chat for most of the run. Things got a little quiet around the 18 km mark when we were both pushing it. It was good to catch up with an past running friend and it made the kilometres just slip by.
Makes me think I should run with someone more often, it was a good time and I still achieved my goal (while pushing the running stroller no less).
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Cool Tech
Some things amaze even me. Now this one has been around for a while but I still think the idea is cool. In some races they will send an SMS message (a small text message of up to 140-160 characters) to the cell phone of a friend/family member with your time/place as you cross at certain points in the race. In Paris they will be sending out an SMS at the half way point 21.1km and at 30km.
The service is being offered by Gaz de France. In case my explanation was not clear, here is an animation they put together demoing the service: http://marathondeparis.jetmultimedia.fr/img/PopUp.swf
So far the site to register for this service has been flaky. I can not figure out the combo of name and birthdate it wants from me to register me. No error mesages, just a little > Invalid < message.
So once I figure out how to get into the site I will see how many people I can register. If you are interested in me adding you to the list then send me a mail with your cell number. Family and friends first. I will also try adding my twitter feed so that it gets twittered. That will show up here or on the right or on my feed if you are subscribed.
The service is being offered by Gaz de France. In case my explanation was not clear, here is an animation they put together demoing the service: http://marathondeparis.jetmultimedia.fr/img/PopUp.swf
So far the site to register for this service has been flaky. I can not figure out the combo of name and birthdate it wants from me to register me. No error mesages, just a little > Invalid < message.
So once I figure out how to get into the site I will see how many people I can register. If you are interested in me adding you to the list then send me a mail with your cell number. Family and friends first. I will also try adding my twitter feed so that it gets twittered. That will show up here or on the right or on my feed if you are subscribed.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Going Strong
Looking at the mileage so far this year I am blown away. Wow, the miles add up when you are training for a Marathon.
This year's training is going very well. Having completed my first Marathon last year I am more confident that with this year's outing. I feel stronger, I am completing my longer runs without the problems that plagued me (calf pains), I am not very sore after my long runs (only stiff for a day though the blisters I have collected last week had me limping a bit on Monday and Tuesday).
Running this much means more shoes. The pair I have now I purchased in the fall last year and I will need to get a new pair to break in for the Marathon. The ones I have now are no longer lasting to the end of my long runs. So they are fine for shorter (10km-ish) runs for a while.
As for some of the issues you must deal with when you start running for 3+ hours (if you are a 4h 28min range Marathon runner, my time from last year), I have been revisiting them recently:
This year's training is going very well. Having completed my first Marathon last year I am more confident that with this year's outing. I feel stronger, I am completing my longer runs without the problems that plagued me (calf pains), I am not very sore after my long runs (only stiff for a day though the blisters I have collected last week had me limping a bit on Monday and Tuesday).
Running this much means more shoes. The pair I have now I purchased in the fall last year and I will need to get a new pair to break in for the Marathon. The ones I have now are no longer lasting to the end of my long runs. So they are fine for shorter (10km-ish) runs for a while.
As for some of the issues you must deal with when you start running for 3+ hours (if you are a 4h 28min range Marathon runner, my time from last year), I have been revisiting them recently:
- Blisters: little ones and a huge one on my arch from my orthotics. I am double socking it with under/wicking socks but it is not stopping the fact my feet need to build up some callouses to handle the beating.
- Friction Burns (only thing I can think to call them) in private areas, under arms, nipples. Body Glide (looks like a stick of deodorant) has helped out here very well. One note, don't wear one of your favorite shirts when using Body Glide or other anti-friction creams since you may end up with a shirt that is now permanently stained from the oil I assume is in the product. Not sure if the stain came from Body Glide or something else I tried.
- Training takes a long time. You need a supportive spouse when you have 2 children under 4. My wife is a key part of my training plan, her support helps me attain this silly goals I set.
- Sleep is critical. You need more. Missing it (sick, teething 6 month old, overtime) leads to lower energy, possibility of injury and of course being overtrained (which basically translates to under rested for a simplistic look at it).
- Food is critical. Junk in, junk out. Be good to yur body, refuel during your run (I refuel about every 45 mins and take water every 20 mins or when I feel thristy).
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Underslept + Hard Training = Overtraining
My 6 month old has been teething for about 3 weeks now. He is onto the 7-8 teeth now. My wife, bless her soul, has been taking the brunt of it in the night times (getting up with him) but we are all not getting enough sleep. A screaming kid in the house in the night time does not a good sleep make.
So, pile that one with the training which I have been working very hard to on, and I was blown this week. I rested on Monday instead of cross training, I ran hard on Tuesday, then cross trained on Wednesday, but Wednesday night was a low sleep night so I took off Thursday/Friday/Saturday, and did my long run today.
