Day 15.4 - 4.1 miles - 37:03 mins - 9:02 pace

Ran from the Y to Bridge Street, up to Pulteney, and down to McDonald's. I thought it was 4.2 miles, but nah - just over 4. I had anal retentive issues about 2 minutes into the run and it really took a lot out of me. The hardest part was around the 25th minute - I came extremely close to walking but persevered.

I ran in tights, t-shirt, and Asics. I wasn't too hot but it took me forever to cool down and stop sweating - nearly 20 minutes. I now take 2 days off before running the chemung valley montessori 5K on Sunday (http://sites.google.com/site/cvms5k/).

Day 14.4 - 1hour - 6.2 miles

I did my long run - FINALLY! When was the last time I ran for an hour? Back when I still lived in Rome I think and that was almost 10 years ago. I was going to run long yesterday, but Brennan was up so much the night before that I couldn't. Last night he only woke up once so I grabbed the chance. Unfortunately he woke Annie up at 5:30.

I wore my Adidas hat, Asics, tights, and a new twist - a t-shirt underneath a long-sleeve shirt. It was about 50 degrees which wasn't cold enough for a jacket, nor warm enough for just a t-shirt and the 2-shirter worked perfectly. I did get really sore nipples, though...I don't think it was chafing necessarily, but they were quite bothersome.

The run was good. I started at the Y, went to Bridge, and then onto Pulteney all the way to route 86 near Denny's. I made the turn at 29:30, intentionally giving myself some extra time on the return trip as I considered that hill near West High. I ended up having an extra 15-20 seconds upon the return to the Y so I just ran a little farther into the parking lot. I guess that means I was a little slower on the return, but I'm okay with that. My pace works out to 9:40 per mile which, given my usual 9:30 per mile, was pretty good.

For the first time that I can remember, I was actually questioning myself as to why I was running so far / so long. It started around minute 40 and though it seemed like a long conversation in my head, it probably only lasted 20 seconds or so. I got rid of it by doing my old Army cadence - "One mile, no sweat, 2 miles, better yet, 3 miles, easy run, 4 miles, lots of fun, 5 miles to the sun, 6 miles, almost done, 7 miles, for the run, aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!". Okay, I added a couple there, but that's what I was saying to myself. It really threw off my breathing :-)

Besides my nipples, there really wasn't much pain anywhere, but there was a ton of discomfort! I could feel the acid in my legs and my right achilles wasn't thrilled, but it never complained so much that I felt the need to stop. My left middle toes started feeling like they were bleeding around minute 45 or 50, but I didn't stop.

I never found a consistent rhythm with my breathing or my stride, but that didn't faze me much. For the most part on the way out I was breathing in & out every 3rd stride. The way back was all over the place as I reverted to breathing in for 3 strides and out for 2. Then when I started doing my cadence I was in and out every 2. Once I realized that, though, I forced myself to calm down so I didn't waste myself. I did some stretching at the end because everything felt like it needed it. Next week I'll run fast instead of long and see how I do - I still haven't found a decent workout plan for that yet.

Day 14.2 - 36 mins - 3 miles on Highland Hills

I wanted to run long today, but the baby woke up just as I was heading downstairs - the little bugger! I tried to get him back to sleep but he cried which woke up Annie and then it was either argue or just get out of there. I had to really bundle him up because it was only 31 degrees when we started - below freezing!!!

I zig-zagged down the hill to first street and back up to our house. From the house to Lexington and then right onto 3rd, down Hamilton, left onto the alley between 3rd & 2nd all the way down to Field, then right onto 2nd back to Hamilton, left onto Cintra lane, then right onto Field and right down 1st to Hamilton. There I turned around and went on the same route, but it was mostly up hill this time. The stroller was a pain - it wouldn't stay straight & I kept having to use both hands to get it back on track. Brennan, of course, fell asleep pretty quickly, just to tick me off.

