Two-mile run record holder 10:20.2

Words 527

Ran three miles today just so I wouldn't forget how. During the last half mile, I tried to really push it. I think that the running app 'samples' my speed every now and then; it then puts the results on the home page that I can see. A one point, it said I was running at 6:46 per mile. 

  

My brother holds the record in the 2-mile run for Newell-Providence High School—10:20.2.

8 miles at 7:42!

Words 623; 1 photo

            I shattered my goal.  My training program called for 8 ‘hard’ miles today.  I decided that since I run easily at an 8-minute pace, I would try 7:45, then I decided that might be a bit tough, so I lowered my expectations to 7:50.  All of you ‘arm chair’ marathoners out there may be thinking that 15 seconds per mile is not big deal.  In fact, if a person figured out the total time savings, the sum is paltry. 

fresh air, rainbow bandana

Words 311

            Perfect weather today for running.  My program called for 10 slow miles today.  At the 6.5 mile mark, my legs started to hurt.  A person can see from the mile split times below that,  just like yesterday,  I didn’t slow down much at that point. But it was enough pain to take note of it. 

         

8-minute pace for 13-miles

Words 448

            The schedule had me doing a ‘slow’ 13-mile run today.  I began at a very easy pace, just loping along like a pony out for a jog.  I did the first mile in 8:07, and the second in 8:00.  So, I guess an 8-minute pace is quite natural for me. 

People were shot some years ago

Words 670; pics and link to essay

            Since I started the training regime a day early, I would have had three days of rest, so I ran 4 ‘quick’ miles today.  It was as if I celebrated my first full day in Moscow with a run.  My new friend from Storm Lake, Iowa (13 miles from Newell, where I went to school) is hosting me.  We met last spring by happenstance and we figured out that his cousin used to come to our farm and treat our sick cattle. 

training for a marathon

 

Words 216; one audio

            My second run in training for the marathon.  The plan was to run 5 ‘hard’ miles.  I was pushing all the time.  The time for the first mile was 8:07, and every succeeding mile was faster than the one before with the last at 7:40.  If I average 8 min per mile for all 26.2 miles,

Evil satin Nike

Words 402; one pic

            This was officially my first run in the 4-week training program to prepare for the marathon.  The 10 miles was supposed to be done on Monday or Tuesday, but this fits my schedule better.  I leave Tirana at 3:00 in the afternoon on Tuesday, so I will be able to do the next run before I leave.  That will give me a day to rest.  My next run will be a ‘hard 5-miles.’ 

24 - hour clock

Words 238

            A fine run today.  I didn’t feel like I was going really fast, but I was going faster than all of the other people out there.  An amazing amount of people, actually.  The whole park was full at 6 a.m. 

            It turns out that Maura sent me a notification about the flight time change in April. I just absent-mindedly didn’t take note of it.  I’m usually quite conscientious about such things.  Thankfully everything worked out in the end.  Our bags were delivered this morning.

exercise machines; out to get me

Words 252; 1 picture

         I wrote about the run on the day we left the US when I was pushing the pace all the time.  Well, today, I was back to mechanically moving my legs.  Not a terrible thing, but I need to get moving.  I found a 4-week training schedule for a marathon.  I will begin this regime this weekend—conveniently 4 weeks before the Moscow Marathon. 

Plane flight trouble

Words 1932

            An utterly fabulous sprint today!  Stayed up last night ‘til 2:30 leisurely doing the last packing, Then slept for a bit until the cat woke me up gently calling for food.  I was totally in favor of beginning the day of travel with an hour-long run. 

Perseid

Words 108

            Today was just a bike ride of 1.5 hours.  Didn’t want to stress out the foot.  The next morning, I rode from Johnston down to the farmer’s market—about 15 miles I think—with family and friends.

            Spent the evening on a sand bar in the Raccoon River, watching the Perseid Meteor Shower. Saw only one, but I couldn’t keep myself awake very much.  WE began the evening thinking that we would not even put up or tent.  Then my brother suggested that we put it up because at 10:30, his tent was already saturated with dew.  No problem…he and my sister-in-law put it up in no time.  

Doc Martin

Words 31

            A short one today to visit Dad and watch a series on television. I didn’t want to stress out the foot.  I’m hope that I will be able run the marathon.

sub minute Dewey Sprint

Words 166

            My left foot hurts for some reason.   Only when I step on it, so if I’m sitting, I feel nothing. This pain is the reason I didn’t run much today.  I ran the Dewey Sprint.  I must have had a huge amount of extra energy because I didn’t feel like I was running very fast.  The ‘legs in concrete’ attitude came over me strongly about half way.  One benefit was the fact that I had the Pet Shop Boys in my ears to make me push the pace.

            The boys and I rode the bikes to Dewey Park where I did sets of pull-ups: hands gripping away from the body, toward the body, and alternating.  I’m not sure if it makes any difference to vary that position of my hands, but it can’t hurt. 

            At the park, I rode around and stopped for pull-ups every now and then while the boys terrorized each other on the playground equipment.

            The air was as thick as swamp water.

Who says war, famine, and disease are bad things?

Words 243

            Another run with Ethan.  I like partners who are always ready and malleable to the way things have to be.  We started the day with a 5-hour kayak trip, then a bike ride…  At 5:30, I asked him if he wanted to run. 

            “Well, yah.”

            “I was thinking we should do that this evening.”

            “Did you want to do that before or after supper?”  Supper had just been called one minute earlier.

Minnesota

Words 328

           Ran today with/near/behind Ethan.  He and I ran together several years ago, before he was a top notch high school athlete; I finished with a sprint and beat him.  Not so, this time.  We ran together and chatted about a variety of running topics for some 30 minutes.  One of his statements, “I guess I would not chose to start running if my knees hurt,” showed his super-politeness.