I needed the break,even with skipping one of my runs, my legs were heavy at the start of the run today. I was facing a 29km run today at a goal pace of 6:09/km. I was blown at about 27km and at 28km I stopped and walked the rest of the way home (only .43km). Actual time was 3hr 1min 55sec or 6:24/km.
Not bad considering I only started to dial up the distance last month, but I am hoping I get more sleep this week so I can tackle next weekends 32km with a little more pep. Here I am hoping to have pep running 32km, heck I am pretty stoked I can hammer out 28km right now. I got a glimpse today that even with a compressed training schedule (I wish I had 4 more weeks) I should be ready for the Marathon in April.
Now, I am going to go crash and read a book while I wait for my family to get home.
So, pile that one with the training which I have been working very hard to on, and I was blown this week. I rested on Monday instead of cross training, I ran hard on Tuesday, then cross trained on Wednesday, but Wednesday night was a low sleep night so I took off Thursday/Friday/Saturday, and did my long run today.
I needed the break,even with skipping one of my runs, my legs were heavy at the start of the run today. I was facing a 29km run today at a goal pace of 6:09/km. I was blown at about 27km and at 28km I stopped and walked the rest of the way home (only .43km). Actual time was 3hr 1min 55sec or 6:24/km.
Not bad considering I only started to dial up the distance last month, but I am hoping I get more sleep this week so I can tackle next weekends 32km with a little more pep. Here I am hoping to have pep running 32km, heck I am pretty stoked I can hammer out 28km right now. I got a glimpse today that even with a compressed training schedule (I wish I had 4 more weeks) I should be ready for the Marathon in April.
Now, I am going to go crash and read a book while I wait for my family to get home.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Weight Goal Tracking
So far I am doing well with the weight goal. I am using FitDay for PC (we purchased it a few years ago and it helped then, as it is now). I am using it to plan my daily calorie intake, track my exercise and plan my weight loss goal.
The PC program costs money but you can use the web based software for free. Go to http://fitday.com and sign up for an account. You can even sync your online account with your PC software for an extra cost (not something I plan to do).
So how does it work for weight loss? You put in your stats (weight, age, height, etc.), select a desired weight goal and an end date when you'd like to reach that weight. The software then tells you the average weight per week that you must lose to reach your goal. I currently need to lose 1.34 lb/week to reach my target of 175 lb for April 5. As you will see, at the start I have been losing more than that a week.
So how is it going? Well, first a disclaimer on my results. I was sick with Tonsillitis one of the weeks and I have been fitting a mild stomach flu this week which is mostly just curbing my appetite (nothing serious). So far, since Jan 1, I have lost 7 lb.
How have I done that besides the extra help with appetite suppression brought on by a wickedly sore throat and an upset stomach? By having a calorie deficit everyday since I started tracking with Fitday (I know that for sure, but I am pretty sure I was eating less than I burned while I had Tonsillitis as well) I am losing weight steadily for now. I am sure the weight loss will start to slow as it usually does, but hopefully the combination of running 3 days/week, strength training 2x/week, and cross training 3 days/week will help to keep the fat burning alive.
Here are some Fitday graphs to show my progress so far. The first shows my progress so far this month. As you can see, I have lost 2.33lb/week on average. A little higher than I'd like but I find that when you first start a diet you lose your first few pounds fast.
Next up is a graphs showing the last five days of calorie intake versus output. As you can see the long run on Sunday is a real big deficit. I'd aim to eat more after those long runs but I already fill up on food immediately after a run and feel pretty good. I think I might add a sports drink as well to increase the carb intake for muscle refueling (beer is a good choice as well ;-).
I'll give further updates as time goes on to show how tracking my calorie intake/outtake, tracking my exercise, and the increased exercise routine is helping me with my goal. Two of the big reasons I am doing this is to help reduce running injuries and to be lighter which means faster when I run. My sneakers might even last longer which means I save some money ;-)
The PC program costs money but you can use the web based software for free. Go to http://fitday.com and sign up for an account. You can even sync your online account with your PC software for an extra cost (not something I plan to do).
So how does it work for weight loss? You put in your stats (weight, age, height, etc.), select a desired weight goal and an end date when you'd like to reach that weight. The software then tells you the average weight per week that you must lose to reach your goal. I currently need to lose 1.34 lb/week to reach my target of 175 lb for April 5. As you will see, at the start I have been losing more than that a week.
So how is it going? Well, first a disclaimer on my results. I was sick with Tonsillitis one of the weeks and I have been fitting a mild stomach flu this week which is mostly just curbing my appetite (nothing serious). So far, since Jan 1, I have lost 7 lb.
How have I done that besides the extra help with appetite suppression brought on by a wickedly sore throat and an upset stomach? By having a calorie deficit everyday since I started tracking with Fitday (I know that for sure, but I am pretty sure I was eating less than I burned while I had Tonsillitis as well) I am losing weight steadily for now. I am sure the weight loss will start to slow as it usually does, but hopefully the combination of running 3 days/week, strength training 2x/week, and cross training 3 days/week will help to keep the fat burning alive.