The NB 1224's continue to feel better and better. I wore tights, knit hat, mittens, and a jacket and I needed it! It wasn't a great run or a bad run, just a run. At least it was 37 minutes long so I know I worked off a few calories. I was 217.8 this morning -- can 215 be far behind?

Day 11.3 - Wednesday - Williams Street

I tried to get up a bit earlier (4:40) this morning to give the body more of a warm up, but I fell back to sleep and awoke at 4:57 so that didn't work out too well. I did tru to do some stretches & rotations to loosen things up and that seemed to work a bit. I started at the YMCA and ran for 17:30 out and then back. I wore my Asics, Nike Jacket & Nike tights, hat & gloves - it was pretty chilly this morning.

I felt great on the way out. I had eaten poorly on Tuesday while being home with Brian & his ear infections, but still weighed in at 219 to start the day so that probably helped my perception that I was feeling good and going faster. I made it all the way to the intersection of High and First streets in Painted Post before turning around. The return trip seemed to take longer and much more energy, but it ended up being faster by about 20 seconds. I did some "bounding" strides and took some liberties with my stride in the "sitting" motion that I do to alleviate the stress on my calf muscles and I also did a few sections running on my toes.

All in all, it felt good. As the day wore on though, my knees were killing me much more and I was getting up and down like an old guy, putting a lot of weight on my hands / arms to assist. My shins & calf muscles are better, but at what price?

Gotta love the Asics, though. They feel great when I run and seem to be the easiest on my lower legs of all my sneakers.

Day 10.7 - Sunday - Canada Road

I took a couple days off to rest the knees & calf muscles. I was still a little sore on the run, but I pushed on because my weight was only 219! Yeah, I'm in the teens!!!

I parked at the Small Fry Football park and ran up to route 417, then right towards Walmart, then right again down Daniel Zenker Drive, and right again past Healthworks. I wasn't up to 30 minutes so I turned up Canada road again. It ended up being 2.9 miles I think which I was happy with in the end.

I wore my NB sneakers and my InSport tights which weren't that great. My Nike shirt was a good choice, too. I didn't get onto the road until 7 am so it was much warmer than normal.

day 10.4 - Thursday - Highland Hills

Finally down to 220 today!!!!!!

Didn't run until 8am this morning because it was cold and I was up a little late. After dropping off the boys I went home - I thought of running at Sullivan Park, but I didn't want to walk into the building in my tights - TMI, ya' know?

So I ran from the house down Lexington and took a right onto 3rd, then a left onto Hamilton (downhill), and then a left onto 2nd. Then zigged back down Lexington and went right onto first down to Washington using the Alley to come down the little intersection between Bridge, Denison, and Sunset. I ran up Sunset - with a headwind no less - to Field, left onto Field uphill to Cintra Lane and then down the alley to Lexington. Up Lexington with a right onto first continuing to Field...eventually I ended up in front of the Balcerek's house at 30:10 and at about 2.7 miles.

I ran in my NB sneakers, & nike tights & jacket. I was cold in the wind but eventually had to remove the hat & mittens because of overheating. I plan to run again on Saturday. Now it's a few hours later and I'm preparing for the varsity lax game at the stadium. Surprisingly, my legs are feeling better and I've been fueling well. I didn't do much stretching this morning, but I've been trying to make up for it in the office.

Day 10.1 - Monday - noon - Highland Hills

Brennan kept me awake for over 1.5 hours last night. I'd been up late on the weekend watching TV. My left knee hurt, my calves hurt, and it was cold and rainy. So when my alarm went off at 4:50 am, I turned it off and went back to sleep and resigned myself to missing my run today, even though I'd planned on doing some hills for the first time in forever.