Here are some Fitday graphs to show my progress so far. The first shows my progress so far this month. As you can see, I have lost 2.33lb/week on average. A little higher than I'd like but I find that when you first start a diet you lose your first few pounds fast.
Next up is a graphs showing the last five days of calorie intake versus output. As you can see the long run on Sunday is a real big deficit. I'd aim to eat more after those long runs but I already fill up on food immediately after a run and feel pretty good. I think I might add a sports drink as well to increase the carb intake for muscle refueling (beer is a good choice as well ;-).
I'll give further updates as time goes on to show how tracking my calorie intake/outtake, tracking my exercise, and the increased exercise routine is helping me with my goal. Two of the big reasons I am doing this is to help reduce running injuries and to be lighter which means faster when I run. My sneakers might even last longer which means I save some money ;-)
Monday, January 19, 2009
Dial Up The Distance
Well, this weekend was a bit of a stress test. Was I ready to start dialing up the distance in my training?
Apparently so. I did a 19km run this Sunday and though I start to lag a bit on the last 3 km, I kept a fairly consistent pace for the first 16km. I was also feeling pretty good (though very tired) last night and today I was tired. My legs were pretty good today given the run, but my muscles were tired and the hips were a little sore.
This is good, since I have to start logging the long runs if I stand a chance of completing the Marathon on April 5. That's only 11 weeks left of training.
Last week I started strength training and that really did my legs in. My large butt muscles were very sore Thursday and Friday. So I took off Friday, got 4km of skating in on the canal on Saturday, and then my run on Sunday.
Today was another strength training day and I am not as sore this time around. I skipped the rowing today since I am still run down from the big run yesterday. Tomorrow is back at it though with another rowing workout and strength training.
Apparently so. I did a 19km run this Sunday and though I start to lag a bit on the last 3 km, I kept a fairly consistent pace for the first 16km. I was also feeling pretty good (though very tired) last night and today I was tired. My legs were pretty good today given the run, but my muscles were tired and the hips were a little sore.
This is good, since I have to start logging the long runs if I stand a chance of completing the Marathon on April 5. That's only 11 weeks left of training.
Last week I started strength training and that really did my legs in. My large butt muscles were very sore Thursday and Friday. So I took off Friday, got 4km of skating in on the canal on Saturday, and then my run on Sunday.
Today was another strength training day and I am not as sore this time around. I skipped the rowing today since I am still run down from the big run yesterday. Tomorrow is back at it though with another rowing workout and strength training.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Be Gone Sickness
Ok, the meds worked and I am feeling better. I am back at work and back into training.
Here was training the past two days:
* Monday, Jan 12, 2009: Rowing Machine for 30 mins
* Tuesday, Jan 13, 2009: Running, 20 min warm-up, 3x1 mile (1600 metre) repeats with 1 min Rest Interval between miles, 10 min cool-down.
Plan is to get in some gym time tomorrow including strength training and some spinning. Then Thursday is swimming for 30 mins. Running again on Friday and Sunday.
Rest on Saturday.
It feels good to be back.
Here was training the past two days:
* Monday, Jan 12, 2009: Rowing Machine for 30 mins
* Tuesday, Jan 13, 2009: Running, 20 min warm-up, 3x1 mile (1600 metre) repeats with 1 min Rest Interval between miles, 10 min cool-down.
Plan is to get in some gym time tomorrow including strength training and some spinning. Then Thursday is swimming for 30 mins. Running again on Friday and Sunday.
Rest on Saturday.
It feels good to be back.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Repeat of 2008?
So far, this winter and this year is shaping up to be a repeat of last year. How is that? Well, I had a nasty cold in early December, another cold at the start of Christmas vacation which lasted a week, and to top it off, I have been suffering, what I thought was a flu, this week.
How did the week begin? Saturday was a very low in energy day as was Sunday, then Sunday evening I started to get as sore throat and fever. The fever turned into 102 degrees with Advil (at one point early Monday morning) and then started alternating between a wicked fever and then cold sweats.
So, since Sunday I have been fighting the recurring fever/cold sweat. I figured, ahh this is a flu, ride it out for 3 days and see how I feel. Well, today I went to the Doctor and he looks at me, listens to me try to talk, and before looking in my mouth says "You have Tonsillitis." He then checks my throat and sure enough (something I should have looked at in the mirror) there are white globs (puss for the non-squeamish) on the back of my throat.
A prescription of antibiotics and I am now (hopefully) on the road to recovery. I am hoping that my throat starts to feel better tomorrow sometime. I can't sleep because my throat gets so sore. I basically lie in a heap and pass out between small hacking fits. Then the fever and chills kick in.