Then, my 10-11 meeting ended and I didn't have anything else going on until 1:30 so I stepped out to talk to Applebee's about the league sponsoring and went home to grab some lunch. On the way, I realized that I had enough time to get in a run and since I had to referee Tues, Thurs, and Friday, it made more sense to skip my Wednesday run instead. So I grabbed my Asics, my blue Nike tights, my Nike jacket, a long-sleeve shirt, and ran out the door.

Getting to the bottom of Lexington was the easy part - but it was tricky with a wet surface and my muscles still hurting. But I got down there, and took a left running up Sunset all the way to Field. Then I turned around and ran all the way down Sunset to Bridge, and then ran up Sunset to Field again (I think - it's a little confusing trying to remember at the moment). Then I jogged down Sunset to Fox, and ran up Fox to Cintra Lane. I went left on Cintra to Hamilton,etc... whatever. Eventually I got home.

There were a couple walk breaks in there and I wasn't setting any speed records, but if felt great that I was so excited to run and that I put as much effort into the run as I did. My shins are shaking - sewing machine leg you might say - but my calf muscles feel a lot better than they have in a while. Hope I'm not too sore to ref tomorrow!

Day 9.6 - Saturday - Jones Rd - 35 minutes

I didn't get to run until 10:30am because Annie didn't feel well and Allison woke up early. I had to worry about heat for the first time in recent memory. I still wore my tights because I feel they help my legs and they feel great, but I definitely suffered some extra heat because of it - glad I wore a short-sleeve shirt. My Asics Kayanos were fabulous as usual - I should get another pair.

I parked at the Fire Dept and ran up Forest, onto Jones, and all the way to the metal gate in 17:30. The return trip was nearly identical. Right off the bat my calves hurt, but I stuck with it. My left shin, again, was an issue but it went away. It's sore now a few hours later - I did NOT take Alleve prior to the run so that may have something to do with it - I'll have to track it. Taking tomorrow off and then running on Monday. Not sure what the schedule will be since I'm reffing Tuesday & Thursday. I like the current rotation though - easy 30 min run day 1, timed fast run on day 2, and long run on day 3. I do have to keep my shins in order, though. Hopefully I can drop some weight and have a positive effect that way in addition to the stretches I'm doing. Maybe if Annie doesn't go to Florida I can add some strength training, too.

Day 8.5 - West High Track 2 miler timed

Today we leave for Virginia so I didn't want to take too long, but I also wanted a decent workout because I was down to 221.4 today! I changed my mind a couple times on the way out there - should I run 30 mins on Jones road again, or should I go to the track. In the end, I chided myself for being so indecisive and went with what I had planned to do.

I ran in my Nike tights & jacket which was a perfect compliment to the conditions. My Asics were great, too. My first mile was 8:59 and my 2nd was 8:58. My first lap was 2:10 and it went downhill from there. I'm surprised that my 2nd mile was as fast as my first since I specifically didn't allow myself to sprint or pick up the pace - I didn't want to be exhausted for the drive. In general, at this stage in my return to running and considering my age, I was happy with 17:57 which shaved a whole minute per mile off my regular jogging pace.

Day 8.3 - Jones Road

Annie is in Germany this week so I've been waiting for a chance to run. It was wicked cold & windy yesterday so although I worked from home, I didn't go - plus I was still resting my shins. Today it was snowy, but I'd made up my mind to get it done. After dropping off the boys I parked at the Forest View Fire Dept and ran from Fieldview to Jones and then down Jones until I got to the last "turnaround" before the gates. In total it was 3.2 miles and it took me 31:13. Wow - a palindrome!

I wore my Brooks Adrenaline 8's which already have a few miles on them, some starter tights, and my army jacket & shirt.