So, as with last years multiple colds in the winter, the year is starting the same.
And I have a physical scheduled for tomorrow which the Doctor thought would be fine to do given he knows my normal pitiful state.
I really want to run and each time I start to feel a little better I think, ok if this keeps up for another hour then I am going for a run. Feeling good sometimes lasts about 15-30 mins before another fever hits.
Anyways, I am rambling along here (since talking out loud hurts most of the time) but I am not deterred. Once my body starts to right itself I will be out pounding the pavement again.
How did the week begin? Saturday was a very low in energy day as was Sunday, then Sunday evening I started to get as sore throat and fever. The fever turned into 102 degrees with Advil (at one point early Monday morning) and then started alternating between a wicked fever and then cold sweats.
So, since Sunday I have been fighting the recurring fever/cold sweat. I figured, ahh this is a flu, ride it out for 3 days and see how I feel. Well, today I went to the Doctor and he looks at me, listens to me try to talk, and before looking in my mouth says "You have Tonsillitis." He then checks my throat and sure enough (something I should have looked at in the mirror) there are white globs (puss for the non-squeamish) on the back of my throat.
A prescription of antibiotics and I am now (hopefully) on the road to recovery. I am hoping that my throat starts to feel better tomorrow sometime. I can't sleep because my throat gets so sore. I basically lie in a heap and pass out between small hacking fits. Then the fever and chills kick in.
So, as with last years multiple colds in the winter, the year is starting the same.
And I have a physical scheduled for tomorrow which the Doctor thought would be fine to do given he knows my normal pitiful state.
I really want to run and each time I start to feel a little better I think, ok if this keeps up for another hour then I am going for a run. Feeling good sometimes lasts about 15-30 mins before another fever hits.
Anyways, I am rambling along here (since talking out loud hurts most of the time) but I am not deterred. Once my body starts to right itself I will be out pounding the pavement again.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
A New Year, 1000km to Go
Well, a new year as rung itself in. Being sleep deprived due to a sick 5 month old that we are trying to help learn to sleep through the night (hard when he is up with a hacking cough); our night was decidedly uneventful (if you minus the 2 hours of non-stop prep work for Christmas Part 2 today) as we went to bed our usual "late" time of 11pm.
To clear a couple things up from the previous paragraph:
As for additional goals. I figured that running all year would help me shed a couple pounds and bring me back to my weight of 175 lbs when I am doing regular exercise (and eating properly). Well, the unstated weight goal last year did not materialize. Oh yes, I lost a little. But no where near what I hoped. What went wrong with that one? Well, for starters I never stated it, I never wrote a plan, hence I stuck to no plan.
No plan for me means, "Ahh, I did a big run, how about a donut? Sure." These are the thoughts and actions of sinking ship before it even sets sail. So, for 2009, call it a resolution if you want but I will call it Phase 2 from Mark's Brain, "Reach desired long term weight." (Phase 1 being run 1000 km a year to keep me on the exercise track.)
Phase 2 consists of the following measurable targets:
To clear a couple things up from the previous paragraph:
- "Early" bed-time around here is 10pm. Anything else is late.
- Christmas Part 2: Held around New Years when some of the Family comes to visit my wife's side of the family. It consists of gift giving and a second Christmas Dinner (most excellent).
As for additional goals. I figured that running all year would help me shed a couple pounds and bring me back to my weight of 175 lbs when I am doing regular exercise (and eating properly). Well, the unstated weight goal last year did not materialize. Oh yes, I lost a little. But no where near what I hoped. What went wrong with that one? Well, for starters I never stated it, I never wrote a plan, hence I stuck to no plan.
No plan for me means, "Ahh, I did a big run, how about a donut? Sure." These are the thoughts and actions of sinking ship before it even sets sail. So, for 2009, call it a resolution if you want but I will call it Phase 2 from Mark's Brain, "Reach desired long term weight." (Phase 1 being run 1000 km a year to keep me on the exercise track.)
Phase 2 consists of the following measurable targets:
- Achieve a 10% reduction in body weight at the beginning of 2009. Current weight is 195lb so we are aiming for let's call it a round 20lb weight loss.
- 2009 Goal weight is therefore 175lb by Dec 31, 2009.
- Post about this goal on my blog so I have publicly stated my intentions (studies show that this helps one stick to a goal).
- Track food daily.
- Figure out target calorie intake and aim to achieve this.
- Cut out crap (opps, I mean the little bit of junk food I still eat, such as the reward donuts). Stick to healthy, whole food rewards such as my favs; dates and almonds.
- Measure the damn dates and almonds.
- Cut out the cream and sugar in my coffees and switch to black or skim. Both very doable for me but I've slipped in the past few months.
- Dear I say, post a graph on this web site tracking my weekly/monthly weigh-ins.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)