I'm going to try to keep on the grass / dirt trails for a while as it definitely seems to be helping my shins. Today was a hard run as there was a nasty headwind on the way out, and of course, I was too hot on the return. I specifically threw in some run hard / jog soft moments as I was trying to do more than 3 miles in 30 mins. My breathing was, for the most part, 3/3, but once I got to the pavement on Jones on the return, I was going 2/2, though I'm not sure if I kept that up the entire time back. It was a good run and I could really feel it when I finished. I walked around the Fire Dept a couple times to cool down, and then did a slow jog on my toes once around, followed up by some light ballet stretches. I started thinking about incorporating some speed work once a week, but I need to maintain my 30 mins, 3 times per week for a while to make sure I'm okay with it. Besides, my refereeing should give me some extra work & sprints, too.

Day 7.3 - Wednesday - Lots of shin / calf pain

Didn't run today because my legs hurt so much. I did a game in Bath last night and my shins / calves hurt so much I was frequently out of position. I walked for 10 minutes and will try to do that a couple times today as well as the lower-leg exercises recommended on Runners World. I'll keep you posted. I wore my new InSport tights and the new Asics Kayano 15 and they were great - at least for a walk they were.

Day 6.7 - Sunday late morning

Didn't run until 7:30am this morning and it was a very hard, tiring run. Two minutes in I wanted to stop. Maybe because I ate poorly yesterday, or stayed up late, or because I was up four times in the night - whatever the case, it wasn't an easy run. I also started out with too much clothing and was too warm, but when I turned around I realized I had been running with the wind and I was glad to have the hat & gloves going into the breeze.

I ran w/ tights, supporter, Army jacket, and my NB 1224's. It was comfy. I should get my new Asics this week and I'm anxious to give them a try. Tomorrow I'll probably go w/ my Brooks one last time before the new pair arrives. The schedule for week 7 is pretty whacked - supposed to run Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, & Saturday. Friday & Sat aren't a problem, but I'm reffing on Tuesday and I think that's going to be too much. Unfortunately, w/ Annie leaving for Germany on Saturday afternoon, I don't think there's any way for me to offset the schedule. It means running 4 days in a row plus one refereeing night, but if Monday is hard, maybe I'll get someone else to ref for me.

Day 6.5 - Friday morning

God Bless that boy, Brennan! He woke up once at 11:45 and after 2 ounces went back to sleep for the night. I had to wake him at 7:30am to get him ready for Linda's!!! He couldn't have picked a better night for it as I HAD to wake up early today for my run as I've got closing, Darla's retirement party, and a varsity game to ref this afternoon.

I finally bit the bullet and will be returning my Saucony Hurricane 8's. They just never got any better no matter what I did. Today I ran in my Brooks Adrenaline and felt awesome. Wearing just tights & no underwear caused a bit of a chill in the wind that I'll have to watch out for in the future, but I got through it. I ran 1.6 miles in 17:10 which is under my previous 10-minute-mile pace, perhaps because the weather is so much nicer, or perhaps because I was under 223 pounds for the first time in over a year! I was wicked psyched today and I can't wait to run tomorrow, too. I'm exchanging the Saucony's for some Asics Gel Kayano's. I tried Asics back in the 90's and got blisters, but they are so well liked by so many, I thought I'd give it another shot. Tomorrow is a 19-min run, 1 min walk, and a 10 min run. It's 2 miles from the Y parking lot, up Williams street, to the intersection in Painted Post. Hopefully I'll be running 4 miles (2 out, 2 back) by summer. Looking at that trend, it's probably not a good idea to try for the Boilermaker in July, but if I can find a good plan, I'll be looking into it more seriously at the end of April.

Day 6.3 - Wednesday - late morning

Night started out bad and I again slept through my alarm - this is really starting to tick me off. Friday I have a game to ref so I must get my run in prior to the family wake-up or it may not happen. It's become quite fun for me and I miss it on days I don't run. I was on the road today by 8:05am after dropping off the kids. I wore my Saucony's 3D Grid Hurricane 7 sneakers with the RRS insoles in them all day yesterday and they felt fine. This morning they felt fine during the run, but my legs were noticeably weaker when done. Not sure what's up with that, but they will likely be relegated to the "yard-work" category after this. I don't have that problem with my Adrenaline's which aren't even made for a large body type so it must just be a crappy model year for them.

I started at the Y w/ tights, Army shirt, Nike jacket, hat, & mittens which was perfect for the weather. I ran out 16 minutes, turned around and ran for a minute (17 total), walked 1 minute, and then ran 12 more. I didn't get all the way back to the Y, but close enough that my cool down walk didn't take forever. My weight was 223.0 this morning so I'm trying to be conscious of what I eat / do so hopefully I can be under 223 tomorrow - lots of dairy, water, and meetings today to keep me moving so it's a definite possibility. I had leftover veggie lo mein for lunch - not sure how nutritious that is or how fatty, but everything else today has been & will be good.

Day 6.1 - afternoon @ the Y

Rough beginning to the night with Brennan, so I slept in - slept through my watch alarm, actually. I'm glad I did as the rest of the day was light enough that I was able to fit a run into the afternoon. It ended up being a longer than usual lunch, but it was worth it. I wore my new Starter insulating tights which were great on the way out due to the headwind - wore my Army jacket, too. On the way back I didn't need the hat and gloves and my breathing definitely was easier. It definitely seems that I'm breathing 3 in and 3 out which used to be my race pace. My weight isn't great as I was down to 223 yesterday but back up to 225 this morning. I am continuing to eat better, though: leftovers for dinner (not fast food or frozen pizza), bagel w/ cottage cheese & yogurt for breakfast, Kashi bar for post-race recovery, and salad for lunch. I hadn't planned on the salad, but I had to go to Applebee's to see if they'd sponsor the league and since I was waiting, thought I'd look like a supporter, too.

The issue I'm finding is the Saucony Grid Hurricane 7's. They felt lumpy right at the edge of the heel before the arch - maybe it's because I've been wearing shoes instead of my orthotics? At any rate, it's the second week for them and I recall the first week wasn't so good so they may become my grass-cutting sneakers if things don't improve.

Day 5.6 - Saturday afternoon

Actually, not sure if Saturday has been day six or day seven in past posts, but from now on, I'll try to remember that the "running" week starts on Monday so indeed, today was the 6th day of the week.

Today I ran around 2 or 3pm because of the hectic birthday & playdate schedule. I had it pretty easy, really, as Annie did all the running around. Because it was so late in the day I didn't know where to run to avoid traffic and on my way out to Forest Drive I settled on Old Canada road which turned out to be perfect. The jogging stroller affected my stride a bit, but the mileage was comparable. I used my NB 1224's without the RRS inserts and my legs don't feel nearly as tired as the other day. My calves & shins were painful at the start, but probably because I just spent 10 minutes crouching while giving Brennan his bottle.

Aside from that, it was fine. The tights & Nike jacket w/ short sleeve shirt were the perfect combo as there was a headwind at times that required me to zip up all the way, but on the way back I was so hot I nearly took the jacket off. My weight is still at a 224 or 225 plateau but I got some more nutritious food and will start taking Fish Oil supplements - hopefully that will help, too. I do keep reminding myself as well that I'm still not at the point of my runs where weight loss should occur - I need to be running longer and faster to make that happen.

5.3 - Rainy morning

Today I got up late, was a bit tired, and was still recovering from running yesterday. Still, I put on the tights and went out. Seems like no matter which way I ran, there was a headwind. It rained hard about 1/2 way through the run, but then stopped and just left some puddles for me to avoid. The Brooks continue to work great.

A little upset at myself as I was 226 this morning and since I missed breakfast and didn't bring lunch, relegated myself to celery, peanut butter, and cookies all day. I had an Apple and Orange right next to me but I was so busy, I didn't eat them. Poor excuse as I found time for the cookies. Hopefully it won't affect me too much. Tomorrow is rest and then back on schedule. I really have to focus on not pushing too much too soon because I keep feeling I could go farther & faster...